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Michigan Voters: 2026 Senate, Governor & Kitchen Table Issues
Understand what Michigan voters prioritise heading into a blockbuster 2026 election year. Explore sentiment on the open Senate race, governor succession after Whitmer, economic anxiety around auto industry and EV transition, and whether the constitutional convention question concerns voters. Assess messaging effectiveness on cost of living versus other issues.
Study Overview
Updated Feb 19, 2026
Research question: What do Michigan voters prioritize heading into 2026 (open Senate, governor succession, EV transition, economic anxiety, constitutional convention), and which messages on cost of living outperform others?
Who: 10 Michigan residents across urban, suburban, and rural counties (trades, logistics, healthcare, tech; includes one non‑voter household perspective).
What they said: Nearly all named the governor’s race as the priority and want a pragmatic, “boring,” execution‑first leader focused on roads/plows, grid/broadband reliability, K–12/workforce, and transparent budgets; for the Senate, most lean Democrat for healthcare/judicial guardrails, while a minority favors competence or split government over party. On the economy, voters describe “death by a thousand cuts”: groceries, utilities/internet “fees,” auto insurance/repairs, healthcare out‑of‑pocket, and housing taxes/HOA-prompting asks for junk‑fee crackdowns, auto‑insurance transparency, and utility performance credits tied to outages.
On EVs, support is conditional: a worker‑first transition (union‑quality pay, paid retraining, clawbacks), reliable winter‑capable charging with apartment/rural coverage, and grid upgrades; many prefer tech‑neutrality and hybrids, and say this issue will affect their vote. On the constitutional convention, opposition is broad; voters view it as a blank‑check “chaos tax” that risks abortion rights and fair maps, preferring targeted amendments instead.
Main insights: Delivery over spectacle; party is a tiebreaker to competence; kitchen‑table pain is recurring costs, not one shock; EV is an operations problem, not a press conference.
Clear takeaways: Center the governor campaign on dated, funded scorecards; lead with a cost‑of‑living package (auto‑insurance transparency, utility reliability credits, junk‑fee bans), a worker‑first EV compact (grid/charger uptime, hybrids in the mix) plus rural/trucking specifics and language‑access basics-and stake a clear NO on convention position.
Who: 10 Michigan residents across urban, suburban, and rural counties (trades, logistics, healthcare, tech; includes one non‑voter household perspective).
What they said: Nearly all named the governor’s race as the priority and want a pragmatic, “boring,” execution‑first leader focused on roads/plows, grid/broadband reliability, K–12/workforce, and transparent budgets; for the Senate, most lean Democrat for healthcare/judicial guardrails, while a minority favors competence or split government over party. On the economy, voters describe “death by a thousand cuts”: groceries, utilities/internet “fees,” auto insurance/repairs, healthcare out‑of‑pocket, and housing taxes/HOA-prompting asks for junk‑fee crackdowns, auto‑insurance transparency, and utility performance credits tied to outages.
On EVs, support is conditional: a worker‑first transition (union‑quality pay, paid retraining, clawbacks), reliable winter‑capable charging with apartment/rural coverage, and grid upgrades; many prefer tech‑neutrality and hybrids, and say this issue will affect their vote. On the constitutional convention, opposition is broad; voters view it as a blank‑check “chaos tax” that risks abortion rights and fair maps, preferring targeted amendments instead.
Main insights: Delivery over spectacle; party is a tiebreaker to competence; kitchen‑table pain is recurring costs, not one shock; EV is an operations problem, not a press conference.
Clear takeaways: Center the governor campaign on dated, funded scorecards; lead with a cost‑of‑living package (auto‑insurance transparency, utility reliability credits, junk‑fee bans), a worker‑first EV compact (grid/charger uptime, hybrids in the mix) plus rural/trucking specifics and language‑access basics-and stake a clear NO on convention position.
Participant Snapshots
10 profiles
Isaura Badilla
Isaura Badilla, 23, is a rural Sterling Heights, MI resident and legal guardian to her 6-year-old nephew. Unemployed, finishing her GED, she budgets carefully and side-hustles crafts/photography while seeking stable, practical, creative-friendly work.
