Divided Legislature, Whitmer's Trump Outreach Shape Michigan's Political Year, Journalists Say

Michigan's political landscape has shifted considerably this year, and a panel of journalists took stock of it during a live taping of WDET's MichMash podcast at the Go Comedy! Improv Theater in Ferndale.

Zach Gorchow and Alethia Kasben of Gongwer News Services hosted the discussion. They were joined by Emily Lawler, politics editor at the Detroit Free Press, and Chad Livengood, politics editor at The Detroit News.

The panel pointed to a changed environment in Lansing. Republicans have taken control of the state House, Democrats have kept their majority in the state Senate, and Donald Trump is back in the White House. The result, the journalists said, is a new dynamic at the state Capitol.

Lawler said she had never before covered a Legislature with one chamber under Democratic control and the other under Republican control. "It's been just an interesting dynamic to watch and sort of see what the chambers are teeing up for each other and what of those things they actually expect to move," she said, adding that she believes the pool of measures likely to advance is smaller than she first expected.

Livengood described the relationship between the two chambers as a "legislative Red Rover." He said that securing the votes on major issues, roads among them, "is going to be the real test." One of the topics for the episode was whether lawmakers will meet their July 1 deadline.

Kasben noted that the Legislature has shown it can find common ground on significant policy. She cited the compromise packages on paid sick leave and the minimum wage that lawmakers reached in February.

The conversation also turned to how Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has handled national politics this year, particularly her dealings with Trump. Although the two have a fraught history, they have struck a friendlier tone toward each other in recent months as they discuss plans and initiatives for Michigan.

Lawler said the governor has worked with the president on goals she wants to accomplish, though she was unsure all of them would come to fruition. She singled out Selfridge Air Force Base, where upgrades and a new mission are planned. "That's something that Michigan has wanted for years," she said.

Lawler also cautioned that Whitmer cannot count on Trump politically. As an example, she pointed to recent discussions about pardoning some of the people convicted of conspiring to kidnap the governor.

The episode also looked at how Michigan compares with other states on the national stage in 2025. MichMash is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org and other podcast platforms. WDET's Jenny Sherman contributed to the report.