Next week as Michigan voters head to the polls they will be voting on several races that will be key to the future of Michigan. At the top of the ticket will be the statewide races for governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. Due to term limits, all three positions are open and competitive. Equally important, there are two spots for Justices on the Michigan Supreme Court.

In the fiery gubernatorial race, two experienced candidates are going at it: former Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer and Republican Attorney General Bill Schuette. In this race, neither has shied away from going after their opponent. Given historical norms, as the Democratic candidate Ms. Whitmer should have the advantage given the state’s history of flipping between parties. However, Mr. Schuette has held numerous offices and has decades of campaign experience and shouldn’t be written off as the race has tightened in the closing days.

The race of Attorney General features Dana Nessel, an experienced attorney, and the Speaker of the House, Tom Leonard. Both candidates have experience as prosecutors; Ms. Nessel served as a Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor and Speaker Leonard served as an Assistant Attorney General and Genesee County Assistant Prosecutor before being elected to the State House. Will the anti-establishment mood help propel Ms. Nessel to victory? Or will Speaker Leonard successfully tout his record in office to help him win votes next week?

There are four candidates in the race for Secretary of State, including Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican Mary Treder Lang. Ms. Benson is an attorney and former Dean of Wayne State University Law School and Ms. Treder Lang is a certified public accountant and the Vice Chair of Eastern Michigan University’s Board of Regents. While this race may not grab as much attention, the Secretary of State plays a critical role in many areas of resident’s lives; from voting to driver’s licenses.

The Michigan Supreme Court has two positions up for election this year and a candidate pool of six. Of those in the race, two are incumbents; Justice Elizabeth Clement and Justice Kurtis Wilder. Due to two recent rulings, Justice Clement, who was appointed by Governor Snyder, isn’t receiving the same level of support from the Republican party as Justice Wilder. However, she has favorability with voters on both sides of the aisle, which may help her on the ballot.

For your personal voter information, please visit https://webapps.sos.state.mi.us/MVIC/.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.