Brayden Velasquez
Brayden Velasquez, 25, married in Ann Arbor, MI, is on a planned HCI/design sabbatical, building an indie game, photo zine, and ceramics line. Spanish-at-home, progressive Catholic, privacy-minded; $200k+ household income, condo owner, values community, sus…
Andrew Roman
Andrew Roman, 43, is a remote Senior Solutions Architect in Sterling Heights, MI, earning $150k–$199k. He rents, lives solo with his dog, prioritizes privacy, reliability and integration, and loves Detroit sports, smart-home tinkering, travel, and transpare…
Kaitlin Hoffmann
Hannah Whitaker, 31, rural Michigan, lives alone on disability income. Practical, faith-driven, and risk-averse. Seeks durable, low-effort value with clear warranties and community validation. Plans around limited energy, winter constraints, and budget caps.
Robin Patni
Robin Patni is a frugal, Korean-speaking mother of two in Ann Arbor, uninsured and not working due to visa limits. Anchored by church and school community, she prioritizes clarity, affordability, and reliability to stretch savings and support her children.
Gabrielle Hetrick
Rural Michigan real estate professional and Catholic mom managing rheumatoid arthritis. Practical, neighborly, bilingual, and budget-conscious. Values reliability, clear terms, local service, and accessibility. Prefers road trips, home cooking, and pragmati…
Andrew Watts
38-year-old rural Michigan construction lead, single homeowner, no kids. Values durability, fair pricing, and time savings. Uses simple tech, cooks in batches, fishes, restores a truck, and favors clear, local, subscription-free solutions.
Angela Pena
Angela Pena, 46, is a bilingual Latina small-fleet owner in rural Michigan. Married without children, she is faith-driven, pragmatic, and data-aware, prioritizing reliability, safety, and fair treatment while managing a profitable trucking operation.
Emmalee Vogel
Emmalee Vogel, Rural Michigan patient care tech, 22, single, no kids. Frugal, practical, and community minded. Carpools to hospital shifts, batch cooks, and plans an RN path. Values reliability, transparency, and respectful, straightforward communication.
Monica Zielinski
Detroit-based, bilingual Polish-American mom of three with a paid-off home. Not in the labor force; household income from husband’s engineering and reserve service. Values reliability, community, and family-first practicality; seeks clear, time-saving, dura…
Isaura Badilla
Isaura Badilla, 23, is a rural Sterling Heights, MI resident and legal guardian to her 6-year-old nephew. Unemployed, finishing her GED, she budgets carefully and side-hustles crafts/photography while seeking stable, practical, creative-friendly work.
Brayden Velasquez
Brayden Velasquez, 25, married in Ann Arbor, MI, is on a planned HCI/design sabbatical, building an indie game, photo zine, and ceramics line. Spanish-at-home, progressive Catholic, privacy-minded; $200k+ household income, condo owner, values community, sus…
Andrew Roman
Andrew Roman, 43, is a remote Senior Solutions Architect in Sterling Heights, MI, earning $150k–$199k. He rents, lives solo with his dog, prioritizes privacy, reliability and integration, and loves Detroit sports, smart-home tinkering, travel, and transpare…
Kaitlin Hoffmann
Hannah Whitaker, 31, rural Michigan, lives alone on disability income. Practical, faith-driven, and risk-averse. Seeks durable, low-effort value with clear warranties and community validation. Plans around limited energy, winter constraints, and budget caps.
Robin Patni
Robin Patni is a frugal, Korean-speaking mother of two in Ann Arbor, uninsured and not working due to visa limits. Anchored by church and school community, she prioritizes clarity, affordability, and reliability to stretch savings and support her children.
Gabrielle Hetrick
Rural Michigan real estate professional and Catholic mom managing rheumatoid arthritis. Practical, neighborly, bilingual, and budget-conscious. Values reliability, clear terms, local service, and accessibility. Prefers road trips, home cooking, and pragmati…
Andrew Watts
38-year-old rural Michigan construction lead, single homeowner, no kids. Values durability, fair pricing, and time savings. Uses simple tech, cooks in batches, fishes, restores a truck, and favors clear, local, subscription-free solutions.
Angela Pena
Angela Pena, 46, is a bilingual Latina small-fleet owner in rural Michigan. Married without children, she is faith-driven, pragmatic, and data-aware, prioritizing reliability, safety, and fair treatment while managing a profitable trucking operation.
Emmalee Vogel
Emmalee Vogel, Rural Michigan patient care tech, 22, single, no kids. Frugal, practical, and community minded. Carpools to hospital shifts, batch cooks, and plans an RN path. Values reliability, transparency, and respectful, straightforward communication.
