• Michigan’s gubernatorial candidates say how they’d increase affordability, bring down housing costs and more
• Topics included affordability, economic development, taxes, housing, diversification and population
• Candidates were asked to limit their responses to 300 words

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The cost of living, from housing to gasoline, is primed to be a pivotal election issue this fall. And Michigan’s gubernatorial candidates have sweeping but strikingly different plans for how to address it.

More than 1 in 4 respondents to Bridge’s election-year reader survey said the economy is their top issue — more than any other policy area. 

So we asked those vying to be Michigan’s next governor how they would address affordability, economic development, taxes, housing, diversifying the state’s economy and growing the population. 

Since our last edition of Bridge Listens, two candidates have dropped from the race: Republican Ralph Rebandt and Democrat Kim Thomas, both of whom filed too few valid nominating petition signatures to qualify for the August primary ballot. 

Related:

• Bridge Listens: How economic, affordability issues are hitting Michigan
• Bridge Listens: How Michigan’s next governor would fix economy, lower costs
• In their words: Michigan governor candidates on key environmental issues

This is the fourth edition of the election-year Bridge Listens series. Candidates have previously answered Bridge’s questions on education, health care and the environment.  

We’ve provided a summary of their answers on the economy here, but read on to see what they had to say, in full:  

Affordability

The question: What powers, in your view, are available to Michigan’s governor to increase affordability and what actions would you take to bring down costs for everyday Michiganders?

Benson (D): Everywhere I go in Michigan I hear heartbreaking stories about the struggles families are enduring as costs continue to skyrocket on everything. Moms are having to choose between whether to eat or pay rent. Seniors are anxious about covering the rising cost of their prescriptions on a fixed income. Small business owners are struggling to keep their lights on while energy costs go up and chaotic tariff policies jeopardize their inventory. 

My affordability agenda details how we can streamline government to provide more support for everyone struggling to make ends meet in this economy. 

I will work to increase housing availability and affordability by streamlining regulations that slow down construction, incentivizing the development of starter homes and affordable units, and holding accountable investors who buy up properties and drive up rents solely to make a profit. We will adopt policies shown in other states to lower healthcare costs, like creating a healthcare affordability board to stop pharmaceutical companies from price gouging, and passing a $5,000 caregiver tax credit to support families working to provide long-term care for their aging loved ones. I will lower energy costs by ending the unfair rate hikes, investing in a clean energy future, reforming our rate-setting process to make it more transparent, and working with public utilities to modernize our energy grid. And I will make childcare more accessible and affordable by expanding Rx Kids statewide and removing barriers that prevent qualified providers from opening their doors.

From the grocery store to the gas pump, from the doctor’s office to the housing market, we can bring down costs and protect families’ pocketbooks. I know what it takes to save residents time and money and make their lives easier – I have done it before by running one of our state’s most important agencies. Now, I am ready to do that across all of state government, ensuring everyone who works hard can afford to live, thrive, and build a future right here in Michigan.

Cox (R): The governor has enormous power to impact affordability through taxes, regulation, budgeting, energy policy, and executive management. Right now, Michigan government is making life more expensive at almost every level. Families are paying more for groceries, housing, utilities, insurance, and everyday necessities while Lansing keeps growing government and increasing costs.

The single most important thing we can do to improve affordability is eliminate the state income tax. That is why I launched my campaign on Tax Day. Eliminating the income tax would provide a boost to working families, retirees, and small businesses while making Michigan dramatically more competitive with states like Florida, Texas, and Tennessee that are attracting people and investment instead of losing them.

Second, we must attack the hidden tax of overregulation. Slow permitting, excessive mandates, and bureaucratic delay raise costs on every business in Michigan, and those costs are ultimately passed on to consumers. I have seen companies choose Ohio or Indiana over Michigan simply because the government here moves too slowly and unpredictably.

Third, Michigan needs reliable and affordable energy policy rooted in reality, not political slogans. Our manufacturing economy cannot survive with skyrocketing energy costs and an unstable grid.

Finally, affordability is tied directly to economic growth and education. Michigan used to be a place where a carpenter and a maid could own a home, raise a family, and believe their children would do better than they did. Too many families no longer believe that. My goal is to make Michigan that state again.

James (R): My three-word affordability agenda: energy, housing, healthcare.

Every decision my administration makes will be filtered through one question: does this make Michigan more or less affordable? Lansing has been adding costs for years. We are going to start subtracting them.

West Point taught me that you solve problems by identifying and confronting root causes, not symptoms. Michigan families are being squeezed by bad policy, and the Governor has real tools to fix it.

On day one, I will move to repeal harmful energy mandates driving up utility bills and the cost of everything from gas to groceries. I will push to eliminate Michigan’s state income tax, which is the highest in the Midwest for working families, and deliver real property tax relief.

