Frustration is boiling over at the state Capitol as the final days of Democrats’ complete control of Lansing in 40 years come to an end. Republicans are continuing to boycott votes in the House, a Democratic lawmaker walked out of the Capitol while voting was underway, and state Representatives are taking to social media to vent their anger. On today’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by Zach Gorchow, President of Gongwer News Service, to break down the breakdown in Lansing.

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2025 will be a monumental year in Detroit politics as Mayor Mike Duggan seeks to run for governor, leaving an open seat for the highest office in the state’s largest city next year. On this week’s It’s Just Politics, hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by Stephen Henderson, host of American Black Journal, and Nancy Kaffer, editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press to dig into Duggan’s legacy, Detroit’s political landscape and the ten-year anniversary of the city emergency from bankruptcy.

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Michigan’s open Senate race will help to determine the makeup of the U.S. Senate next year and right now the polling shows it’s a tied race. On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by The Detroit News Politics Editor Chad Livengood and Detroit Free Press Politics Editor Emily Lawler to debrief on this week’s U.S. Senate debate between Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin and former Republican Congressman Mike Rogers and look at where the campaigns stand with less than a month before Election Day.

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On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by WDET’s Stephen Henderson and Bitely Communications Andrea Bitely to dig into the Vice Presidential debate between Ohio Senator JD Vance and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz; plus Interlochen Public Radio’s Ed Ronco breaks down a state House race in Northern Michigan that could have big impact in determining whether Democrats keep control in Lansing.

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Absentee ballots go out in mail this week to Michigan voters who have requested them. Chris Thomas, Michigan’s former long-time Elections Director, joins It’s Just Politics hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta to answer your questions about absentee balloting in Michigan; plus what a new nationwide survey of consumers could tell us about November’s presidential election results.

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Michigan’s entire state House of Representatives is up for election this cycle and Democrats are hoping to keep control of the chamber and their control of Lansing. Bridge Michigan Capitol Reporters Jordyn Hermani and Simon Schuster join It’s Just Politics hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta as they take a look at what’s at stake in Lansing in Election 2024. 

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It’s Just Politics hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta debrief with Michigan Public’s Adam Yahya Rayes about last night’s presidential debate between Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump and ask: do presidential debates actually change voters’ minds? Plus, how the state of Michigan came to own the blueprints for the World Trade Center.

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A judge ruled this week that Robert F. Kennedy Junior’s name will remain on the Michigan ballot as the presidential candidate for the Natural Law Party. Will RFK Jr., Jill Stein and Cornel West be 2024’s election spoilers? Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta speak with Brooking Institution’s Elaine Kamarck, author of “Primary Politics: Everything You Need to Know About How America Nominates Its Presidential Candidates” about the role of third parties this election cycle.

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A conversation with University of Michigan Ford School Dean Celeste Watkins-Hayes and Professor Jenna Bednar about the 50th anniversary of Gerald R. Ford becoming President of the United States.

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Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell join It’s Just Politics from Chicago and a look at former President Donald Trump’s trip to Livingston County, MI this week.

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New polling shows voters trust Harris over Trump on the economy. What’s changed?

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A conversation with pollster Richard Czuba about what Michigan’s primary results mean for November.

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On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark is joined by Democrat Felicia Brabec and Republican Graham Filler, two outgoing Michigan state Representatives, to talk about what their time in Lansing was really like: frustrations, surprises and what voters should know about the state Capitol.

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A new report says Michigan would be hit particularly hard if Congress doesn’t increase the debt ceiling plus, the latest on state budget bills.

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A conversation with a Democratic lawmaker on bills to expand hate-crime laws in Michigan and Governor Gretchen Whtimer is named co-chair of President Biden’s reelection campaign; the political roundtable joins to discuss.

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A new report says Michigan had the highest youth voter turnout numbers in the nation last November. What’s behind the increase? Plus, a repeal of the state’s ban on unmarried men and women living together.

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More gun safety legislation is passing at the Capitol. The state House passed extreme risk protection order laws, also known as ‘red flag laws.’ But how exactly do they work and who do they protect?