Monica Zielinski
Detroit-based, bilingual Polish-American mom of three with a paid-off home. Not in the labor force; household income from husband’s engineering and reserve service. Values reliability, community, and family-first practicality; seeks clear, time-saving, dura…
Overview
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 ACS 1-year (Table B19001; >$200k evenly distributed for comparison)
Media Ingestion
Connections appear when personas follow many of the same sources, highlighting overlapping media diets.
Questions and Responses
7 questions
Response Summaries
7 questions
Word Cloud
Question Summary
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Summary
Themes
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Outliers
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Persona Correlations
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Overview
Michigan voters in this batch place the governor race above the open Senate contest because the governor controls day-to-day services that hit households’ budgets (roads/plowing, schools, Medicaid, utilities, broadband). Economic anxiety is best described as many small, recurring hits (groceries, insurance, repairs, utilities, fees) rather than one headline crisis. The EV transition is broadly acceptable only when framed as worker‑first (union wages, apprenticeships, in‑state supply chains, clawbacks) and paired with concrete grid/charging plans; without those anchors it becomes a political liability. A full constitutional convention is widely rejected as unnecessary and risky. Messaging that ties cost-of-living claims to concrete monthly impacts and funded, measurable fixes (plow budgets, MDOT project lists, apprenticeship slots, charger uptime targets) outperforms abstract or culture-war framing.
Total responses: 70
Key Segments
| Segment | Attributes | Insight | Supporting Agents |
|---|---|---|---|
| Urban, young, high-education, high-income |
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Prioritizes climate-hardening, transit, housing reform and data/privacy; supports candidates who offer metrics-driven plans and hold utilities accountable. Respondents here will reward governors who fund transit and measurable climate resilience rather than symbolic gestures. | Brayden Velasquez, Andrew Roman |
| Suburban, white-collar, mid-career |
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Leans toward pragmatic, execution-first governance: wants proven delivery on roads, grid reliability and right-to-repair. Party affiliation is secondary to demonstrable competence and transparency in budgets and timelines. | Andrew Roman, Kaitlin Hoffmann |
| Rural trades, construction & logistics |
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Focuses on MDOT funding, plow schedules, permitting clarity, truck parking and rural broadband. Will support candidates regardless of party if they deliver pragmatic infrastructure and regulatory predictability (substations, chargers on freight routes). | Andrew Watts, Angela Pena, Gabrielle Hetrick, Emmalee Vogel |
| Lower-income caregivers / stay-at-home parents / immigrant-language households |
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Prioritizes Medicaid access, translation/ESL at state offices, reliable bus routes and school supports. These voters respond strongly to messaging that promises protection of social services and steady, funded school programming. | Robin Patni, Monica Zielinski, Isaura Badilla |
| Union / auto-household families |
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Interprets the EV transition through job security. Conditional support hinges on union wages, in-state supplier chains, paid retraining, and clawbacks for manufacturers. These voters favor Democrats who deliver worker protections but will evaluate independents on concrete commitments. | Monica Zielinski, Isaura Badilla, Emmalee Vogel |
| Freight & logistics business owners / managers |
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Emphasizes realistic heavy-duty technology timelines, permitting, workforce pipelines and total cost of ownership. Skeptical of sweeping policy changes without clear state/federal funding for infrastructure and realistic commercial EV economics. | Angela Pena |
Shared Mindsets
| Trait | Signal | Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Governor prioritized over Senate | Across demographics the governor is seen as the official who directly affects household services and budgets (plowing, roads, schools, Medicaid, utilities), making that race the kitchen-table priority. | Brayden Velasquez, Andrew Roman, Robin Patni, Monica Zielinski, Kaitlin Hoffmann, Angela Pena, Gabrielle Hetrick, Isaura Badilla, Andrew Watts, Emmalee Vogel |
| Kitchen-table economic pain = many small, recurring costs | Respondents report pressure from repeated, predictable costs (groceries, auto insurance, repairs, utilities, propane, fees, small healthcare outlays) rather than a single catastrophic expense. | Isaura Badilla, Kaitlin Hoffmann, Andrew Roman, Monica Zielinski, Emmalee Vogel, Brayden Velasquez, Angela Pena, Gabrielle Hetrick |