In healthcare, patients deserve to know what they are paying before they pay it. I will require price transparency across Michigan’s healthcare system so families can shop, compare, and make informed decisions about their own care. No more mystery bills. Patients are customers and they deserve to be treated like it.

I will reform a legal environment that forces businesses to lawyer up instead of innovate, adding thousands of dollars in hidden costs passed directly to consumers.

Finally, I will order an immediate fiscal cleanup of state government through a comprehensive audit of all expenditures. I will end the $3.5 billion in waste, fraud, and abuse already identified by the House Republican Oversight Committee and work to return those savings directly to taxpayers.

Michigan families deserve a government that works as hard as they do. That starts on day one.

Johnson (R): Being governor is a lot like running a business. If you’re going to make good decisions, you need to know what’s coming in, what’s going out, and where every dollar is being spent. The problem in Michigan is that nobody really knows. We have so many layers of bureaucracy, programs that have never been properly reviewed, and billions of taxpayer dollars flowing through state government without the level of scrutiny that I demand in my own businesses.

That’s why my first action is a MEGA Audit of Michigan government. Before we ask taxpayers for another dime, we need to identify waste, inefficiency, and corruption wherever it exists. Once we know where the money is going, we can drive efficiencies and run our government like a successful business.

The ultimate goal is simple: return money to the people who earned it. By eliminating waste and improving efficiency, we’ll be in a place where we can eliminate the state income tax and put an average of $4,747 back into the pockets of working families every year. There is no government program more effective at improving affordability than letting people keep more of their own money.

Nesbitt (R): Michigan families are hurting because of the years of failed Democrat policies crushing our state. As Governor, I will stand shoulder-to-shoulder with President Trump to defeat inflation and take direct action so families can Make it in Michigan.

First, I will immediately move to lower your energy bills by repealing Whitmer’s disastrous “Green New Scam” energy mandates, which are destroying our grid and driving up utility costs. I will also fight for common-sense legal reforms to roll back the hidden “tort tax” created by excessive lawsuits, lowering insurance premiums for homeowners and small businesses. Furthermore, I will create the Michigan Financial Oversight and Fiscal Accountability Office (MI-FAFO) to root out the waste, fraud, and abuse running rampant in Whitmer’s bloated bureaucracy. Most importantly, I will work to eliminate Michigan’s state property tax to help keep seniors in their homes while making homeownership more affordable for younger Michiganders.

Swanson (D): The cost of living crisis permeates every facet of life for nearly every Michigander and small business. As Governor, I will champion policies directly addressing affordability, housing supply shortages, skyrocketing child-care costs, and grow good paying union jobs while protecting prevailing wages.

The escalating cost of childcare is perhaps the most immense strain on a family budget, placing many parents in an impossible position. As Governor I will ensure PreK programs in Michigan remain available to all children, and expand Michigan’s childcare subsidy program and the Working Families Tax Credit. I will also work directly with employers to create more childcare options for employees, allowing more talent to stay in the workforce and help stimulate our economy.

Economic Development

The question: State government’s approach to attracting investment and growing its economy over the past decade has been changeful and often contentious. How would your administration foster economic growth, and do tools like the Michigan Economic Development Corp., Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund and legislatively set tax credits fit in your plans? 

Benson (D): Michigan has real challenges: costs are skyrocketing, wages are stagnant, jobs have disappeared in too many communities, and families are paying some of the highest utility bills in the country while our grid fails far too often. But Michigan is also a place that builds things. We have what the twenty-first century needs most: twenty percent of the world’s fresh surface water, world-class universities, and a manufacturing workforce ready to build the next economy.

My approach to economic development is focused on making Michigan the best place in America to get a job, have a career, and one day retire by investing in four pillars: People, Places, Infrastructure, and Innovation. For the people pillar, that means building a lifelong learning system from birth through career, expanding career and technical education and apprenticeships, and supporting workforce development that ensures every Michigander has access to opportunity.

When it comes to places, we need to build vibrant communities through more affordable housing, downtown revitalization, public spaces and safe neighborhoods that attract families and talent. We will invest in infrastructure by addressing drinking water contamination, expanding transit and rail connections, building EV and broadband networks, and modernizing our energy grid so growth does not raise costs for families.

And I want Michigan to lead in innovation by supporting startups and scale-ups, investing in research universities, creating sector-specific hubs, and launching tools like a Michigan venture capital fund while ensuring transparency and accountability in economic development investments.

Tools like the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and targeted tax credits have a role in this strategy, but only when they come with clear transparency and accountability. The question I’ll always ask is simple: is this actually delivering results for Michigan workers and communities? If the answer is yes, we use it. If not, we fix it.

Cox (R): Michigan’s economic development strategy has foolishly tried to pick winners and losers through politically connected incentive programs and corporate subsidy deals. This strategy has failed Michigan’s taxpayers, job creators, and workers as it has failed to deliver the broad-based economic growth Michigan needs.

