Advocating for Manufacturing in a Critical Election Year

This article appeared in the February 2026 issue of MiMfg Magazine. Read the full issue and find past issues online.

During this critical election year, MMA members have an opportunity to be a strong voice for Michigan’s manufacturing industry, helping to set a positive course for the future of their own operations — and for employers across the state.

The 2026 elections will determine the next governor of Michigan and the balance of power in the state House and Senate, outcomes that will significantly influence the industry and the broader economic climate. We have seen how poor election outcomes impact manufacturers’ bottom lines with increases in unemployment benefits, renewable mandates in energy policy and tax increases on businesses. Whether that impact is positive or negative depends on member engagement to support pro-manufacturing candidates and oppose those that view manufacturers as the enemy.

“It’s a huge election,” says Mike Johnston, MMA Executive Vice President of Government Affairs & Workforce Development. “Both chambers of the Legislature and all statewide offices are up for grabs, so this determines the political climate under which we will push our pro-manufacturing agenda.”

In addition to the governor, senators and representatives, voters will also elect two state Supreme Court justices and decide on various ballot proposals — all of which have the potential to dramatically impact tax rates, talent development, consumer and business liability, workers’ compensation and other manufacturing policy issues.

Manufacturing is the largest sector of Michigan’s economy but anti-manufacturing interests effectively raise money for candidates that prefer to increase business taxes and don’t care about our global competitiveness, Johnston says. MMA serves as a unifying champion for the industry and members must take the future into their own hands as well by engaging with MMA to learn which candidates will support their business goals and which will not.

MMA engages in the political process but the support and engagement of manufacturers in every community of the state is most effective to defend our industry against opposing forces. Manufacturers large and small, employ about 600 thousand people in this state and drive local communities and the statewide economies. Johnston makes the point “We need to hit at our weight.”

“If we have a favorable Legislature led by pro- manufacturing policymakers, we can actively move forward offensively on our policy agenda and make our members more competitive against companies in other states and nations,” Johnston says. “If the landscape turns against us and we don’t have enough pro-manufacturing legislators leading both chambers, we’ll be forced to play defense as we were forced to a few years ago. In this election, we want to create an environment in which we can work positively and offensively on our agenda and to empower manufacturing companies to grow and prosper.”

For those who think a single election doesn’t have a significant impact, Zach Willoughby, MMA Grassroots Advocacy Coordinator, offers an insightful fact into state executive politics: Michigan hasn’t failed to re-elect a gubernatorial incumbent in nearly 60 years. Based on this history, voters can assume that the new governor’s term will last eight years —  not just four.

And a significant amount of damage can occur during that time if the governor plus a majority of the state representatives, state senators and Michigan Supreme Court justices are not pro-manufacturing, Johnston adds.

“The governor gets to choose the top regulators in every single department, and that influences everything — every single state employee, thousands of them, and how they conduct business,” says Dave Worthams, MMA Director of Employment Policy. “The governor also has the opportunity to appoint judges to the Michigan Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and local courts. Talk about power — the ability to influence the legislative process, the ability to execute law and the ability to choose how it’s interpreted.”

In addition to policymakers, the courts can also have a significant impact on Michigan’s manufacturing industry because they interpret law and set judicial precedent which is binding unless overridden by new legislation. MMA supports judicial candidates who are strict constructionists, which ensures that judges are reading the law as written and aren’t legislating from the bench. It’s imperative that manufacturers advocate for judicial candidates that will take a conservative approach to interpreting law in cases before them and oppose those that prefer to make new law from the bench. That is the role of the legislature not the judiciary

“Too often, voters complete the ‘top of the ticket’ on election day but crucial judicial seats and proposals are typically found at the end of their ballot,” continued Worthams.

“Sometimes you think that, if the Legislature gets it wrong, maybe the courts will set things right,” he says. “Right now, the Michigan Supreme Court has a 6-1 majority of those who are much looser in their interpretation of the law, which makes it much more challenging to comply with the words adopted by the Legislature when a court might take them in a completely different direction.”

