Michigan Voters Lock Down Democratic Control and Utility Reform
An 81% vote for Proposal 2 and a trifecta win position the state to defend clean energy laws and scrutinize data center costs.
By Larissa Shah ·
Tuesday’s election results delivered a decisive shift in power for Michigan’s political and energy sectors.
Democrats secured a trifecta by winning the governor’s office, the state House, and the state Senate. This majority allows the party to protect the 2023 Clean Energy and Jobs Act from repeal. The law targets 100% clean energy generation by 2040. Republicans had introduced legislation called Project Lighthouse in March to undo those mandates. State Rep. Pauline Wendzel called the requirements arbitrary and argued they favored investor-owned utilities over ratepayers.
Abdul El-Sayed defeated Republican Mike Rogers to win Michigan’s open U.S. Senate seat. El-Sayed pushed for stronger federal oversight of data centers during the campaign. In January, he released terms of engagement for data center developers. The terms require projects to comply with clean energy laws and protect water resources. They also mandate community engagement and ensure that other ratepayers do not bear the cost of data center power demands. El-Sayed criticized DTE Energy’s political spending, which he said helped fast-track approvals for Oracle and OpenAI data center contracts in Saline Township.
Eli Savit won the attorney general’s race against Doug Lloyd. Savit pledged to continue the work of outgoing Attorney General Dana Nessel in intervening on behalf of ratepayers before the Michigan Public Service Commission. Nessel intervened in rate cases involving DTE and Consumers Energy during her eight-year tenure. She also challenged utility filings for data center contracts in Saline and Van Buren Townships. Savit stated that utility rates should ensure reliability without exceeding what is necessary. He also challenged utilities’ returns on equity and the inclusion of lobbying expenses in rate cases.
Voters approved Proposal 2 with 81% of the support. The measure bans political contributions from utilities and major state contractors. The initiative was supported by over 80 organizations and Democrats running for statewide office. Christy McGillivray, co-chair of the Michiganders for Money Out of Politics steering committee, said voters were fed up with a pay-to-play system. She noted that anger over proposed rate hikes from DTE and Consumers Energy drove support for the ballot measure.
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy filed a federal lawsuit against Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Attorney General Dana Nessel on Tuesday. The suit alleges that Proposal 2 violates free speech protections. Representatives for utilities and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan also challenged the initiative. They argued the measure would silence employees who wish to engage in the political process.
Voters rejected a constitutional convention proposal by a margin of 74% to 26%. Environmental advocates had warned that a convention could endanger existing environmental safeguards. In Ann Arbor, Proposition E also failed. The measure would have created a municipal energy utility board to potentially replace DTE Energy. It lost with 48% of the vote against 52% for the opposing side. The Ann Arbor City Council voted 10-1 in opposition to the proposal in October. The council cited a possible 1 billion dollar cost, a figure disputed by the initiative’s backers.
Jocelyn Benson won the governor’s race against U.S. Rep. John James. This victory cements Democratic control over the state’s executive and legislative branches. Courtney Brady of Evergreen Action said voters chose leaders who will bring down energy costs. She noted that Michigan can now protect families from rising data center costs and accelerate the deployment of affordable clean energy.