I support fundamentally restructuring and ultimately eliminating the MEDC. The public at-large views it as generally ineffectual and corrupt. Further, governors and bureaucrats are ill-prepared to consistently predict which companies, industries, or technologies will succeed in a rapidly changing economy. Wall Street struggles to do that successfully, and the government performs even worse when taxpayer dollars are involved.

Like almost every one of Michigan’s 900,000 small businesses, the State did not give me a grant to start my business, hire my first employee, or make payroll every two weeks. My wife and I signed personal guarantees and built our business from scratch. That experience taught me that the best economic development strategy is not economic hunting – where we attempt to hunt for jobs with government cash payments — rather it is economic gardening, where we create a fertile economic ground where any business can grow.

My administration will focus on creating the strongest economic fundamentals in America: eliminating the income tax, reducing regulation, implementing permitting time clocks, ensuring affordable and reliable energy, fixing our K-12 education system, improving workforce participation, and making Michigan government customer-focused and responsive.

State government should not selectively subsidize a handful of large corporations while small businesses are left carrying an unequal tax and regulatory burden. We must create a business climate where companies choose Michigan because it is the best place in America to invest, build, hire, and raise a family, not because they secured a special deal from Lansing.

James (R): Michigan has been spraying incentives at the biggest balance sheets while the businesses that have provided jobs for decades are told to wait their turn. That stops with me.

I’ve grown a small business and created hundreds of jobs right here in Michigan. Nobody else in this race can say that. We are not going to cut or sue our way to prosperity. We have to grow our way there. Experience matters.

My economic philosophy is simple: Retention, Reclamation, Recruiting, in that order. The best way to attract new investment is to treat existing investment with respect. That means running state government like a customer-obsessed small business, focused on contracts, compliance, and capital access for Michigan firms first.

Economic development is not just about brick and mortar. It is about flesh and blood. Real families. Real paychecks. 

Michigan’s economy has endured whiplash from one administration to the next and it is killing us. Businesses need stability and certainty to invest, hire, and grow. We are going to do what works.

I will reform MEDC with a bias toward retention and reclamation, a concierge approach to compliance, and real access to capital and contracts for small businesses. I will bring back DEQ and reform EGLE to champion stewardship, not protectionism. And I will end the era of Whitmer’s $670 million SOAR fund, which produced zero jobs.

Michigan’s future is not one sector deep. We will lead a reindustrialization movement built on advanced manufacturing, energy, defense, maritime, agriculture, tech, and tourism, built with local input and control. 

The government should work with business, not against it. That culture change starts at the top.

Johnson (R): Michigan has an economic development problem because we’ve become less competitive than the states we’re competing against. 

The single biggest economic development initiative my administration will pursue is eliminating the state income tax. Every entrepreneur looking to start a business, every family looking to relocate, and every company considering expansion will immediately see Michigan differently. Every state that has eliminated their income tax has seen massive success! 

As for programs like MEDC, we need immediate reform there and that will be a priority of my administration. Rather than handing out special deals to politically connected corporations, I want to make Michigan so competitive that businesses choose us because of our workforce, our quality of life, and our tax environment. The best economic development strategy is one that benefits every employer, not just the largest ones with lobbyists in Lansing.

Nesbitt (R): For too long, Gretchen Whitmer and Lansing Democrats have tried to pick winners and losers with your tax dollars, throwing billions at massive corporations and shady deals while our main street job creators struggle to survive. This cronyism has utterly failed our state. Under the current administration, Michigan ranks third in national unemployment, and families earn thousands less than the national average.

My approach to economic development rejects Whitmer’s corporate welfare programs like the SOAR fund, which hand your money to billion-dollar companies that end up cashing the check and running. Instead, I will partner with President Trump to unleash an America First, Michigan First economic boom. We will Make it in Michigan by making our state the most competitive place in the nation to do business. I will take a blowtorch to the bureaucratic red tape at agencies like EGLE, turning them into customer-focused partners rather than heavy-handed interrogators. And most importantly, I will fight to restore Michigan’s Right-to-Work status to safeguard worker freedom and signal to job creators worldwide that Michigan is open for business.

Swanson (D): Michigan needs a Governor outside of the Lansing bubble, one that fights for Michiganders in every part of our state. That is why I’m running for Governor, and that is why I issued my working-class playbook, advocating for a restructure of government agencies that no longer benefit our residents, and increasing transparency for Lansing politicians who are exempt from FOIA rules and seem focused on using elected office as an offramp to high paid corporate lobbying. Our government must have a customer service mindset, helping stimulate economic growth, good paying union jobs, better schools, skilled labor opportunities, and reducing the costs of everyday necessities to ease the economic pain we all have felt for too long.