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The political roundtable discusses the repeal of the state’s 1931 abortion law, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis’ visit to Michigan, and the charges against a former Republican Speaker of the House.

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Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin talks about her new gun violence prevention bills; plus Governor Whitmer stays low-key on the recent repeal of “Right-to-Work.”

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The political roundtable discusses the future of the ‘new’ Michigan Republican Party after comparing gun-safety legislation to Nazi Germany.

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The political roundtable digs into the economic impact of Right-to-Work over the past decade.

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Guns, abortion, civil rights and a tax overhaul were all on the agenda at the state Capitol this week. It’s Just Politics breaks down a historic week in Lansing. Plus, new polling on gun safety legislation.

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The It’s Just Politics political roundtable discusses the week in Michigan politics as lawmakers hold hearings on new gun safety bills and Senators vote to add LGBTQ protections to the state’s civil rights act.

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On this week’s It’s Just Politics, hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by Bridge Michigan politics reporters Jordyn Hermani and Simon Schuster to discuss why state House Democrats are failing to deliver their lame-duck legislative agenda. Plus, a conversation with state Democratic Representative Rachel Hood on why she is calling Lansing “toxic.”

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The It’s Just Politics political roundtable discusses where Michigan lawmakers stand on new gun safety bills and how an election-denier is now running the Michigan Republican Party.

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What does it mean that an election-denier is the new head of the Michigan Republican Party?

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A conversation with the head of the Legislative Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention Caucus; plus how Michigan voters feel about gun safety measures.

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A conversation with the State’s Budget Director Chris Harkins and Republican Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt.

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An inside look at the week in Michigan Politics with our It's Just Politics Friday roundtable.

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What proposals will lawmakers pass from Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s State of the State address?

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A conversation with Democratic and Republican lawmakers on how best to use the state’s new $9 billion surplus.

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A conversation with our political roundtable of Capitol reporters about the first week in Lansing under Democratic control. 

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A conversation with new Democratic state Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks and a look at the week’s political news with our Friday roundtable.

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This new year means a new Legislature in Michigan and there are a lot of new faces. We take a look at who’s coming into Lansing for the new legislative term.

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On this week’s It’s Just Politics, hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by Democratic Congresswoman-elect Kristen McDonald Rivet, the only incoming Democratic freshman from Michigan. Plus, Chairman of the Oakland County Republican Party Vance Patrick joins the podcast to talk about his strategy of ‘losing less’ in a blue county. 

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Midwestern Democrats who won big in 2022 think their message can help them win nationwide. 

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Governor Gretchen Whitmer signs an executive directive to make sure state government is ready to comply with the state’s new abortion-rights amendment. Michigan’s Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission is suing the state Legislature over funding. And the future of the state’s minimum wage and paid sick leave laws is argued in the Michigan Court of Appeals. Michigan Public Radio Network’s Senior Capitol Correspondent Rick Pluta and Detroit Free Press politics reporter Clara Hendrickson join It’s Just Politics host Zoe Clark for a look at the week in political news in Michigan.

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Michigan Senator Gary Peters on keeping the U.S. Senate in Democratic hands and the latest on Lansing’s lame-duck legislative session.

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Michigan’s minimum wage is set to go up in 2023 but the exact amount could be up to the courts. That’s after a judge found the Republican Legislature’s so-called ‘adopt and amend’ strategy to be unconstitutional.

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A big change could be in store for when Michigan gets to choose a presidential nominee. President Biden comes for another visit to Michigan. A shake-up in the Whitmer Administration before the second term begins. And, lawmakers in Lansing are eyeing the final days of their lame-duck session. 

MLive politics reporters Jordyn Hermani and Simon Schuster join It’s Just Politics host Zoe Clark for a look at the week in political news in Michigan.

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Michigan is trying once again to move in front of Iowa and New Hampshire on the presidential primary calendar. And Republicans and Democrats in Lansing are taking steps to show the Democratic National Committee they’re serious about helping to decide the country’s next presidential nominees.

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Elizabeth Clement is the new chief justice of the Michigan Supreme Court. She was chosen this week in a closed-door meeting of the justices.

