A Marquette lawmaker takes the lead on overhauling how Michigan selects its top state officials

State Sen. Ed McBroom, a Republican from Waucedah Township near Marquette, is among the sponsors of a bipartisan constitutional amendment that would fundamentally change how Michigan selects its attorney general and secretary of state.

The proposal would move nominations for both offices from party conventions to primary elections, putting the decision directly in the hands of voters.

"Primaries have become the normal practice for selecting nominees for most offices, and many citizens are surprised there are no primaries for these two important offices," McBroom said. "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."

The amendment goes beyond elections

The proposed constitutional amendment includes a second major component: sweeping reforms to the governance of Michigan's three flagship universities.

Under the proposal, board members of Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, and Michigan State University would be appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate. That replaces the current system in which partisan conventions nominate trustees who are then elected by the public.

The amendment would also:

  • Impose the same ethical standards on the three university boards that already apply to the 12 other state university boards
  • Add a ninth member to each board, chosen by the governor from a list of names submitted by each university's alumni association
  • Require that one Michigan State University board member have an agricultural background

Why the change matters

McBroom argued the current system produces boards that lack geographic and professional diversity.

"Right now, nominees for the universities are mainly those who throw the best tailgate parties and often have a lot of personal wealth, not those most qualified to administer a huge university," McBroom said.

State Rep. Greg Markkanen, R-Hancock, who co-sponsored the House resolution, pointed to the geographic concentration of current board members.

"I think our three great research universities would benefit from a more diverse membership. For example, most of the Michigan State trustees are from the Lansing area. At the University of Michigan, six of eight regents are attorneys. Geographically, all 24 members serving at the three universities reside in just six of our 83 counties," Markkanen said.

State Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit, the House sponsor and former speaker of the House, framed the change as a way to reduce dysfunction at Michigan State University.

"As a proud Spartan, I've been disappointed by the fractured relationships playing out publicly on the current board," Tate said. "Too much time has been spent on internal board disagreements and distrust for one another and it does not benefit the university or students."

The timeline is tight

For the amendment to appear on the August 4 primary ballot, the Legislature must act before June 4. That deadline is less than two weeks away.

If voters approve the amendment in August, the new university boards would be in place by early January. The primary election system for attorney general and secretary of would take effect starting in 2027.

The measure faces a high bar. A two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate is required to place a constitutional amendment on the ballot. Voters then must approve it by majority.

The proposal has drawn support from both sides of the aisle, but it is unclear whether it will attract enough votes to pass the Legislature before the June deadline.

Both parties frustrated with the convention system

The push for primaries is not new. Two former party leaders, Jason Cabel Roe of the Michigan Republican Party and Lon Johnson of the Michigan Democratic Party, have separately promoted a similar effort focused on the attorney general and secretary of state races.

Both parties have experienced painful convention outcomes in recent years. In 2022, Republican conventions selected nominees who lost by wide margins in the general election. This year's Democratic convention faced technical problems and allegations of irregularities, fueling frustration among establishment Democrats.

"This is not a divisive issue," Johnson told Votebeat. "This is something that both sides, across all spectrums of both parties, are looking to have done."

State House Speaker Matt Hall said on Wednesday he was "focusing on other things," signaling uncertainty about whether the amendment will get a floor vote before the deadline.