I will support entrepreneurship through an Office of Innovation that can support startups and small business owners through the process. Every large business starts off small, and Michigan should be the best state to start and own a business in the country. We must also audit and restructure Michigan Economic Development Corporation to make it work for everyone, not just the political insiders.

Taxes

The question: After years of pandemic-era surpluses, Michigan is facing a changing fiscal outlook, with federal policy changes putting pressure on the state government budgets. What, if anything, would you seek to change about Michigan’s system of taxation, and how would you pay for any tax cuts? 

Benson (D): For too many working Michiganders, it feels like the cards are stacked against them — whether it’s rising costs, stagnant wages, or the growing burden of caring for aging family members. The question is how we make our tax system work for the people who actually keep this state running.

I will make sure this is done in a fiscally responsible way. As Secretary of State, I transformed branch offices, cut inefficiencies, and redirected the funds freed up to make the investments we needed. I’ll take the same approach as governor to ensure this fits into a budget that works for everyone.

I’ll also work to create new revenue streams by encouraging growth in our tourism industry and other key economic drivers that will generate additional economic revenue and investment for our local communities and our state. By thinking creatively, taking a comprehensive view of the budget, and identifying new sources of revenue while cutting wasteful spending, we can do more with less and invest in the things that matter without raising taxes.

Cox (R): Michigan families and businesses are taxed enough already. I signed the Taxpayer Protection Pledge because I oppose raising taxes and was the first to propose eliminating Michigan’s income tax because it is the single most transformational economic policy our state can enact.

Michigan’s affordability crisis is driven in large part by a government that keeps growing while families fall further behind. The current administration has increased spending by tens of billions of dollars, yet most Michiganders would struggle to identify what government service has improved.

During my time as AG, our caseloads increased but we still reduced staffing levels by more than 20%, by investing in technology, workforce training, fixing organizational charts, and forcing our vendors to take “haircuts” — the same tools private sector business use every day. In other words, we actually did more with less.

That is the mindset I would bring to the governor’s office. Michigan does not need higher taxes. We need a leaner, more efficient, more accountable government focused on core priorities. Less government equals more prosperity. 

Eliminating the income tax provides an eternal and recurring boost to workers, retirees, and especially small business “S” corporations that create most new jobs in our economy. Michigan should be competing with states attracting people, capital, and businesses, not driving them away.

James (R): Michigan families are getting squeezed. Groceries cost more. Energy bills are up. And too many people are working two jobs just to keep the lights on. That is what happens when Lansing stops working for you and starts working against you.

Michigan now has the highest unemployment rate in the entire Midwest. States like Ohio, Tennessee, and Georgia are growing and winning. We are losing jobs, losing people, and losing ground. That has to stop.

Here is my plan.

First, I am cutting your income taxes. Twenty-five percent in year one, with a goal of eliminating the income tax entirely.

Second, I am going to make Michigan competitive for businesses again. When companies have a better deal next door, they leave. And when they leave, so do the jobs. We are going to fix that.

Third, we are going to pay for all of this the way your family does at home: by spending less. Whitmer grew Lansing’s budget by over 50% in eight years. Yet nothing is 50% better. In fact, the state is worse off in nearly every category. I will audit every dollar, cut the waste, and put your money back where it belongs.

I will also create targeted tax breaks for businesses that train workers in the skills Michigan actually needs right now. More good jobs with better paychecks. 

One more thing. There is a proposal to add a 5% surcharge on top earners. Sounds good on paper. What it actually does is chase away the people who sign the front of paychecks. We cannot tax our way to prosperity. We have to grow our way there.

That is exactly what I am going to do.

Johnson (R): We don’t have a revenue problem, we have a spending and accountability problem.

For years, Lansing has operated under the assumption that taxpayers should simply send more money whenever government wants to spend more. I reject that premise. Before we discuss tax increases or maintaining burdensome taxes, we need to know exactly how taxpayer dollars are being spent today.

That’s where the MEGA Audit comes in. A comprehensive review of state government will identify waste, inefficiency, duplication, and corruption that have accumulated over decades. Every dollar we save through better management is a dollar that doesn’t have to come from Michigan families.

My goal is straightforward: use the findings of the MEGA Audit to streamline government, eliminate unnecessary spending, and eliminate the state income tax.

Nesbitt (R): Gretchen Whitmer and the Democrats in Lansing have treated working families like an endless piggy bank to fund their bloated bureaucracy and radical social agendas. It’s time to shrink the size of government and put money back where it belongs: in your pocket. To Make it in Michigan, we need a tax system modeled after President Trump’s historic tax cuts — one that rewards hard work and encourages investment.

My top priority is eliminating the state property tax so we can stop renting from the government and provide permanent, structural relief to homeowners and seniors. We will pay for these historic tax cuts by finally getting serious about state spending. We will end Whitmer’s corporate handouts and slash the budgets of weaponized agencies that exist only to harass our job creators. And my proposed MI-FAFO (Michigan Fiscal Accountability & Financial Oversight) will identify and eliminate the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in Lansing. By shrinking the government, prioritizing essential services like roads and public safety, and fostering a deregulated economy, we will secure a prosperous future for our state.