Clement — who was named to the court in 2017 by Republican Governor Rick Snyder — has shown an independent streak.

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Second terms as Governor in Michigan are different. There isn’t the pressure of knowing you’ve got to run again for reelection in four years. So how’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer thinking about her second term? Today we talk to Gov. Whitmer about what comes next. 

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A lot has been made since last week about redistricting in Michigan and the fact that new, independently drawn maps helped Democrats win both the state House and Senate for the first time in nearly 40 years. We’ll take a look at how redistricting is reshaping Lansing on this episode.

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Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and Attorney General Dana Nessel all cruise to reelection and for the first time in nearly forty years both chambers of the Michigan Legislature - the state House and state Senate - will be controlled by Democrats. Plus voters approve with big margins the addition of abortion rights and voting rights into the state Constitution and change term limits in the state. 

GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:

• Rick Pluta, co-host of It’s Just Politics, and Senior Capitol Correspondent for the MPRN
• Emily Lawler, politics editor at the Detroit Free Press
• Tim Alberta, author of "American Carnage" and writer at The Atlantic
• Jason Roe, former Executive Director of the Michigan Republican Party

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In a special Friday edition of It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by outgoing Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee and incoming Republican Congressman-elect Tom Barrett. Rep. Kildee is leaving Washington D.C. after a dozen years in Congress and Barrett just won his first Congressional race Tuesday night.

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A county clerk explains what happens if your vote is challenged at the polls, and the It's Just Politics panel answers your questions about about election day.

GUESTS:

• Justin Roebuck, Ottawa County Clerk
• Rick Pluta, co-host of It’s Just Politics, and Senior Capitol Correspondent for the MPRN
• Clara Hendrickson, Politics Reporter, Detroit Free Press
• Chad Livengood, Politics Editor, The Detroit News

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Host Zoe Clark sits down with Clara Hendrickson of Detroit Free Press to talk about what could possibly happen at the polls come Nov. 8. Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently said she and secretaries of state across the country are most worried about, “violence and disruption on election day… and in the days surrounding the election.”

On Oct. 25, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Tudor Dixon met on the debate stage one last time before Election Day. Clark talked to a panel about what happened during the debate and whether or not it will have an affect on the outcome of the election. Then the panel dug into what to expect from former President Barack Obama's Saturday rally in Detroit as he campaigns for Whitmer. Then, we discussed a report from CNN about some racist remarks Dixon made back in 2020.

Get your 2022 election questions answered here!

GUESTS:

• Clara Hendrickson, politics reporter, Detroit Free Press
• Rick Pluta, co-host of It’s Just Politics and senior capitol correspondent for the Michigan Public Radio Network
• Alexis Wiley, founder of Moment Strategies
• Rich Czuba, founder and pollster of the survey research firm, Glengarriff Group

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As we inch closer to the midterms, we turn our focus to key Congressional races happening in Michigan. On today's pod, we talk to with state Sen. Tom Barrett. Then guest host Colin Jackson helms the show to talk about the competitive down-ballot races.

GUESTS:

• Samuel J. Robinson, Detroit local reporter for Axios
• Alyssa McMurty, reporter at Gongwer News Service
• Alyssa Burr, political reporter for MLive

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On today’s show we examined the race in Michigan’s newly drawn 7th Congressional District. Several money tracking firms have named the race between incumbent Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin and Republican State Sen. Tom Barrett as the most expensive congressional races in the country when it comes to outside spending. Host Zoe Clark talked to Rep. Elissa Slotkin about what it is like to be a representative in a swing district during a time when the country feels more divided than ever.

After that, we were joined by a panel of reporters to discuss Thursday night's governor candidates debate between Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Tudor Dixon. We broke down what happened, what was said and what to expect when the two candidates meet next on the debate stage on Tuesday, Oct. 25.

There are 24 days until the election.

GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:

• Rep. Elissa Slotkin, Democrat representing the 8th Congressional District and candidate for the newly-drawn 7th Congressional District
• Laura Weber-Davis, executive producer for Stateside and former Michigan Public Radio Network’s capitol reporter
• Simon Schuster, political reporter for MLive
• Mara MacDonald, reporter for WDIV Local 4

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