Some of Michigan’s most powerful business and political figures are taking part in the annual Detroit Regional Chamber conference this week on Mackinac Island. Statewide elections are a big topic of discussion.
There are open races for governor, attorney general, secretary of state and a U.S. Senate seat. Every seat in the U.S. House and the state Legislature is on the ballot.
Michigan is a purple state with big political swings from election to election and that creates a challenge for business planners, says Detroit Regional Chamber President Sandy Baruah. He says businesses are looking for solutions to education, workforce and housing challenges that will outlast any single governor’s administration or legislative session.
“Right now, we don’t stick with a strategy long enough to see if it is actually going to be productive.”
Governor Gretchen Whitmer will deliver her final address as governor to the conference Thursday.
