A Bipartisan Push to Change How Michigan Chooses Top Officials
Dearborn voters could soon get a direct say in who becomes Michigan's attorney general and secretary of state. Two new legislative proposals would move those nominations from party conventions to the statewide primary ballot.
Republican Rep. Greg Markkanen of Hancock and Democratic Rep. Joe Tate of Detroit introduced a joint resolution on May 21 that would amend the Michigan Constitution. The measure would let primary voters select nominees for both offices starting in 2027. A companion resolution will be introduced by Republican Sen. Ed McBroom of Waucedah Township when the Senate reconvenes.
"Voters will get to know the candidates and what they stand for during the primary, and parties will be able to nominate candidates who can handle the rigors of a statewide campaign," McBroom said in a statement Friday.
Why the Change Matters
Michigan is one of only three states that still uses party conventions to nominate candidates for attorney general and secretary of state. The other two are South Dakota and Indiana.
Dearborn residents currently cannot vote for these nominees. Instead, delegates at party endorsement conventions decide the candidates months before the general election.
The current system drew criticism after the 2022 election. Republican convention delegates selected Kristina Karamo for secretary of state and Matt DePerno for attorney general. Both candidates held views that alienated general election voters. Karamo lost to Democrat Jocelyn Benson by 14 percentage points. DePerno lost to Democrat Dana Nessel by 9 percentage points.
"I feel, and I think a lot of other people feel, that we're missing out on a lot of good possible candidates because they just don't want to step forward under this system," Markkanen said on May 22.
A Parallel Effort Outside the Legislature
Two former party leaders are also pushing for the same change. Jason Cabel Roe, former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party, and Lon Johnson, former chair of the Michigan Democratic Party, are launching their own campaign to amend the constitution.
"This is not a divisive issue," Johnson told Votebeat on Thursday. "This is something that both sides, across all spectrums of both parties, [are] looking to have done."
Roe said Democrats showed interest in reform after their convention this spring ran into technical problems. The voting website malfunctioned, causing the convention to run hours longer than expected. Some delegates later reported breaking party rules by voting remotely.
The Path to the Ballot Is Steep
Getting either proposal before Dearborn voters requires significant legislative support. The joint resolution needs two-thirds approval from both the House and Senate to qualify for the ballot.
The June 5 deadline to place a constitutional amendment on the August primary ballot is nearly here. Lawmakers are currently away at the Mackinac Policy Conference. Only one session week remains before that deadline.
House Speaker Matt Hall of Richland Township said he has not taken a position on the proposal. He told reporters on May 20 that he was "focusing on other things."
Some lawmakers support the change. Democratic Rep. Noah Arbit has come out in favor. Republican Rep. Matt Maddock appears opposed.
If the resolution misses the August deadline, it could still appear on the November general election ballot. Any change would not take effect until 2030, when the current terms for attorney general and secretary of state expire.
What Else Could Change
The Markkanen-Tate resolution includes another provision. It would eliminate elections for board members at Michigan's three public research universities. The governor would gain the power to appoint those officials instead. The universities affected are the University of Michigan, Michigan State University, and Wayne State University.
Roe and Johnson said they may eventually expand reform efforts to other offices chosen at conventions. Those include Michigan Supreme Court seats and university trustee positions.
"We can't boil the ocean here," Johnson said. "We've got to move very deliberately, and we cannot have a ballot that's too long and complicated. Reform doesn't happen overnight. It takes time."
For Dearborn voters, the question now is whether enough legislators will support the change to put it on the ballot at all.