Making a Difference at the Grassroots Level

In the high-stakes political environment of 2026, campaign financing can be the ultimate difference-maker in achieving favorable electoral outcomes. Having the funding available to educate voters about pro-manufacturing candidates and raising awareness on key issues is not only a smart business strategy but also necessary.

For MMA members, one of the most effective ways to make an impact is to contribute to the MMA Political Action Committee (MMA-PAC), which ensures the voice of the manufacturing community is heard by lawmakers in Lansing. The MMA-PAC is an essential tool to “help candidates help themselves.”

“This is a highly regulated, legal means of impacting elections to ensure a positive business environment,” says Johnston. “We file all of the required reports and they are open to the public.”

The campaign finance act requires the MMA-PAC to accept contributions from individuals which can be used to support pro-manufacturing candidates, who face a steep and expensive road to election.

MMA has another fund for corporate contributions, the MMA ImPACt Fund, which allows corporations to provide unlimited support for MMA to advocate for or against political candidates — equally important election strategies.

Providing support for either of these funds is a vital, legal and transparent way to influence the policy outlook in Lansing and invest in the future success and growth of the industry. “There are hundreds of PACs and super PACs registered in Michigan and most of them have agendas counter to our interests,” Johnston said. “The state’s economy is built by companies that produce products in this state, so we need to elect officials that understand how this state really works.”

Referencing comments made by former Governor John Engler during MMA Legislative Day in May 2025, Willoughby says MMA members should think of their political contributions as a form of insurance.

“You wouldn’t go without liability insurance or car insurance,” Willoughby paraphrases. “It’s a business strategy and it’s one that’s critical to your business’ ongoing success.”

The Political Pendulum and the Manufacturing Industry

As the political pendulum swings, there are both opportunities and risks. The results may be in the manufacturing industry’s favor, or they may not. But two things are clear — one, change is coming either way, and two, manufacturers must act to ensure those changes enhance Michigan’s ability to support and retain existing employers as well as attract new businesses.

“The time to affect the political direction for the state is during elections. After the election the playing field is set and if we are not successful in electing pro- manufacturing policymakers, we are fighting an uphill battle,” Worthams says. “Early efforts pay dividends, so we need to engage long before election day.

Businesses need predictability to confidently invest in long term growth in any location across the country.

“We continually push the issue of creating a competitive environment, so our companies can compete effectively across the globe from their Michigan location. That means continually matching other states’ and nations’ effective tax rates, reducing regulations to increase the speed of investment implementation, lowering the cost of employing people and increasing the state’s efforts to support training for skilled workers,” Johnston adds. “If our members are confident in the future they will invest here and Michigan will thrive.”

On behalf of its members, MMA looks for pro-manufacturing, common-sense legislators who understand the economics of the industry.

“If legislators have a particular political leaning either way, it will have an impact on what we are able to do,” says Mike Witkowski, MMA Director of Environmental & Regulatory Policy. “If the cards are stacked against us, our ability to succeed is hampered. Conversely, if we have pro-manufacturing policymakers — and they are in both the Democratic and Republican parties — it helps drive growth in our state.”

Every issue — from taxation to investments to talent development — contributes to the cost of doing business. MMA, its members, voters and pro-manufacturing legislators must keep Michigan’s competitive status in mind when it comes to tax and regulatory burdens.

“For Michigan to grow, we have to not only incentivize existing businesses to invest in our state but we also need to attract outside investment, particularly in a world where nationally we’re trying to reshore manufacturing investment,” Johnston says. “We need to make sure investment will come here rather than some other state.”

Pending Issues that Will Impact the Industry

Manufacturers may wish to keep a close eye on several matters that may impact the industry. Some have been on the radar for several years, but newer issues are clearly on the horizon.

Talent and Workforce

As in past years, a top priority this year will be to increase the amount of money available to support manufacturing skills development, including the Going PRO Talent Fund. Through the fund, employers can receive assistance to train, develop and retain current and newly hired employees, which is essential for the future of the industry in Michigan.

“The primary barrier to competitiveness is talent,” Johnston says, “so we spend a lot of time educating both sides of the aisle on the need for people with advanced skills to work in the increasingly technologically advanced manufacturing world.”

