FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: July 2, 2026
Contact: Chad Cyrowski, ccyrowski@miaflcio.org, 248.867.9508
These pro-labor candidates will fight to put workers first
LANSING, MI — Today, the Michigan AFL-CIO, the state’s largest labor federation and home to over 1 million active and retired union members and their families, announced a sweeping slate of endorsements for pro-labor candidates running for Congress, state Senate, state House and the Court of Appeals.
As the Trump administration and its allies continue their war on working families, Michigan’s labor movement is fighting back. The candidates endorsed today are defenders of the working class who understand that when unions rise, workers rise.
“The stakes in this election couldn’t be higher,” said Ron BIEBER, president of the Michigan AFL-CIO. “Politicians that side with billionaires and corporations are aligned in a battle to strip away the rights and benefits that define the working class: from the 40-hour workweek to safe working conditions and fair wages. We can’t let them win. Michigan’s labor movement is organized and ready to fight for candidates that put workers first in 2026.”
The Michigan labor movement’s endorsement demonstrates a deep commitment to candidates that put the needs of working Michiganders before special interests and giant corporations. From protecting healthcare and social security to guaranteeing a living wage, these candidates are the frontline in the fight for economic and social justice.
The Michigan AFL-CIO is proud to endorse the following candidates:
CONGRESS
- Callie Barr – CD-01
- Sean McCann – CD-04
- Debbie Dingell – CD-06
- Kristen McDonald Rivet – CD-08
- Tim Greimel – CD-10
- Donavan McKinney – CD-13
STATE SENATE
- Darrin Camilleri – SD-04
- Matt Koleszar – SD-05
- Mary Cavanagh – SD-06
- Jason Hoskins – SD-07
- Dayna Polehanki – SD-08
- Veronica Klinefelt – SD-11
- Kevin Hertel – SD-12
- Sean Carlson – SD-13
- Sue Shink – SD-14
- Felicia Brabec – SD-15
- Julie M. Rogers – SD-19
- Sarah Anthony – SD-21
- John D. Cherry – SD-27
- Phil Skaggs – SD-29
- Carol Glanville – SD-30
- Rebecca Amidon – SD-32
- Chedrick Greene – SD-35
STATE HOUSE
- Tyrone Carter – HD-001
- Alabas Farhat – HD-003
- Tonya Myers Phillips – HD-007
- Helena Scott – HD-008
- Veronica Paiz – HD-010
- Kimberly Edwards – HD-012
- Mai Xiong – HD-013
- Mike McFall – HD-014
- Stephanie Young – HD-016
- Laurie Pohutsky – HD-017
- Samantha Steckloff – HD-019
- Kelly Breen – HD-021
- Lisa McIntyre – HD-022
- Jason Morgan – HD-023
- Ranjeev Puri – HD-024
- Dylan Wegela – HD-026
- Jaime Churches – HD-027
- Sherry Berecz – HD-028
- Shannon Dare Wayne – HD-031
- Jimmie Wilson Jr. – HD-032
- Morgan Foreman – HD-033
- Joey Andrews – HD-038
- Matt Longjohn – HD-040
- Jessica Swartz – HD-041
- Jim Haadsma – HD-044
- Jan Maino – HD-046
- Carrie Rheingans – HD-047
- Jennifer Conlin – HD-048
- Brenda Carter – HD-053
- Sarah Pounds – HD-054
- Alex Hawkins – HD-055
- Sharon MacDonell – HD-056
- Katrina Manetta – HD-058
- Denise Mentzer – HD-061
- Jasper Martus – HD-069
- Cynthia Neeley – HD-070
- Julie Brixie – HD-073
- Penelope Tsernoglou – HD-075
- Angela Witwer – HD-076
- Emily Dievendorf – HD-077
- Kris Pachla – HD-080
- Stephen Wooden – HD-081
- Kristian Grant – HD-082
- John Fitzgerald – HD-083
- Will Snyder – HD-087
- Amos O’Neal – HD-094
- Christopher Girard – HD-096
- Betsy Coffia – HD-103
- Anna Aho Rink – HD-109
COURT OF APPEALS
- Miriam Bazzi – Judge of Court of Appeals, District 1
- Sima Patel – Judge of Court of Appeals, District 2
- Daniel Korobkin – Judge of Court of Appeals, District 3
The Michigan AFL-CIO endorsement process includes a thorough vetting of each candidate’s experience, policy positions, and plan to win. Union members spent hundreds of hours interviewing applicants, reviewing detailed questionnaire responses, and carefully considering the strengths of all contenders. As a labor federation, the Michigan AFL-CIO’s endorsement decisions are determined by a vote of its affiliated unions.
The Michigan AFL-CIO, Michigan’s largest labor organization, is a federation representing forty different labor organizations, eighteen different central labor councils, and eight constituency groups representing over 1 million union members and their families.
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