Michigan Republicans Nominate Candidates for State University Boards Amid Spring Election Push
DETROIT — At the Michigan Republican Party's state endorsement convention on Saturday, March 28, more than 2,100 delegates gathered in Novi to nominate candidates for a range of statewide offices, including key positions on the governing boards of Michigan State University, the University of Michigan, and Wayne State University.
The unopposed nominations for university boards came as part of the party's broader endorsement process for the 2026 general election. Republican delegates selected state Sen. Roger Victory and former Novi City Council member Julie Maday for the two available seats on Michigan State University's Board of Trustees. For the University of Michigan Board of Regents, they endorsed Lena Epstein, co-owner of Vesco Oil Corporation and former U.S. House candidate from Bloomfield Hills, alongside Michael Schostak, a Bloomfield Township trustee. Finally, the party chose Andy Anuzis of Brighton and Christa Murphy of Troy for two seats on the Wayne State University Board of Governors.
These nominations represent the Republican Party's formal candidates for the university board seats that will be decided by voters in November. In Michigan, political parties host spring endorsement conventions that effectively decide their nominees well before the fall nominating conventions required by the state Constitution.
Michigan State University Board of Trustees
For Michigan State University's Board of Trustees, the Michigan Republicans nominated state Sen. Roger Victory and Julie Maday to run for the two open seats currently held by Democratic trustees.
State Sen. Roger Victory, a commercial produce farmer from Hudsonville, represents Michigan's 31st Senate district. Victory has extensive legislative experience, having represented Michigan's 30th district from 2019 to 2022 before serving in the state House of Representatives. He has been a vocal advocate for agricultural issues and rural development during his time in Lansing.
Maday, a former Novi City Council member and parent of an MSU alum, is running for the second available seat on MSU's board. This will be her second attempt for a seat on MSU's board. She was narrowly defeated by Trustee Rebecca Bahar-Cook in the 2024 election, coming just over 4,000 votes short. Current Trustee Mike Balow, the board's sole Republican who ran on the same ticket as Maday in 2024, has endorsed her, saying, "I was proud to run with her in 2024; the margin was so razor-thin last time, that this time she is going to carry it across the finish line."
Balow also endorsed Victory, stating in a video to the convention that Victory's "many years of service to the state house and senate, as well as his background in state agriculture, will bring a valuable perspective to our board."
University of Michigan Board of Regents
The Michigan Republican Party nominated Lena Epstein and Michael Schostak for the two open seats on the University of Michigan Board of Regents. These nominations came after Epstein and Schostak were the only individuals seeking the positions, leading to their nomination by acclamation.
Lena Epstein, co-owner of Vesco Oil Corporation, has emphasized right-wing cultural issues during her campaign. She previously ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. House from Bloomfield Hills in 2022 and lost her bid for the UM Board of Regents in 2022. During the convention, Epstein pledged to support the Go Blue Guarantee, Michigan's financial aid program offering free tuition to Michigan residents with household income and assets below $125,000.
However, Epstein clarified that she still wishes to find an alternative to the Go Blue Guarantee. "If I find something that's better than the Go Blue Guarantee I'm going to propose that too, and I have a feeling that I will come up with something," Epstein said at the convention. "Here's how you can trust that: I run companies. You have to come up with new ideas all the time — that requires leadership and courage, two things of which I have a lot. I'm going to do my best to analyze this program, and then let's dissect it together."
Michael Schostak, the current treasurer of Bloomfield Township, is running on a platform of fiscal accountability and increasing the amount of University resources directed toward in-state students. During an interview with The Michigan Daily, Schostak said he will listen to feedback from students on how to improve the University.
"To U of M students, I pledge that as regent, I will always listen to anybody that wants to talk," Schostak said. "I welcome your ideas if it's going to make the University better, whether you vote for me or not. I'm going to be there to represent all of you and all of Michigan."