In addition to strengthening worker training and development resources, MMA’s efforts have included putting Career and Technical Education programs back into high schools, as well as providing resources, training and one-on-one coaching for recent graduates interested in manufacturing careers. In particular, MMA has partnered with LIFT, a Detroit-based and federally supported manufacturing institute, and Amatrol, a global leader in CTE programs, to bring the IGNITE: Mastering Manufacturing® educational course program to Michigan high schools.

The state that wins the talent challenge is the state that wins the economic game.

Without funds to develop talent, manufacturing suffers greatly — and incoming policymakers must be crystal clear on what’s at stake.

Frivolous Lawsuit Protection

Efforts are ongoing to subject manufacturers and other companies to greater liability under the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA) by eliminating exemptions for regulated industries, strengthening the Attorney General’s enforcement powers, creating class actions and increasing penalties. These proposed changes could subject businesses, hospitals, auto dealers and financial institutions to more MCPA lawsuits, increasing overhead costs as well as litigation risk. 

“Companies are more and more at risk, and lawyers are getting more inventive and creative on how they attack job providers,” Johnston says. “Third- party litigation has become a business where people invest in cases to reap the rewards in partnership with trial lawyers using the courts to feed on businesses.”

And that type of strategy tends to grow in those states that have a weak liability shield in their Consumer Protection Act, Worthams adds.

Under divided government in recent years, legislation was aggressively advanced in the Senate and blocked by the House. Changes in majority set in motion by the 2026 election could change the path for this legislation — positively or negatively for businesses in this state.

Workers’ Compensation

In an example of how pro-manufacturing policies can be advanced in a beneficial political environment, reforms driven by MMA to the Workers’ Compensation Act in 2011 reduced premiums, reduced litigation and helped get employees back to work sooner.

But under a different partisan configuration of government, the 2011 workers comp reforms are at risk. Currently, threats are posed by both the Senate and the courts.

“We have a Supreme Court in Michigan that’s more than willing to continue going down the path of undoing some of those reforms by overturning legal precedents and the Senate has introduced legislation to remove business protections,” Worthams says.

Ballot Proposals to Watch

Voters will see several initiatives on the ballot this year — some of which can have positive effects on the industry while others could slow industry growth. MMA actively advocates to educate members and block adverse proposals, with the following two issues as prime examples.

Business Taxes

The “Invest in MI Kids” organization is promoting a constitutional amendment to add a 5 percent tax surcharge on individuals who earn more than $500,000 — or $1 million for joint filers. Supporters estimate that the “Tax the Rich to Pay for Schools” law would generate $1.7 billion annually for K-12 education. However, nearly two-thirds of the taxpayers affected would be small businesses, including a significant portion of Michigan manufacturers. For some, this would effectively raise their tax rate to 9.25 percent, in additon to the local income tax imposed by 24 communites across the state, approaching California for the highest rate in the nation.

Political Giving Restrictions

An amendment backed by Michiganders for Money Out of Politics seeks to prohibit electric utilities and any business holding state contracts larger than $250,000 from contributing to political campaigns or participating in related activities. It also would prohibit businesses and organizations like MMA from expressing any political free speech. MMA has joined with other business organizations to battle the measure, which is a direct assault on constitutionally protected free speech. The proposal would essentially prohibit businesses, including MMA, from participating in the political process — leaving the fate of these decisions in someone else’s hands with little to no recourse.

Being Your Own Champion

Elections set the structure of the government, and the structure impacts policy. While MMA has a strong track record of success on behalf of the manufacturing industry, the impact of member engagement cannot be ignored.

MMA members have unique access to speak up for the industry and advocate for opportunities to remain viable and grow.

• Learn about the positions your candidates have on pro-manufacturing policies. Then take that knowledge and educate your employees, friends and others about the matters.
• Support MMA’s efforts to elect pro-manufacturing candidates. Individuals can contribute to the MMA-PAC or businesses can contribute to the MMA ImPACt Fund.

See above for four ways to engage and support Michigan’s manufacturing future below.

Elections in 2026 are sure to change the political landscape of Michigan’s government, and manufacturing will succeed when members work together with the Association on strategies to advance the pro-manufacturing agenda.

MMA’s Government Affairs Team