The Detroit News Editorial Board has endorsed candidates in six Michigan Senate districts that cover Macomb County for the November 2026 election. The picks include incumbent races, open seats and a newly configured district.
The 2024 court-ordered Senate maps divide Macomb County among several districts for the November 2026 election. The Detroit News Editorial Board endorsed four Republicans and two Democrats in those races. A Reuters district report also describes a mix of incumbent contests, open seats and a newly configured district in the Macomb County area.
The recommendations cover two incumbent contests, two additional incumbent races, an open seat and a newly configured contest. The board's choices address taxes, economic development, education, health care, public safety and infrastructure.
These are endorsements, not election results. Voters will decide the November contests. The winners will represent the districts in Lansing after four years of a Democratic Senate majority.
Farmington-area voters must separate the state Senate races from local government duties. The City of Farmington and City of Farmington Hills handle municipal matters. The Farmington Public Schools board operates at the school-district level. Oakland County administration is a separate regional government. The State of Michigan sets and administers the Senate districts and election process. Voters can use the City of Farmington portal for municipal information. Candidate and district details should be checked against official state election records.
Incumbents in districts 9 and 11
In the 9th District, the board endorses Republican Sen. Michael Webber of Rochester Hills for reelection. Webber is completing his first Senate term. He served three terms in the Michigan House from 2015 through 2020. His district includes Rochester, Rochester Hills, Troy, Utica and parts of Oakland Township, Shelby Township and Sterling Heights.
The board credits Webber with work on mental health and health policy. He is the minority vice chair of the Senate Health Policy Committee. The board also says he brought funding back to the district and focused on constituent needs. Democrat Theresa Brooks is challenging him. Reuters describes Brooks as a physician, small-business owner and Troy City Council member.
Jacob R. Schodowski of the Working Class Party and Philippe M. Cicchini, who has no party affiliation, are also listed in the 9th District race.
In the 11th District, the board endorses Democratic Sen. Veronica Klinefelt of Eastpointe. Klinefelt is seeking reelection against Republican Johnnie Townsend of Sterling Heights. The district includes Roseville, Eastpointe, Fraser and parts of Warren and Sterling Heights.
Klinefelt's record is generally progressive on voting rights, reproductive rights, education and environmental policy. The board also points to her work on local infrastructure, public safety and fiscal responsibility. Townsend has not held elected office before. He ran unsuccessfully for Sterling Heights City Council in 2025.
The incumbent races come with clear contrasts.
Four open or newly configured contests
The board's Republican choice in the 10th District is Michelle Nard of Warren. She has served as a Macomb County commissioner from districts 1 and 12. Nard is running against Democratic Rep. Natalie Price of Berkley in the newly configured district.
Reuters identifies Price as a candidate in the 2026 district. The district includes Oakland County communities and suburban areas next to Macomb County. Its listed communities are Berkley, Center Line, Clawson, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Madison Heights, Oak Park, Pleasant Ridge, Royal Oak, Royal Oak Township and part of Warren.
Price has served two terms in the Michigan House and supports a progressive agenda. Nard supports phasing out the income tax. She has also made government transparency a central issue. Her platform calls for expanding the Freedom of Information Act and banning nondisclosure agreements.
In the 12th District, the board endorses Republican John Goldwater over Democratic incumbent Sen. Kevin Hertel of St. Clair Shores. Hertel is seeking a second term after serving three terms in the Michigan House.
Reuters describes Hertel as a first-term senator. It places St. Clair Shores, Mount Clemens, New Baltimore, Algonac, Harper Woods, the Grosse Pointes and parts of Clinton, Harrison, Ira and Chesterfield townships in the district.
Goldwater is a New Baltimore businessman and father of six. He has operated businesses in the energy and beverage industries. His platform focuses on public safety, education, transparency, energy costs and skilled trades. The board describes Hertel's approach as support for a big-government agenda.
The board also backs Republican Rep. Douglas Wozniak in the open 24th District race. Republican Sen. Ruth Johnson is term-limited, so the seat is open for 2026. Wozniak of Shelby Township is an attorney and small-business owner. He currently represents Michigan's 59th House District.
Democrat Edlira Sako of Clinton Township is his opponent. She is a teacher. Wozniak's House record includes work on regulatory oversight, lower costs and taxes, and reduced spending.
The district stretches across parts of Macomb, Oakland, Lapeer, Genesee and St. Clair counties. It includes Macomb Township, Bruce Township, Ray Township, Washington Township and parts of Clinton and Shelby townships. The board says Wozniak would be a good addition to the Senate.
The 25th District choice
The final endorsement goes to Republican Andrew Beeler in the open 25th District. Sen. Dan Lauwers is term-limited. Beeler of Port Huron is a U.S. Navy veteran and small-business owner. He served two terms in the Michigan House.
Democrat April Osentoski of Bad Axe is challenging Beeler. Osentoski is studying business intelligence with AI development and implementation. Beeler's stated priorities include greater accountability in education, lower taxes and regulatory streamlining.
The 25th District includes Armada Township, New Baltimore, New Haven, Richmond and Richmond Township. Its boundaries connect voters in Macomb County communities with voters in the broader Port Huron area.
That makes the race regional.
What the map changes
The 2024 court-ordered Senate maps are in effect for the 2026 election. Macomb County voters are divided among several districts instead of choosing in one countywide Senate race. Neighboring communities now face contests with different incumbents, candidates and policy priorities.
The board's recommendations also show the uneven nature of the election cycle. Webber and Klinefelt are defending Senate seats. The 24th and 25th districts are open because Johnson and Lauwers are term-limited. The 10th District has a contest in a newly configured district. The 12th District pits an incumbent against a first-time Senate challenger from the business community.
State policy debates still include taxes, roads, education, health care and economic development. A recent gas tax breakdown shows why Senate races can affect infrastructure funding even when a proposal is still awaiting legislative action.
Reuters has described the Macomb-area contest as part of a closely watched statewide fight. Republicans are emphasizing turnout and ground operations. Democrats are contesting control of the Michigan Senate.
The board's choices give voters a clear list of recommendations. They do not replace a review of each district's candidates.
Webber and Klinefelt receive the nod as incumbents with stated records on health policy, public safety, infrastructure and fiscal issues. Nard, Goldwater, Wozniak and Beeler receive endorsements in races focused on taxes, transparency, regulation, education and spending.
The board's position is easiest to read at the district level. Macomb voters face six separate Senate decisions. Each candidate must be judged against the responsibilities of that district, not against the idea of Macomb County as one political bloc.
