A month from the primary, Michigan candidates still short on answers | Opinion

Absentee ballots have landed in mailboxes across Michigan, but how much do voters really know about the people asking for their vote?

Beyond campaign ads, carefully crafted social media posts and partisan talking points, what are the candidates actually trying to accomplish? How do they plan to improve Michigan? And what specific ideas do they have to make life better for the people who live here?

Michigan is a state with enormous potential. And enormous challenges.

We were once a national leader in manufacturing, innovation and economic opportunity. Today, we rank near the bottom nationally in per capita income growth (40th in per capita income). Our unemployment rate remains above 5%. And only about one-third of adults hold a bachelor's degree. Outside of Detroit and Grand Rapids, much of the state is either stagnant, or losing population.

Yet over the past several election cycles, we've asked less and less of the people running for office. Debates have become less frequent. Frontrunners increasingly decline to participate, citing scheduling conflicts, which probably means strategic decisions to avoid primary opponents. Campaigns focus on attacking one another, instead of explaining what they would actually do once elected.

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How will our next set of statewide leaders tackle some of Michigan's biggest issues? I’m honestly not sure, and I’m hoping this column gets a few answers from the candidates ‒ or at least gives voters some sharp questions to ask.

Our schools are in freefall

Michigan's education system is in crisis.

Nearly half of Michigan students are not reading at grade level, and our national rankings continue to slide. The next governor cannot simply promise to spend more money or blame someone else. The state needs a plan.

Michigan operates nearly 3,000 public schools across more than 500 school districts, creating a system that is often fragmented and duplicative. It's definitely difficult to reform. If our current structure isn't producing better outcomes, what changes are candidates willing to make?

Would they support district consolidation? Stronger statewide academic standards? Greater accountability? More flexibility for successful local districts? How will they measure whether reforms are actually working?

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And while reading, writing and math must remain the foundation, when will we finally give career and technical education the same attention we've given four-year college preparation? Thousands of Michigan students will build successful careers in the skilled trades. Our education system should prepare them for those opportunities just as intentionally as it prepares students for college.

Growing our economy

Michigan is uniquely positioned to compete over the next several decades.

We possess something much of the country increasingly lacks: abundant freshwater, a moderate climate and available land. As businesses rethink where they locate facilities and invest for the future, Michigan should be one of the first places they consider.

How does each candidate plan to market Michigan to employers? What industries will they prioritize? How will they compete against states that are already attracting technology companies and advanced manufacturing? What will our next governor do with the Michigan Economic Development Corporation?

Artificial intelligence, semiconductor manufacturing, battery production, and data centers all present enormous opportunities. Will Michigan develop a strategy to compete for those investments while protecting local communities and natural resources? Or will other states seize those jobs while Michigan debates whether to participate at all?

And our population

Michigan's greatest long-term challenge may be keeping and attracting people.

Too many young adults continue to leave for states where they believe they can earn more, find better career opportunities, or raise families in stronger school systems. Those departures affect everything from our workforce to our tax base to our declining birthrate.

Michigan still offers many advantages. Housing remains more affordable than in much of the country, our natural resources are unmatched, and many communities continue to offer an exceptional quality of life.

So why aren't more young people choosing to stay?

The next governor needs a serious plan not only to attract businesses, but to convince talented people that Michigan is the best place to build a career, buy a home and raise a family.

Because if we don't solve that problem, every other challenge facing the state becomes even harder.

Michigan has never lacked potential. What we've lacked is an honest conversation about how to reach it.

This election shouldn't be about slogans or party labels. It should be about answers. Michigan voters deserve candidates who are willing to explain not just what they're against, but what they're prepared to build.

Free Press contributing columnist Andrea Bitely is the founder and principal of Bitely Communications, a Lansing-based public affairs firm specializing in political, corporate and crisis communications. From September 2025 through May 2026, she served as director of communications for former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan's now-ended independent gubernatorial campaign.

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