Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has become the first Democrat to announce in the race for governor. On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by Benson to discuss her campaign for the state’s highest office. Plus, Matt Friedman joins the pod to discuss a growing trend in campaign announcements.

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The special state House committee formed to amend Michigan’s tipped wage and sick-time leave laws meets for the first time this week in Lansing. The chair of the committee, Republican Representative Bill G. Schuette, joins It’s Just Politics to discuss his goals for the bills. Plus, Mothering Justice’s Danielle Atkinson joins hosts Rick Pluta and Zoe Clark to explain her opposition to changing the laws. And, Republican Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt announces he’s running for Governor of Michigan in 2026.

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New and returning lawmakers of the Michigan House were sworn-in today at the state Capitol, marking the beginning of Michigan’s new 103rd Legislature. The state Senate remains under Democratic control but the state House is now being run by Republicans. On this week’s It’s Just Politics: what to expect when you’re expecting divided government. Hosts Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta are joined by Michigan Public Radio Network’s Colin Jackson and Bridge Michigan’s Lauren Gibbons.

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A new Congress is being sworn-in tomorrow in Washington D.C. That means today is the last day for current members, including Michigan’s long-time Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee. It’s Just Politics host Zoe Clark spoke with the outgoing Representative from Flint about his dozen years in office and whether D.C. is really more House of Cards or Veep.

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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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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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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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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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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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