| EV transition conditional support | Support is widespread only when policies guarantee worker protections (union wages, apprenticeships), fund charging and grid upgrades, and include consumer protections like right-to-repair and charger pricing limits. | Brayden Velasquez, Andrew Roman, Isaura Badilla, Monica Zielinski, Andrew Watts, Kaitlin Hoffmann, Gabrielle Hetrick, Angela Pena |
| Broad opposition to constitutional convention | Voters across segments view a full constitutional convention as risky, likely to invite special-interest changes, and an unnecessary distraction from pressing kitchen-table problems. | Brayden Velasquez, Isaura Badilla, Andrew Roman, Andrew Watts, Gabrielle Hetrick, Monica Zielinski, Robin Patni, Kaitlin Hoffmann, Angela Pena, Emmalee Vogel |
| Preference for pragmatic, 'boring' executives | There is strong appetite for candidates who offer concrete timelines, line-item budgets and measurable milestones (plow schedules, MDOT job lists, apprenticeship slots) rather than culture-war rhetoric. | Andrew Roman, Andrew Watts, Robin Patni, Kaitlin Hoffmann, Monica Zielinski |
Divergences
| Segment | Contrast | Agents |
|---|---|---|
| Urban young / high-education vs Rural trades | Urban younger voters prioritize aggressive climate/transit investments and metrics-driven governance; rural trades prioritize pragmatic infrastructure (plows, permitting, truck parking) and are more focused on operational predictability than climate symbolism. | Brayden Velasquez, Andrew Roman, Andrew Watts, Gabrielle Hetrick |
| Union/auto-household families vs Freight & logistics business owners | Union households conditionally support EVs if worker protections are guaranteed; freight/logistics owners are more skeptical about heavy-duty EV timelines and economic viability absent clear funding and realistic TCO assumptions. | Monica Zielinski, Isaura Badilla, Angela Pena |
| Lower-income caregivers / immigrant-language households vs Suburban white-collar | Lower-income caregivers emphasize Medicaid, translation services, bus routes and school supports as immediate survival needs; suburban white-collar voters emphasize competence, fiscal transparency and infrastructure delivery as priorities above program expansions. | Robin Patni, Monica Zielinski, Kaitlin Hoffmann, Andrew Roman |
| Ethnic / rural pragmatists (e.g., Angela Pena) vs expected partisan defaults | Some Hispanic, rural or bilingual respondents express pragmatic, center-right or regulatory-tone preferences-open to Republican candidates focused on operational competence-contrasting with assumptions that ethnic and rural voters will align predictably by party. | Angela Pena |
| Younger high-income professional (Brayden Velasquez) vs typical age-income expectations | Despite youth and high income, this segment ties climate and transit to immediate municipal impacts and administrative competence rather than abstract national culture debates-showing a pragmatic orientation atypical of some peers. | Brayden Velasquez |
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Recommendations & Next Steps
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Overview
Voters are signaling a clear preference for delivery over spectacle: the 2026 governor race dominates because it controls roads/plows, the grid, broadband, schools, Medicaid and workforce pipelines. Economic pain is many small hits (groceries, auto insurance, utilities, junk fees) not a single crisis. The EV transition is supported only if it’s worker‑first (union wages, paid retraining, clawbacks) with reliable charging and grid upgrades; hybrids stay in the mix. A constitutional convention is broadly opposed as a chaos tax. Our plan centers the governor contest with measurable, budget-tied commitments, a cost-of-living package, worker-first EV policy, rural/trucking specifics, language access, and a NO on convention education track-delivered with public scorecards, not slogans.
Quick Wins (next 2–4 weeks)
| # | Action | Why | Owner | Effort | Impact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Release a 100‑Day Delivery Plan (1‑pager) with six funded promises | Matches demand for a boring, execution‑first governor; demonstrates dates, dollars and accountability on roads, grid, schools, broadband and Medicaid access. | Policy Director + Comms Director | Med | High |
| 2 | Stand up a public Service Scorecard microsite | Voters want receipts: show plow on‑time, lane‑miles fixed, outage duration (SAIDI/SAIFI) targets, charger uptime and apprenticeship slots-updated monthly. | Digital Director + Research/Analytics | Med | High |
| 3 | Announce a Worker‑First EV Compact | De‑risks EV backlash: tie incentives to union wages, paid retraining, in‑state supply chain and clawbacks; include 97% charger uptime and grid upgrades. | Coalitions Lead + Policy Director | Med | High |
| 4 | Launch a ‘Cut the Small Cuts’ cost‑of‑living package | Targets the real pain: auto insurance transparency, utility performance credits, junk‑fee bans, medical billing protections, weatherization expansion. | Policy Director | Low | High |