Swanson (D): It is critical that any investment of tax dollars for economic development return significant benefits for the taxpayers making this sacrifice. All too often out-of-state corporations siphon public dollars in exchange for low-paying, poor-quality, unsafe, and unsustainable jobs while lining the pockets of C-Suite executives and hoarding record profits for shareholders.

Corporations via their operations place a large burden on our public infrastructure and we must ensure the profits they gain from these public goods are used to maintain and replace our failing infrastructure and ensure affordable access to public utilities.

We will bring down the cost of energy in the state, both by increasing energy production and by making sure DTE and Consumers only raise your rate when they can guarantee better service. I have committed to not taking DTE and Consumers Energy PAC contributions and will issue a moratorium on electricity and energy rate hikes my first day in office. Members of the Michigan Public Service Commission that I select will work for the residents of Michigan, not the interests of corporations and energy conglomerates.

Housing

The question: Michigan has a longstanding housing affordability problem, from high rent prices to low supply. How would you work to increase the availability and attainability of housing for all Michiganders? 

Benson (D): No matter where I go in Michigan, I hear from workers, families, and retirees who want to afford a home in the community where they live and work. In Traverse City, nurses and cherry farmers can’t find places to raise families when homes cost nearly a million dollars. In Detroit, rising rents and property taxes are pricing out families who have lived in the city for generations.

The problem is clear: for decades, restrictive zoning laws, outdated building codes, and slow permitting have strangled new construction while more people compete for fewer homes. We need to build more quality housing efficiently and effectively.

As governor I will cut red tape and end the bureaucracy so we can make it easier and faster to build new housing and streamline costs. That means increasing efficiencies and eliminating the obstacle course that developers endure simply to build in our state, creating a statewide housing data system to align permitting and building systems with real community needs, and expanding tax credits to help homebuyers afford a place to live. I’ll also ban the sale of homes to private equity firms in their first 100 days on the market and give communities control over short-term rentals, while strengthening protections for renters, expanding rental assistance, and holding absentee landlords accountable. At the same time, I will expand and modernize the Michigan Homestead Property Tax Credit to reflect today’s housing costs and inflation, raising income eligibility limits and adjusting benefit levels so more working families, seniors, and fixed-income homeowners can keep up with rising property tax bills. Together, these steps will ensure more Michiganders can afford to live and stay in the communities they love.

Cox (R): Michigan’s housing affordability problem is fundamentally a supply issue.  Studies by home builders show that 25% of the cost of new housing is related to government regulation related to slow permit decision making, uncertain building codes, and a myriad of other government obstacles. Fix that and supply increases, and housing becomes more affordable.  

My approach begins with making Michigan more affordable overall by eliminating the state income tax so families can keep more of what they earn and save for a first home. That alone would provide a permanent boost to working families and young couples trying to build a future in Michigan.

Second, we need to dramatically reduce the regulatory and permitting burdens that increase the cost and delay of housing construction. I support implementing permitting time clocks and making state agencies operate at the speed of business instead of forcing projects to sit in bureaucratic limbo for months or years. I have spoken to developers and business owners who chose Indiana or Ohio over Michigan simply because our process is too slow, unpredictable, and expensive.

Third, Michigan needs an affordable and reliable energy policy because utility costs directly impact both renters and homeowners. Families cannot afford housing if energy bills continue rising because of unrealistic mandates from Lansing.

Finally, fixing our education system and growing our economy are directly tied to housing. People want to live where there are good schools, safe communities, and economic opportunity. Michigan once offered working families a path to homeownership and upward mobility because our economy was growing and government understood its role was to support opportunity, not make life more expensive. My goal is to make Michigan that state again.

James (R): The American Dream was not supposed to be something you had to leave Michigan to find.

Let me give you a number that should make your blood boil. Liberal government regulations add $131,734 to the cost of every new home in America. Added by bureaucrats who have never built anything in their lives. And that number jumped 40% in just five years.

For every $1,000 increase in home prices, thousands more Michigan families lose their shot at owning a home forever. This is not an accident, it is what the left does. They make you dependent and then they call it compassion.

That ends with me.

Fast permits. Legal reform. Repeal the energy mandates driving up costs. And build housing near jobs so Michigan families can live where they work.

Here is the truth nobody in Lansing wants to say: the government did not build your home. A builder did. Every regulation and every delay is a bureaucrat putting their hand in your pocket.

My parents came to Michigan because they believed hard work still meant something here. I am running for Governor to make sure your children never have to leave to find out if that is still true.

Johnson (R): Housing affordability ultimately comes down to affordability itself. My son Perry works in the mortgage industry and speaks with prospective homebuyers every day. He sees firsthand how many families are working hard, doing everything right, and still struggling to save enough money for a down payment.

