Election Day 2024 saw substantial gains for Republicans nationally and in Michigan. In addition to the victory for President-Elect Trump, we will see new Congressional control for Republicans next year. And in Lansing, there will be a shift in how government is made up that will affect how policy is developed. Here are some areas of interest for MABA members, especially as it relates to elections here in Michigan. What is the national picture coming out of Election Day? The 2024 election is widely recognized as a major victory for the Republican Party nationally. Republicans will control the White House, U.S. Senate, and highly likely the U.S. House in 2025-26. In “down-ballot” races in the states – local and state offices – historic success by the Trump-Vance ticket led to gains for Republicans. President-Elect Trump expanded his margins in many areas versus his 2016 and 2020 campaigns, including here in Michigan. And in blue states, Democrats’ margins of victory were far narrower than in the past. As with any election, we will enter a period where both parties dissect election season and what went right or wrong for them. This is an interesting process you can easily read about in the press and on social media going forward. What happened with races for Michigan’s delegation to Congress? In a bright spot for Democrats, current U.S. Representative, and House Agriculture Committee member Elissa Slotkin will head to the U.S. Senate to fill the seat being vacated by Senator Debbie Stabenow. Senator-elect Slotkin narrowly defeated Mike Rogers on an election night that saw several Democratic incumbents in the U.S. Senate defeated. (These include Jon Tester in Montana, Sherrod Brown in Ohio, and Bob Casey in Pennsylvania.) In an open mid-Michigan Congressional Seat, former State Senator Tom Barrett, a Republican, defeated Curtis Hertel and will head to the U.S. House. And in an open seat in the Bay City area, current State Senator Kristin McDonald Rivet, a Democrat, was elected to fill the seat of retiring Rep. Dan Kildee. Other incumbent federal representatives were reelected. What happened in the Michigan Legislature? Tuesday saw major developments in the state Legislature. Headed into Election Day, Democrats controlled all of Michigan state government – the Governor’s office, House and Senate, albeit with narrow two-vote majorities in the House and Senate. The Michigan Senate was not up for election in 2024, but the House was. On Tuesday, Republicans flipped a total of four House seats, which moves the House to Republican control for the 2025-26 session. The Republican flip of State House control will usher in a period of “divided government” – in other words, GOP control of one chamber of the Legislature, and Democratic control of the other. Democrats continue to control the Governors office. What does divided government mean for the Legislature? Practically speaking, it becomes more difficult for legislation to pass both chambers because that will require Republicans and Democrats to be aligned on details of legislation, and it is no secret there are widespread disagreements between the parties on many topics. Under unified control (ie. if the same party controls both chambers and the Governor’s office), the majority party only has to ensure all of its own members are on the same page, and the way is cleared to advance legislation – even if they are doing so with no votes from the minority party. With divided control of the Legislature, we are likely to see more legislation pass the House and the Senate individually, but not be taken up by the other chamber. As a result fewer bills are likely to be sent to the Governor’s desk due to disagreements between Republicans in the House and Democrats in the Senate. Does the flip in House control mean nothing will happen in Lansing the next two years? Not necessarily. There are some areas, including development of the state budget, and some traditionally less partisan issues that for one reason or another lend themselves to work across the aisle. Agriculture is a traditionally more bipartisan topic where we anticipate opportunities to continue work with Republicans and Democrats alike next year. Some issues already have a history the past two years of bipartisan collaboration in Lansing, including lawmakers’ work together with MDARD on the response to HPAI, and bipartisan interest in the future of agricultural and environmental programs. Legislative leaders in the next session have knowledge of agricultural policy. While Committee chairs will be named early in 2025, the parties have already named leaders in the new House. Rep. Matt Hall will become Speaker of the House in 2025; Rep. Hall represents several MABA members in the flour milling and ag retail sectors in his district, and has taken time to visit and learn about these rural businesses alongside MABA, which we greatly appreciated. Democrats this week elected Rep. Ranjeev Puri as House Minority Leader for the next session. Since being elected, Representative Puri has served on the House Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee. Current Michigan House Agriculture Committee member Rep. John Fitzgerald was selected as House Minority Floor Leader for next session. Additionally, administrative rulemaking processes in the departments continue and provide an opportunity for agriculture to be engaged with our state government. Does divided government take effect immediately? No. From now until the end of the year, we enter a period known as “lame duck,” where the current Legislature remains in control. We anticipate a number of legislative proposals will be taken up during this time, and we are working to ensure your interests are represented. MABA will share additional details regarding this end-of-year session as they become apparent. What is MABA’s involvement in all of this? For years, MABA has built and maintained a strong reputation for our work with members of both parties on behalf of the Michigan agricultural industry. We spend substantial time meeting with members of the Legislature and their staff, to be sure we know their priorities, and they know ours; while also informing them about issues important to you. Our work in recent years means we are well-positioned to represent your interests before both the House and Senate, and with the Administration (the Governor’s office, MDARD, etc.), no matter which party enjoys control. MABA President Chuck Lippstreu is the association’s lead state lobbyist and is active almost daily on these efforts. In addition, thanks to the strong support of MABA members, the association is able to retain one of the top lobbying firms in Lansing, McAlvey Merchant & Associates, which supports our efforts and helps ensure agriculture is connected with lawmakers. During election season, MABA through our Political Action Committee supports state-level candidates of both parties who have worked together with the agricultural industry. This is one of many ways we build and strengthen relationships with legislators. We are pleased to report all House candidates who received support from the MABA PAC were successful on election night in 2024. Our PAC remains an important way headed into 2025 to help support and build connections in Lansing. If you have more questions… Email Chuck Lippstreu at MABA – chuck@miagbiz.org.
