As Michigan prepares for its upcoming election, the role of the attorney general is under scrutiny. This pivotal position, which serves as the state’s primary legal authority and court representative, is up for grabs, with six candidates vying for the position on November 3.
The elected attorney general will wield significant influence over key legal and governmental decisions, such as initiating lawsuits against the federal government, challenging utility rate hikes, issuing legislative opinions, and prosecuting various offenses. Current Attorney General Dana Nessel, who is reaching her term limit, leaves behind a significant legacy for the incoming official.
In a bid to understand the candidates better, Michigan Public reached out for interviews. Interestingly, only three of these candidates are recognized members of the state bar. Here’s what they had to say about their visions for the office:
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The attorney general holds the authority to issue binding opinions on state agency operations and budget allocations. Notably, Attorney General Nessel previously contested the Republican-led state House’s decision to cut hundreds of millions in state spending, deeming it unconstitutional. This challenge ended in a settlement, reflecting the profound impact the attorney general can have on state governance.
Moreover, a bill aiming to curb the attorney general’s power to issue opinions was introduced following this dispute. It passed in the House but remains in limbo with the Democrat-controlled state Senate.
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Regularly, Nessel contests utility rate increases proposed to the Michigan Public Service Commission. Her involvement extends to recent data center cases, such as challenging the approval of specific contracts for a data center in Saline Township.
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Non-attorney candidates for Michigan attorney general
On the ballot, three candidates are not lawyers, as confirmed by the State Bar of Michigan.
While state law requires the attorney general to represent the state in court, it does not explicitly demand bar membership. However, a Michigan Supreme Court ruling from 1937 suggests that this requirement implicitly applies to the attorney general role.
Despite this, some candidates argue against the necessity of being a bar member. Here’s what they had to say:
Libertarian Party candidate Jason Dye believes the bar membership requirement for the attorney general violates the U.S. Constitution. Dye proposes abolishing the bar association, drawing on his experience running the We The People News website as preparation for managing a legal team. He strongly opposes data centers and suggests forming a militia in response to their development, though he did not elaborate on its purpose.
Green Party candidate Jeff Polonowski contends he doesn’t need to be an attorney, asserting that his role would be to manage the state’s lawyers. Despite limited legal experience, he prioritizes human trafficking prevention and believes data center regulation should be left to other officials, with the attorney general supporting enforcement efforts.
U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate John Ludtke, who is also not a bar member, did not provide comments in time for publication.
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