Could Michigan actually elect an independent governor? Will outgoing farm-friendly politicians be replaced by officials with no agricultural backgrounds? Could a candidate for Michigan governor win the race with less than 50% of the vote?
These are questions Farm Bureau members must ponder as almost every major seat in state politics — including races for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state and U.S. Senate — will be decided in 2026.
What's on the ballot?
- Governor (open)
- Lt. Governor (open)
- Secretary of State (open)
- Attorney General (open)
- U.S Senate (1, open)
- U.S. House of Representatives (13)
- MI Supreme Court (2)
- MI Court of Appeals
- MSU Board of Trustees (2)
- MI State Senate (38)
- Michigan House of Representatives (110)
According to Illinois Rep. Jason Bunting, who spoke Tuesday during Michigan Farm Bureau's AgriPac fundraiser as part of the Lansing Legislative Seminar, when a door opens, Farm Bureau members should step through it.
“My path to the Capitol was unique,” said Bunting, a Republican who maintains a family farm and trucking business about 70 miles outside Chicago. “Every time a door opened for me, I walked through it — sometimes with both feet, sometimes with a push and a prod from family and friends. Every single time I have an opportunity to better myself, to better my community, I made the choice to do so.”
Bunting encourages members across Michigan to get active and involved, especially when the legislature soon to lose (whether by retirement or term limits) five state senators with farming backgrounds: Kevin Daley, Dan Lauwers, Ed McBroom, Rick Outman and Roger Victory.
“If we don’t have a seat at the table, we are going to be on the plate,” Bunting said. “So it's important for us to relay our message, to push our message out there.”
In Illinois, Bunting said Democrats outnumber Republicans nearly 2 to 1.
When you are the majority, he said you can better legislate; however, “when you are in the minority, you have to communicate and you have to educate, not only to our constituents, but to my colleagues and their colleagues’ constituents.”
“It's incredibly important that we have our voices heard when it comes to agriculture,” he said.
‘Agriculture is important’ during election season
Political and elections guru Bill Ballenger remembers when pro wrestler and political independent Jesse Ventura got elected as governor of Minnesota in 1998, defeating Republican Norm Coleman and Democrat Hubert Humphrey III.
Could it happen in Michigan, where former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is polling above 30% alongside current Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (Democrat) at 30.9% and U.S. Rep. John James (Republican) at 29.5%, per a recent survey from the Detroit Regional Chamber?
It’s a toss-up, Ballenger told Michigan Farm News.
“In districts where agriculture is important, you are very, very important,” added Ballenger about MFB’s AgriPac, a political action committee that helps elect farmer-friendly candidates.
“And if there are people running not in farm-based districts but who've been friendly to agriculture or who you think will be good for agriculture, you have been very influential in deciding those as well.”
According to Matt Kapp, government relations specialist for Michigan Farm Bureau, now is the time to get involved in the 2026 election.
"We need members to serve on county Farm Bureau candidate evaluation committees, and we need farmers to educate candidates about agriculture,” Kapp said. “Farm Bureau members need to engage with candidates and, most importantly, the agricultural community needs to vote.”
“Make an impact,” added Ballenger, “because you can spell the difference between victory and defeat for many of these candidates.”