Imagine what happens when the average Michigan family suddenly has $4,747 more in its pocket every year because we eliminated the state income tax. That’s real money that can be used for a down payment, closing costs, mortgage payments, or home improvements. For many families, it could mean the difference between renting and owning.

At the same time, we need to reduce unnecessary regulations and barriers that drive up construction costs and slow housing development. More housing supply combined with more money in the pockets of Michigan families is the most effective way to make homeownership attainable again.

Nesbitt (R): To lower housing costs, I support cutting red tape that blocks new construction, eliminating the state property tax, expanding access to skilled trades in high school, and no free housing for illegal immigrants.

Michigan’s housing affordability crisis is being driven by two major forces: heavy-handed government red tape and the massive strain placed on our infrastructure by the influx of illegal immigrants. While Gretchen Whitmer and Jocelyn Benson support sanctuary policies that welcome illegal immigration, everyday Michiganders are paying the price as an artificial surge in demand drives up rent and locks families out of homeownership.

To ensure our citizens can Make it in Michigan, we must fix this from both ends. I will stand firmly with President Trump to secure our borders and ban sanctuary cities. At the same time, we will lower housing costs by cutting the state and local regulations that delay construction and inflate building costs. We will expand “by-right” development and promote private-sector alternatives to outdated building codes, allowing builders to build again. We don’t need taxpayer-funded housing handouts for illegals; we need a free market that builds homes and a governor who puts Michigan citizens first. By eliminating the state property tax, we will also ensure seniors aren’t priced out of the homes they’ve owned for decades.

Swanson (D): Every Michigander should have access to safe, healthy, and affordable housing. Our local communities have done an immense job in the face of an unprecedented housing cost escalation, and as (governor) I will work as a partner to assist in these efforts. Strengthening tenant rights, ensuring fair rental costs, fighting exclusionary zoning, and investment in union trades to combat our housing shortage will all be priorities on day one in office. I will also utilize my current relationship with Nation Outside and Safe and Just to assist and ensure inmates integrate back into our communities with stable housing.

Diversification

The question: Michigan has long anchored its economic identity around the automobile, with one industry group estimating the mobility sector employs about 20% of all Michigan workers. But mobility employment continues to decline here as it grows in the US. What does Michigan need to do about its national place in mobility jobs, and how does diversifying the economy fit into that? Are there particular sectors or industries you would target for growth and why? 

Benson (D): Michigan put the world on wheels, and our auto industry is a cornerstone of our economy. But we also need to diversify our industries to include emerging economies and expand job creation and opportunity. Costs are rising, wages haven’t kept pace, and too many communities have watched jobs disappear over the last several decades.

We don’t have to choose between supporting the industries that built Michigan and investing in the industries that will shape our future. We need to do both.

As governor, my focus will be on making Michigan the best place in America to have an idea, start a business, raise a family, and build a career. Every Michigander should have access to a great education, affordable childcare, career and technical training, apprenticeships, and pathways to good-paying jobs without leaving their hometown.

We also need to invest in the foundations of economic growth: reliable infrastructure, affordable energy, clean water, and high-speed internet. Businesses large and small need confidence that Michigan is ready to compete for the jobs of tomorrow.

Mobility and advanced manufacturing will remain central to our economy, but we also have enormous opportunities to grow in healthcare, life sciences, defense, semiconductors, clean energy and technology. We already have world-class universities, skilled workers, abundant natural resources and a strong manufacturing base. Our job is to connect those strengths to new opportunities.

If we do that, we can create an economy that is more resilient, more innovative, and more affordable — one where every Michigander has the chance not just to get by, but to get ahead.

Cox (R): Michigan should absolutely remain the world leader in automobiles and mobility, but we cannot assume our economic future will be secured by one industry alone. We should be fighting every day to keep and grow mobility jobs here because manufacturing, engineering, and automotive innovation remain core strengths of our state. But we also need to recognize that Michigan’s long-term success depends on creating a broader, more resilient economy.

The problem is not that Michigan lacks assets. Geography is destiny, or at least it can be. We have the Great Lakes, the international border, North America’s trade corridor through I-94, a highly skilled workforce, strong universities, advanced manufacturing expertise, and unmatched natural beauty. We are not losing jobs to Ohio and Indiana and Tennessee and Texas because those states have more assets than we do, they don’t; but they do have better state leadership that competes and refuses to accept decline.    

Further, I do not believe the government is smart enough to centrally plan the economy or consistently predict the next winning industry. Wall Street struggles to pick winners, and the government performs even worse. That is why my focus is on creating the strongest economic fundamentals in America instead of trying to engineer the economy from Lansing.

That means eliminating the income tax, reducing regulation, restoring Right to Work because all jobs are good jobs, ensuring affordable and reliable energy, improving infrastructure, and fixing our education system. If we do those things, growth will follow.