Schostak campaigned on raising the number of in-state students and making the University more affordable for them by expanding access to the Go Blue Guarantee. "I want to make sure the $400 million that the state invests in the University every year is spent the best possible way," Schostak said. "I want to increase the percentage of in-state students. I want to improve affordability by expanding the Go Blue Guarantee by removing home equity from the calculation, and I want to make sure that we're delivering the best possible product for our students."
Wayne State University Board of Governors
For Wayne State University's Board of Governors, the Michigan Republican Party selected Andy Anuzis of Brighton and Christa Murphy of Troy to run for the two available seats.
Andy Anuzis is the principal of Lincoln-King High School in Brighton. Christa Murphy serves on the board of directors at Vibe Credit Union. Both candidates are facing two Democratic nominees who will be decided at the state Democratic Party convention on April 19.
Broader Context
The university board nominations were part of a larger slate of endorsements made at the Republican Party convention. Beyond the university boards, delegates also selected nominees for attorney general, secretary of state, Michigan Supreme Court, and the State Board of Education.
For attorney general, the party chose Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd over lawyer Kevin Kijewski of Birmingham. Lloyd, who has served as Eaton County's prosecuting attorney since 2013, defeated Kijewski with decisive support from delegates. Lloyd said he would bring a "tough but fair" approach to the attorney general's office and emphasized a return to impartial legal decision-making.
For secretary of state, delegates selected Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini over businesswoman and activist Monica Yatooma of Oakland County and Clarkston school board trustee Amanda Love. Forlini, first elected Macomb County clerk in 2021, previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2011 to 2017. After his nomination, Forlini said his campaign will focus on restoring confidence in Michigan's election system and improving customer service.
The Michigan Republican Party emphasized the need for unity heading into the general election throughout the convention. "Division is not harmless. Division costs the very future of our children and our grandchildren," Michigan Republican Party Chair Jim Runestad told delegates. "We cannot let that happen this year."
Michigan Senate Republican Leader Aric Nesbitt, who is running for governor, echoed the call for party unity in a statement following the convention. "I want to extend my congratulations to Anthony Forlini and Doug Lloyd on their hard-fought victories today," Nesbitt said. "Now, it is time to unite our party and take the fight directly to the Democrats this November. We have a state to save."
The spring endorsement conventions are a unique feature of Michigan's election system. Both major political parties host early conventions in the spring where they effectively decide their nominees for major statewide offices. The Michigan Democratic Party will hold its endorsement convention in Detroit on April 19, where they will nominate their candidates for secretary of state, attorney general, and various other positions.
In Michigan, the secretary of state and attorney general are currently both Democrats, but both are term-limited and cannot seek re-election. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is running for governor instead, while Attorney General Dana Nessel is stepping down after four terms.
The party system means that Republican and Democratic activists select nominees at conventions rather than through primary elections. Michigan is one of just three states where this system is used for secretary of state and attorney general nominations.
Looking Ahead
The Republican Party's university board nominations will now be formalized at the party's fall nominating convention in August, as required by Michigan state law. Voters will then have the opportunity to choose between Republican and Democratic candidates for all the university board seats in the November general election.
Current Democrats on the Michigan State University Board of Trustees are Brianna Scott (board chair) and Kelly Tebay. At the University of Michigan, the Democratic nominees for the open regent seats have not yet been announced. Wayne State University's Board of Governors also has Democratic candidates competing for the open seats.
The Republican Party's spring endorsement process has been criticized by some as an "antiquated system" that disenfranchises voters. Former Michigan GOP Executive Director Jason Roe, who led a failed effort in 2024 to let the public decide attorney general and secretary of state nominees in primary elections, said the system "leaves the choice in the hands of party insiders."
However, party leaders and advocates argue that the early endorsement process gives prospective nominees more time to fundraise and campaign before the general election. "If you change horses in August, that doesn't leave you much time" for a new candidate to campaign, said David Dulio, a political science professor who leads the Oakland University Center for Civic Engagement.
The university board nominations will be a significant component of the 2026 general election in Michigan, with all three major state universities having open seats on their governing boards. Voters across the state will have a say in who will oversee these important institutions of higher education, with Republican and Democratic candidates competing for support in their respective party endorsements and then on the general election ballot.