| 5 | Rural & Trucking mini‑plan | Addresses outlier but vocal segment: truck parking map with capacity targets, MDOT permit clocks, dig‑once rural broadband miles and timelines. | Policy Director + Logistics Advisor | Low | Med |
| 6 | Language access + bus shelter pledge | Signals respect to immigrant/non‑voter households: Spanish/Korean office hours, translated service guides, and a pilot to install/maintain lit bus shelters on priority routes. | Field Director | Low | Med |
Initiatives (30–90 days)
| # | Initiative | Description | Owner | Timeline | Dependencies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kitchen‑Table Cost Plan: ‘Cut the Small Cuts’ |
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Policy Director | Draft in 30 days; coalition rollout by Day 60; first votes by Day 120 | Consumer advocates, Legislative caucus leads, PSC/utility data access, AG consumer protection team |
| 2 | Governor ‘Delivery over Spectacle’ Platform + Scorecards |
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Comms Director + Research/Analytics | Scorecard v1 in 45 days; quarterly updates thereafter | MDOT project data, Utilities performance data, DoE/Workforce agencies, ISDs/Districts |
| 3 | Worker‑First EV + Grid & Charging Package |
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Policy Director + Coalitions Lead | Compact signings in 60–90 days; legislation package by 120 days | UAW/IBEW, Community colleges, Charging networks, Utilities, EDA/State econ dev |
| 4 | Rural Infrastructure Pact |
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Policy Director + Field Director | Pact draft in 45 days; first projects announced by Day 90 | County road commissions, Broadband co‑ops/ISPs, MDOT freight office, EGLE |
| 5 | Language Access + Schools/Transit Basics |
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Field Director + Policy Director | Pilots live in 60 days; county expansion by Day 120 | ISDs/Districts, Transit agencies, State dept. language services, City partners |
| 6 | NO on Constitutional Convention Education |
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Comms Director + Political Director | Narrative/creatives in 30 days; flight continuous through ballot | Pollster, Legal advisors, Civic orgs, Bipartisan surrogates |
KPIs to Track
| # | KPI | Definition | Target | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Delivery‑First Message Lift | Change in support/favorables among persuadables after exposure to the 100‑Day Delivery Plan and Scorecard creative | +8 pp lift vs. control within 60 days | Monthly |
| 2 | Service Scorecard Engagement | Unique visitors to microsite and repeat visits; time on page for county‑level metrics | 50k uniques; 30% repeat; 2:00+ avg time in 90 days | Biweekly |
| 3 | Coalition Depth for Worker‑First EV | Number of signed organizations (unions, community colleges, local employers, trucking groups) on the compact | ≥15 signers by Day 120 | Monthly |
| 4 | Rural/Trucking Plan Resonance | Digital CTR/VTR on rural/trucking creatives; inbound meeting requests from county leaders | CTR ≥2.5%, VTR ≥50%, 25+ county meetings in 90 days | Monthly |
| 5 | Language Access Utilization | Constituents served via Spanish/Korean office hours and hotline within service‑level targets | 500 served in 60 days; 90% callbacks ≤48h | Monthly |
| 6 | NO on Convention Persuasion | Opposition share to a constitutional convention among persuadables in tracking polls | ≥55% oppose by 120 days pre‑election | Quarterly |
Risks & Mitigations
| # | Risk | Mitigation | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Overpromising operational outcomes (plows, grid) beyond direct authority | Tie promises to enabling legislation, MOUs, and public dashboards showing agency accountability; avoid absolute claims | Policy Director |
| 2 | EV backlash in rural/trucking segments if plan reads as mandates | Lead with tech‑neutral framing, grid‑first sequencing, hybrid support, and truck‑parking/permit wins; recruit freight validators | Coalitions Lead |
| 3 | Utility and insurance industry pushback on performance credits and pricing transparency | Build consumer coalition (AG, AARP, clinics, labor); use real bill stories; phase‑in timelines with clear benchmarks | Political Director |
| 4 | ‘Detroit‑first’ stigma alienates rural voters | Publish a Rural Infrastructure Pact with named county projects and hold monthly roadshows outside top metros | Field Director |
| 5 | Constitutional convention proponents flood the zone with misinformation | Rapid‑response newsroom, bipartisan validators, and simple chaos tax explainer assets; pre‑bunk common myths | Comms Director |
| 6 | Data gaps undermine the Scorecard’s credibility | Start with best‑available proxies, cite sources, time‑stamp updates, and expand coverage via agency data‑sharing agreements | Research/Analytics Lead |
Timeline
0–30 days: Publish 100‑Day Plan; announce NO‑Convention stance; roll out Worker‑First EV Compact draft; launch rural/trucking mini‑plan teaser; field message test.