I believe Michigan has enormous growth potential in advanced manufacturing, defense, semiconductor production, logistics, agriculture, tourism, energy, and skilled trades-driven industries because those sectors align with our geography, workforce, and industrial strengths. But ultimately, the best economic development strategy is creating an environment where entrepreneurs, workers, and businesses choose Michigan because it is the best place in America to invest, build, and raise a family.

James (R): Michigan builds nearly 20% of all U.S. autos and employs close to 600,000 manufacturing workers. That industrial strength is an asset, not a liability, but bad policy has turned it into a detriment. We are losing mobility jobs to states that want them more.

I will defend Michigan’s automotive base by delivering cheap, reliable energy, a trained workforce, and a competitive tax and regulatory environment. At the same time, I will aggressively grow Michigan’s defense and aerospace sector. Selfridge Air National Guard Base is the hub of what I call Fortress Michigan. From F-15EX fighters to KC-46 tankers to Golden Dome hypersonic defense and cyber capabilities, Michigan can be the arsenal of democracy once again.

I also see major opportunities in life sciences, shipbuilding, logistics, and defense manufacturing. Michigan has the talent, the engineering, the work ethic, and the infrastructure. What we have lacked is leadership with a vision to put it all together. That changes with me as Michigan’s Governor.

Johnson (R): The biggest thing government can do to diversify the economy is create an environment where entrepreneurs and innovators want to build businesses here. When you eliminate the state income tax, reduce red tape, and make Michigan the most business-friendly state in the Midwest, growth follows naturally across multiple industries.

I see tremendous opportunities across so many sectors. Michigan already has the talent, engineering expertise and geographic advantages to compete in all of them. Instead of Lansing trying to predict which industries will succeed, our job should be creating the conditions that allow innovation and investment to flourish wherever opportunity exists.

Nesbitt (R): Michigan put the world on wheels, and manufacturing will always be the backbone of our economy. But Governor Whitmer’s mandate-driven EV push is costing us good-paying auto jobs while ignoring the real crisis: a massive skilled trades shortage. For every five trades workers retiring, only two are entering the field. We cannot build a thriving economy without the skilled hands to do the work.

True economic diversification means supporting every sector — advanced manufacturing, infrastructure, agriculture, and more — by making our kids career-ready, not just college-ready. As governor, I will stand with President Trump to restore American manufacturing, repeal Whitmer’s damaging EV mandates, and aggressively expand vocational and technical training by restoring strong skilled trades programs in our high schools. 

We must stop pushing every student toward an expensive four-year degree and instead highlight the high-paying careers right here in Michigan: plumbing, electrical, welding, precision manufacturing, and more. Pair a low-tax, low-regulation business climate with a world-class, career-ready workforce, and we will unleash broad-based growth across all sectors — from the farm to the factory.

Swanson (D): Michigan built the nation, and we need to once again be a hub of economic growth, innovation, manufacturing and entrepreneurship that has room for everyone to succeed and live with dignity. Increased funding for the Michigan Labor and Economic Opportunity Department is critical to developing and overseeing workforce development programs such as Michigan Works that are essential talent banks for projects across our state.

Our nation faces a skilled trades shortage at a time when we need these talents to replace crumbling infrastructure. Tax dollars allocated to job training programs pay dividends in eliminating delays and cost overruns for public works projects. We need trades programs in our middle schools, high schools and post-secondary institutions. The trades offer a remarkably rewarding opportunity for so many of our youth, and our leaders should ensure every young person has access to learning about these fields.

Population

The question: Michigan’s population has largely flatlined in the 21st century, dependent on domestic and international migration for growth, and a “silver tsunami” of retiring Michiganders is looming. How would you tackle Michigan’s aging crisis and what steps would you take to grow the state’s population? 

Benson (D): Turning around our stagnant population growth is personal to me. I’m a mom of a ten year old kid who, in just a few years, will be deciding whether to stay or leave Michigan. I know we have everything it takes to grow our economy, build a talented workforce and ensure our loved ones choose Michigan to call home. We can build on our leading academic institutions, natural resources, international borders, and strong manufacturing base to become the economic engine of the Midwest.  

That’s why as governor, my focus will be on driving down costs and growing our economy — making Michigan among the most affordable states in the country — so our loved ones choose to stay and young people across the country come here to work and build a thriving career.

My affordability agenda will streamline regulations to increase housing supply, ease access to health insurance to lower healthcare costs, modernize our energy grid and invest in renewable energy to lower energy costs, and expand quality child care access to ensure our youngest Michiganders and their parents have the support needed to succeed. 

An economic vision that invests in our people, our communities, and diversifies our economy enables us to attract and retain our talent and ensure the next generation chooses Michigan as the best place to build their future.

