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YOUR TOP MICHIGAN ADVANCE STORIES OF THE WEEK
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, left, and former Wayne County Health Director Abdul El-Sayed, right, participate in a U.S. Senate candidate debate during the Mackinac Policy Conference on Mackinac Island, Mich., on May 28, 2026. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance)
By Ben Solis
A reported joint rally ahead of the Nov. 3 election to unify supporters of Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham will more than likely be a visit to a Black church in Detroit and not an event widely open to the public or press, although El-Sayed is set to campaign with U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina on Sunday.
President Donald Trump takes the stage at a rally for U.S. Senate nominee Mike Rogers and gubernatorial candidate John James on Sunday, Oct. 25, 2026 at McMorran Place Sports & Entertainment Center in Port Huron, Mich. (Photo by Ben Solis/Michigan Advance)
By Ben Solis
PORT HURON — President Donald Trump on Sunday held a rally in Port Huron to energize Michigan Republicans, spending a considerable amount of time in his speech attacking Democratic U.S. Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed, launching into anti-Muslim rhetoric against the candidate in a bid to convince his base to show up and defeat him.
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly) and Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, record a live taping of the My Body, My Pod podcast in Detroit on Oct. 27, 2026. (Photo by Katherine Dailey/Michigan Advance)
By Katherine Dailey
U.S. Sen. Elissa Slotkin and Mini Timmaraju, president and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All, agreed that a candidate’s stance on abortion can signal a candidate’s beliefs more broadly, with Slotkin calling it a “shorthand for extremism” if a candidate supports an abortion ban, especially one without exceptions.
Grand Rapids Pride Center (Courtesy photo)
By Ellen Knoppow
For 38 years, the Grand Rapids Pride Center has been a mainstay and vital resource for the LGBTQ+ community in west Michigan. But declining funding, from individual donations to corporate sponsorships, means they may be forced to close for good at the end of the year.
The statue of former Gov. Austin Blair at the Michigan Capitol | Susan J. Demas
By Ben Solis
In a highly favorable year for Michigan Democrats, the party is hoping that President Donald Trump’s unpopularity, pegged at 57% in a recent Marist poll, and stagnant economy on his watch will help the party retake the Michigan House, hold the state Senate and retain the governor’s office.
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