30–90 days: Service Scorecard v1 live; county roadshows (rural first); compact signings; introduce cost‑of‑living bills; start language‑access/bus‑shelter pilots.
90–180 days: Scale creatives on delivery/EV worker protections; quarterly scorecard update; lock in broadband and truck‑parking sites; deepen coalition endorsements.
180+ to Election Day: Monthly report cards; contrast ads on delivery vs. spectacle; expand rural validators; sustained NO‑Convention education.
30–90 days: Service Scorecard v1 live; county roadshows (rural first); compact signings; introduce cost‑of‑living bills; start language‑access/bus‑shelter pilots.
90–180 days: Scale creatives on delivery/EV worker protections; quarterly scorecard update; lock in broadband and truck‑parking sites; deepen coalition endorsements.
180+ to Election Day: Monthly report cards; contrast ads on delivery vs. spectacle; expand rural validators; sustained NO‑Convention education.
Research Study Narrative
Objective and context
This qualitative program examined what Michigan voters prioritise ahead of the 2026 cycle: an open governor’s office, an open U.S. Senate seat, kitchen‑table economics, the EV transition’s impact on auto jobs, and the constitutional convention question. The throughline is clear: voters reward delivery over spectacle and want funded plans, deadlines, and public scorecards they can check.
What voters prioritise for 2026
- Governor race dominates (10/10): Seen as the office that tangibly affects daily life-roads/plowing, transit frequency, K‑12/workforce funding, grid reliability, broadband, and enforcement. People want measurable delivery and fiscal stewardship, not rhetoric. “Run the state like a tight job site… open books.”
- Governor profile: A pragmatic, “boring, execution‑first” leader. Party is secondary to competence, though many default to Democrats for health/education protections; a minority favors a center‑right manager or is conditionally open to an independent if plans are truly statewide (concern about “Detroit‑first”). Outliers: mentions of Peter Meijer and Jocelyn Benson; a small callout for data privacy/right‑to‑repair.
- Senate preferences: Most (8/10) prefer a Democrat as a guardrail on healthcare, judges, and environmental protections; strong appetite for a boring “workhorse” over culture‑war performers. A minority prefers split government or a Republican. “Party is a tiebreaker… I want the boring committee‑work person.”
- Kitchen‑table economy: Not one crisis, but cumulative erosion: groceries/shrinkflation, utilities/internet fees, auto repairs and Michigan insurance, healthcare out‑of‑pocket, and housing‑related increases. Financial brittleness is high; one shock can undo a month.
- EV transition: Broadly accepted if worker‑first (union‑quality jobs, paid retraining, enforceable clawbacks), paired with reliable charging (winter, rural, multi‑family) and grid upgrades. Skepticism on heavy‑duty timelines and one‑size‑fits‑all mandates; anxiety about battery risk, insurance, and dealer markups. One respondent tied a Democratic vote explicitly to this issue. “Build chargers where normal people live… make it boring and reliable.”
- Constitutional convention: Strong opposition across respondents: perceived as a “blank check” for lobbyists, risks reopening abortion/redistricting, and diverts attention and funds from roads, schools, and utilities. Preference for targeted amendments with clear guardrails.
- What earns votes: One‑page plans, named deadlines, public scorecards, and consequences when targets slip; relief from junk fees/insurance/medical surprises; worker‑tied economic development; plain‑English and language‑accessible constituent service. Specific operational asks include truck parking, permitting clocks, and charger uptime.
Persona correlations
- Urban, young, high‑income: Climate resilience, transit, utility accountability, and consumer privacy; strongly metrics‑driven.
- Suburban white‑collar: Execution, transparency, and infrastructure delivery; party secondary to competence.
- Rural trades/logistics: MDOT reliability, plows, truck parking, rural broadband; open to GOP or independent if operationally strong.
- Lower‑income caregivers/immigrant‑language households: Medicaid stability, ESL/translation at state offices, reliable buses, school supports; note that even non‑voters track the governor race closely for household well‑being.
- Union auto households: Conditional EV support hinges on union wages, retraining, and clawbacks; generally Democratic‑leaning.
- Freight/logistics owners: Skeptical on heavy‑duty EV economics; prioritize realistic timelines, permitting clarity, and total cost of ownership.
Messaging and policy implications
Lead with delivery: tie cost‑of‑living relief to the bills people actually pay; publish funded timelines for plows, MDOT jobs, grid hardening, broadband miles, and apprenticeship slots. Frame EV policy as worker‑first and grid‑first. Educate firmly against a constitutional convention as a costly “chaos tax,” while supporting surgical fixes.