Cox (R): If we fix the two “E”s — education and the economy — we will fix the other “E” — outbound emigration by our children. Fix education and the economy and we fix our population crisis. 

Michigan will grow again when families once again believe their children will have a better future here than somewhere else. Right now, too many do not believe that. I know that personally because three of my own children left Michigan for opportunity elsewhere.

At the center of Michigan’s population problem is our failing education system. When families decide where to live, they look at schools first. Too many Michigan schools are failing to prepare children for success, and our fourth-grade reading scores are among the worst in the nation. That is unacceptable.

This issue became personal for me when I saw my granddaughters get a better education in Mississippi than children are receiving in Michigan. Mississippi was once near the bottom nationally in education rankings, but through accountability, phonics-based reading instruction, intensive tutoring, and a relentless focus on fundamentals, it produced what many now call the “Mississippi Miracle.” 

Fixing education is population policy. Young families will stay in Michigan and move to Michigan if they know their children can receive a world-class education here. Businesses will invest where they can find a skilled workforce. Retirees will stay where their children and grandchildren want to build their lives.

We also need to make Michigan more affordable and competitive by eliminating the income tax, lowering energy costs, restoring Right to Work, reducing regulation, and making housing more attainable. But none of that fully matters if parents do not believe their children have a future here.

James (R): You know things are bad when your own hockey captain wants a trade.

Dylan Larkin. Born and raised in Michigan. Eleven years a Red Wing. He wants out. So does your neighbor. So does your kid. So did the MSU president who took a pay cut just to escape a broken board that Whitmer never held accountable. He was not alone. The Athletic Director followed him right out the door, heading to the school we will always remember as the one Oakland University sent home as a 14 seed in the big dance.

Michigan is not just losing people. Michigan is losing hope. Our schools rank 44th. We are about to lose a congressional seat due to population. At some point this stops being bad luck and starts being exactly what it looks like: failed leadership.

Everyone is talking about MSU. Nobody is connecting the dots. Bad boards do not exist in a vacuum. They thrive under bad policy and zero accountability. Whitmer built that environment and good, talented people are paying the price by heading south. MSU is not the exception. It is the rule.

North Carolina is eating our lunch with a smaller budget and similar demographics. We have beaten longer odds. We know how to win. We just need leadership that actually wants to.

When I am Governor we are cutting the income tax, lowering energy prices, bringing Dylan home to Waterford, and hanging a USA Hockey gold medal on the Gordie Howe Bridge. Michigan is going to be a place people are proud to stay, proud to build, and proud to call home again.

Faith, family, and hard work built this state. Lansing spent eight years chasing that out. We are bringing it back.

Johnson (R): This issue doesn’t require another blue-ribbon commission or years of studies. The answer is straightforward: people move to opportunity.

For decades, Michigan has struggled to retain young people and attract new residents because too many families believe they can build a better future somewhere else. We need to change that equation.

Eliminating the state income tax would immediately make Michigan one of the most attractive states in America for workers, families, entrepreneurs, and retirees. When people can keep thousands more of their hard-earned dollars every year, they notice. When businesses see a more competitive environment, they invest. When jobs grow and wages rise, people move here instead of moving away. It’s tremendously simple!

Nesbitt (R): Michigan is facing a demographic crisis because we are exporting our most precious resource — our children, to lower-tax, freedom-loving states. Gretchen Whitmer and Lansing Democrats think the solution to a flatlining population is to form more government committees and hike taxes. But you cannot tax and regulate your way to growth.

People move to where opportunity, freedom, and safety exist. To reverse this trend and ensure the next generation can Make it in Michigan, we must make our state a beacon of economic liberty. We will do this by eliminating the state property tax, lowering housing costs by cutting bureaucratic red tape, and protecting our communities by backing the blue and reversing Democrats’ soft-on-crime policies. Crucially, we must transform our education system. I will stand with President Trump to implement universal school choice tax credits, giving parents control over their children’s education. We will kick the radical, woke DEI agendas out of our classrooms and refocus on vocational and skilled trades training. When Michigan offers excellent schools, safe streets, and unmatched economic freedom, families will rush to call our state home.

Swanson (D): I will always stand shoulder to shoulder with the union men and women of our state. My administration will support the goals and initiatives of union members across Michigan that will ensure safe workplace conditions, a livable and competitive wage, and a dignified retirement. These efforts will benefit union and non-union members alike as they enter the next phase of their lives after decades of service in their careers.

Boosting Michigan’s population to replace those leaving the workforce begins and ends with our education policy. I have issued a 7-point plan to ensure Michigan is a model for education across our nation, retains talent at record levels, and becomes an attractive state for parents to raise families. Prioritizing early education and literacy, expanding early career exploration in middle school and high school, as well as strengthening educator retention and attraction are critical to ensuring students excel. A workforce that is well versed and succeeds in technological advancements that will pay dividends for our state in the coming years and decades.

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