Michigan Democratic, Republican party chairs outline what is at stake this election
(CBS DETROIT) - As Michiganders prepare to head to the polls Tuesday for primary elections, one thing Democrats and Republicans agree upon is just how important the race will be in determining the balance of power in Michigan's government.
"It really provides you an opportunity you have to negotiate," said Pete Hoekstra, chair of the of the Michigan Republican Party.
Hoekstra said that winning back the Michigan House would provide Republicans with greater sway, even if Democrats maintain control of the Senate and governorship.
"Obviously, you need to keep government running. But what you want to do is you want to start steering the ship in a better direction for the people of Michigan," Hoekstra said. "You also have the opportunity then to lay down the platform that will say, for 2026, here are the policies that we as Republicans would put in place."
Hoekstra said he's also looking forward to seeing the outcome of the federal Senate and congressional races.
For Democrats, state chair Lavora Barnes said the upcoming general election is about maintaining control and preventing rollbacks of work Democrats have done while in the majority.
"We know that if we don't hold on to this House majority, we run the risk of having the MAGA Republicans take over and roll back all the hard work that this Democratic trifecta has done. So it's very important to us that we win the state House," said Barnes.
Barnes said that if given another term in the majority, she hopes to see Democrats lead on issues like environmental protection and the economy.
"They've done unprecedented work in funding, education and other things in the budget that they want to continue to do," Barnes said. "They have a large plate of things that they'd like to continue to do on behalf of Michiganders, and we need to give them that opportunity to continue the good work."
Hoekstra and Barnes say they're excited to see the outcome of Tuesday's election.