- 100‑Day Delivery Plan + public scorecard: Six funded promises with monthly reporting (plow on‑time, lane‑miles, SAIDI/SAIFI, 97% charger uptime, broadband miles, apprenticeship/ESL hires).
- “Cut the Small Cuts” cost package: Auto‑insurance transparency, utility performance credits, junk‑fee bans, surprise‑bill protections, weatherization, and Double Up Food Bucks expansion.
- Worker‑First EV Compact: Union neutrality, wage floors, paid retraining, in‑state supply chains, clawbacks; multifamily/rural charging; right‑to‑repair and transparent kWh pricing.
- Rural & trucking mini‑plan: Add 1,500+ truck‑parking spaces (I‑94/I‑96/US‑131) with dates/funding; EGLE/LARA permit clocks; dig‑once broadband with clawbacks; co‑op preference.
- Language‑access and service basics: Spanish/Korean materials, 48‑hour callback SLA, evening office hours; school/transit updates in plain English.
Risks and guardrails
- Overpromising ops beyond authority: Anchor to enabling legislation, MOUs, and transparent dashboards.
- EV backlash (rural/freight): Tech‑neutral framing, hybrids in mix, grid‑first sequencing, freight validators.
- Utility/insurance pushback: Build consumer coalitions (AG/AARP/labor), phase‑ins, and real‑bill storytelling.
- “Detroit‑first” stigma: Name county projects and hold rural roadshows.
- Convention misinformation: Bipartisan validators and a simple “chaos tax” explainer.
Next steps and measurement
- 0–30 days: Publish the 100‑Day Plan; launch NO‑Convention education; draft EV Compact; teaser rural/trucking plan; field message tests.
- 30–90 days: Go live with the service scorecard; county roadshows; compact signings; introduce cost‑of‑living bills; language‑access/bus‑shelter pilots.
- 90–180 days: Scale “delivery over spectacle” and worker‑first EV creatives; quarterly scorecard updates; lock broadband and parking sites; deepen coalition endorsements.
KPIs: +8 pp message lift among persuadables (60 days); 50k scorecard uniques/30% repeat/2:00+ time on page (90 days); ≥15 EV‑compact signers (120 days); rural/trucking CTR ≥2.5% and VTR ≥50% with 25+ county meetings (90 days); 500 language‑access constituents served with 90% callbacks ≤48h (60 days).
Recommended Follow-up Questions
Updated Feb 19, 2026
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Rank your top five statewide issues that will matter most for your 2026 vote in Michigan. Options: cost of living/inflation; roads and winter services; electric grid reliability/power outages; broadband affordability/access; K–12 education quality; workforce training/community college; healthcare costs/access; public safety/crime; housing affordability/property taxes; environment/Great Lakes protection; EV/auto industry jobs transition; taxes and spending discipline; government transparency/ethi...rank Quantifies which issues drive votes to prioritize messaging and policy focus, and benchmarks cost of living against competing concerns.
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Which of the following campaign messages is MOST convincing and LEAST convincing to you? Evaluate: crack down on junk fees/hidden charges with clear pricing; lower auto insurance by banning non‑driving rating factors and publishing transparent rate filings; require utilities to pay automatic outage credits and meet reliability standards before rate hikes; fully fund road maintenance and winter plowing with public scorecards; reduce grocery costs by enforcing price‑gouging and competition laws; c...maxdiff Identifies highest‑impact messages for ads, mail, and stump speeches; tests cost‑of‑living frames versus other themes.
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Rank the top three sources you would trust most for information about Michigan candidates’ plans and performance. Options: local TV news; local newspaper websites; public radio; official state websites/scorecards; nonpartisan voter guides (e.g., League of Women Voters/Ballotpedia); labor unions; small‑business associations/chambers; teachers/school officials; healthcare professionals; environmental groups; faith leaders; friends/family; candidates’ own websites; community Facebook/Nextdoor group...rank Guides media buys, validators, and endorsement strategy by pinpointing trusted messengers and channels.
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Which three conditions would most increase your likelihood of choosing a plug‑in vehicle (EV or PHEV) for your next car or truck? Options: purchase price at/near equivalent gas model; home charging access; reliable public charging with high uptime; winter range comparable to gas; affordable insurance rates; point‑of‑sale tax credits/rebates; strong battery warranty and resale value; workplace or multi‑family charging; towing/hauling capability; statewide dealer service availability; transparent...rank Prioritizes EV policy and infrastructure commitments that unlock adoption and reduce voter anxiety.
