Michigan, like the rest of the country, has faced polarizing political winds. Because of all the disagreement, fewer policies are making it through the state legislature. 

But that doesn’t mean political change isn’t possible in the state. A major vehicle for policy change has been ballot initiatives. Cannabis legalization, the end of gerrymandering, and the expansion of reproductive freedoms all were passed by ballot initiative over the last 8 years. 

And that leaves a pressing question now: Why have so many ballot initiatives from the left failed to make it to the ballot this year? Already, the initiative for ranked choice voting, an effort to tax rich people to fund Michigan schools, and a campaign to create one minimum wage for Michiganders all failed to make it on the 2026 ballot.  

Why? And, what does this say about the state of liberals and the Democratic Party in Michigan?

Colin Jackson is a Capitol reporter for the Michigan Public Radio Network. He spoke about this with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

More stories from The Metro