By Paul Rozycki
During President Trump’s first weeks in office, we’ve seen more than 1,600 pardons; dozens of executive orders on everything from oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to withdrawing from the World Health Organization; tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China; the firing or dismissal of federal employees; pausing (and unpausing) of federal grants; and suggestions that the U.S. should take over Greenland, the Panama Canal, and make Canada its 51st state… So, it’s risky to try to predict what the next 10 months of 2025 will bring.
In fact, it feels risky to predict what the next 10 days or 10 minutes will bring.
But with that caution in mind, here are a few things in politics that we might pay attention to in the upcoming year.
Trump and Michigan
While many Trump administration policies will have an impact on Michigan, one key question for the state is whether Trump will continue to try to impose a 25 percent tariff on goods from Canada and Mexico.
The impact of tariffs on Michigan’s auto industry and the rest of the state could be dramatic.
In a recent Detroit Free Press column headlined “Trump’s tariffs on Canada will wreck Mich. economy,” Andrea Bitely pointed out that more than $700 billion worth of material was shipped back and forth between Michigan and Canada last year.
About 25 percent of the oil that we use for gasoline and similar products comes from Canada, and auto plants in Detroit and Windsor are shipping large quantities of parts and supplies across the border regularly. The 25 percent tariff imposes a significant price increase on automobiles and anything that is connected to gasoline or transportation, which is much of the rest of the Michigan economy.
One other concern is Trump’s move to deport undocumented residents, which raises worries among residents who were born in other countries. Michigan farmers may find it difficult to find workers to harvest their crops this summer, as both California and Texas are already fearing a shortage of migrant labor.
In Dearborn, with its large middle-eastern population, many are concerned that they may face deportation threats for themselves or their families, particularly in light of Trump’s anti-Muslim comments made in his first term. Despite Trump’s noted stance on revoking birthright citizenship, Dearborn voters surprised many last year by supporting him in the election.
The U.S. Senate
Speaking of surprise, Michigan Senator Gary Peters announced that he won’t be running for another term next year and that will open up another Senate seat just two years after Democrat Debbie Stabenow chose not to run. Elissa Slotkin won the seat for the Democrats in a very close contest last year. Without an incumbent running, it’s likely that the contest to replace Peters will also be a close one. Among the possible candidates are former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigeig, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist (both Democrats), and Republican John James.
The governor’s race
As Governor Gretchen Whitmer enters the last two years of her term, we can expect the race for governor to heat up. Three candidates have already formally announced that they are running, and more are likely to join.
For the Democrats, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has announced her candidacy, as has Republican Senate leader Aric Nesbitt and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, who is running as an independent. We are likely to see others enter the race including Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, and perhaps Lt. Gov. Gilchrist and Buttigeig should they choose not to run for Senator Peters’ open seat.
One concern for Democrats in this race is the impact of Duggan, who was elected to his relatively popular mayorship as a Democrat and could draw support from traditional Democratic voters in Detroit and elsewhere.
With Republicans holding a majority in the state House, the next two years may prove more challenging for Gov. Whitmer, too, as she works to complete her second term.
The Flint City Council
After nearly 900 votes, the Flint City Council is still unable to fill the 3rd Ward seat left vacant after Councilman Quincy Murphy’s death in September 2024. The Council has also not managed to select its president during those votes, either.
Mayor Sheldon Neeley has appointed Linda Boose and LaShawn Johnson as “ambassadors” for the ward, but the council has still been divided 4-4 on filling the seat and appointing a president.
On the positive side, a special election has been scheduled for the 3rd Ward vacancy. That primary will be on May 6 and the general election will be August 5. According to the Flint City Clerk’s office, candidates for the position are: Beverly Biggs-Leavy, A.C. Dumas, LaShawn Johnson, and Richard Jones.
On a less positive note, the Flint Ethics and Accountability Board has said that it will request that pay for current council members be withheld until they appoint someone to serve as 3rd Ward councilperson interimly, as they are in violation of Flint’s City Charter by not having done so already.
The general hope is that once there is a full Council again the group will be able to select a new council president.
The Flint Community Schools Board of Education
The Flint Board of Education (FBOE) is moving past previous divisions and conflicts and has given Superintendent Kevelin Jones a five year contract, unanimously elected its officers, and resolved contract issues with the faculty union. It has also announced that there are plans to redevelop the decaying Flint Central High School.
Though the details of any future plans are unclear at the moment, the FBOE is working with the Mott Foundation and local lawmakers, and there has been much community support for the idea of revitalizing the historic campus.
The Mott College Board of Trustees
With two new members on the Mott College Board of Trustees, many hope the body will move beyond its divisions of the past year. They will need to decide on selecting a new college president or continuing a contract with the current interim president, Shaunda Richardson-Snell, who proved a contentious nominee for the role last year. The trustees will also be responding to criticism from the Higher Learning Commission over a conflict of interest charge involving Trustee Janet Couch’s daughter and the real estate sale of a house to the interim college president, which might have jeopardized accreditation.
If you thought the first Trump administration was a wild ride, it looks like the first year of his second term will be wilder yet – and that’s before we add in Flint’s local politics! Hang on folks, it could be a bumpy 2025.
This article also appears in East Village Magazine’s February 2025 issue.