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Please indicate your level of support or opposition for each potential Michigan auto‑insurance policy: ban non‑driving rating factors (e.g., credit, education, ZIP); require public justification for premium increases above a threshold; cap certain medical provider charges (e.g., Medicare+ benchmark); mandate plain‑language disclosure of coverages and fees; allow more competition/direct‑to‑consumer sales; create an optional state‑administered low‑cost basic plan; strengthen anti‑fraud enforcement...matrix Tests support for concrete reforms to build a cost‑of‑living package and draw contrasts with opponents.
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If the 2026 ballot asks whether Michigan should hold a constitutional convention, how would you vote?single select Estimates baseline vote intention to size persuasion and turnout needs on the convention question.
Randomize option order within rank/maxdiff/matrix questions. Use balanced Likert anchors (strongly oppose to strongly support). Consider demographic/geography quotas to validate subgroup differences.
Study Overview
Updated Feb 19, 2026
Research question: What do Michigan voters prioritize heading into 2026 (open Senate, governor succession, EV transition, economic anxiety, constitutional convention), and which messages on cost of living outperform others?
Who: 10 Michigan residents across urban, suburban, and rural counties (trades, logistics, healthcare, tech; includes one non‑voter household perspective).
What they said: Nearly all named the governor’s race as the priority and want a pragmatic, “boring,” execution‑first leader focused on roads/plows, grid/broadband reliability, K–12/workforce, and transparent budgets; for the Senate, most lean Democrat for healthcare/judicial guardrails, while a minority favors competence or split government over party. On the economy, voters describe “death by a thousand cuts”: groceries, utilities/internet “fees,” auto insurance/repairs, healthcare out‑of‑pocket, and housing taxes/HOA-prompting asks for junk‑fee crackdowns, auto‑insurance transparency, and utility performance credits tied to outages.
On EVs, support is conditional: a worker‑first transition (union‑quality pay, paid retraining, clawbacks), reliable winter‑capable charging with apartment/rural coverage, and grid upgrades; many prefer tech‑neutrality and hybrids, and say this issue will affect their vote. On the constitutional convention, opposition is broad; voters view it as a blank‑check “chaos tax” that risks abortion rights and fair maps, preferring targeted amendments instead.
Main insights: Delivery over spectacle; party is a tiebreaker to competence; kitchen‑table pain is recurring costs, not one shock; EV is an operations problem, not a press conference.
Clear takeaways: Center the governor campaign on dated, funded scorecards; lead with a cost‑of‑living package (auto‑insurance transparency, utility reliability credits, junk‑fee bans), a worker‑first EV compact (grid/charger uptime, hybrids in the mix) plus rural/trucking specifics and language‑access basics-and stake a clear NO on convention position.
Who: 10 Michigan residents across urban, suburban, and rural counties (trades, logistics, healthcare, tech; includes one non‑voter household perspective).
What they said: Nearly all named the governor’s race as the priority and want a pragmatic, “boring,” execution‑first leader focused on roads/plows, grid/broadband reliability, K–12/workforce, and transparent budgets; for the Senate, most lean Democrat for healthcare/judicial guardrails, while a minority favors competence or split government over party. On the economy, voters describe “death by a thousand cuts”: groceries, utilities/internet “fees,” auto insurance/repairs, healthcare out‑of‑pocket, and housing taxes/HOA-prompting asks for junk‑fee crackdowns, auto‑insurance transparency, and utility performance credits tied to outages.
On EVs, support is conditional: a worker‑first transition (union‑quality pay, paid retraining, clawbacks), reliable winter‑capable charging with apartment/rural coverage, and grid upgrades; many prefer tech‑neutrality and hybrids, and say this issue will affect their vote. On the constitutional convention, opposition is broad; voters view it as a blank‑check “chaos tax” that risks abortion rights and fair maps, preferring targeted amendments instead.
Main insights: Delivery over spectacle; party is a tiebreaker to competence; kitchen‑table pain is recurring costs, not one shock; EV is an operations problem, not a press conference.
Clear takeaways: Center the governor campaign on dated, funded scorecards; lead with a cost‑of‑living package (auto‑insurance transparency, utility reliability credits, junk‑fee bans), a worker‑first EV compact (grid/charger uptime, hybrids in the mix) plus rural/trucking specifics and language‑access basics-and stake a clear NO on convention position.
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