Zoe Clark
Associate General Manager, Political Director & It's Just Politics hostZoe Clark is Michigan Public's Associate General Manager and Political Director.
As Associate General Manager, Clark helps to guide Michigan Public’s strategic direction, content vision, and cross-platform integration.
As Political Director, Clark guides coverage of the state Capitol, elections, and policy debates. Her passion for understanding and explaining politics led Michigan Public to create the position in 2022 for the first time in station history.
Clark is also the host of It's Just Politics, a weekly look at Michigan politics, with Michigan Public Radio Network's Senior Capitol Correspondent Rick Pluta. Together, they co-author the It's Just Politics Newsletter.
Clark regularly appears on WKAR’s Off the Record, WDIV’s Flashpoint and offers political analysis on NPR, PBS, CNN, and the BBC.
Clark is an award-winning journalist, including the prestigious Peabody for overseeing the station’s first nationally distributed podcast Believed.
Clark previously was the station’s Program Director and is the co-founder and former Executive Producer of Stateside. She began at the station by producing Jack Lessenberry’s daily interviews and essays, and producing Michigan Radio’s Morning Edition.
Clark began her collegiate studies at George Washington University in Washington, D.C. She holds degrees in Communication Studies and Political Science from the University of Michigan and lives in Ann Arbor, where she was born and raised.
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Facing backlash over the state’s new marijuana wholesale tax, Michigan lawmakers are looking into new regulations that could stabilize the overcrowded cannabis market. Plus, Detroit Metro Airport says no thanks to Kristi Noem’s “partisan video” on federal government shutdown. -
Michigan’s latest education budget may boast record funding, but school leaders say it’s not enough. Plus, “Groundhog Day” at the U.S. Capitol. Where is Michigan’s Congressional delegation in the federal shutdown? -
Michigan's new marijuana wholesale tax sparks lawsuits over constitutionality after Governor Whitmer signs $80 billion budget as industry argues tax violates voter-initiated 2018 law. Plus, Attorney General Dana Nessel thinks “it’s only a matter of time” before President Donald Trump sends National Guard troops to Michigan. -
Governor Whitmer signs Michigan’s new $80 billion budget, but a new 24% marijuana tax to fund roads is already in legal trouble. Hear from Michigan Budget Director Jen Flood & legal expert Robert LaBrant. -
In the early hours of October 3rd, after months of delay and posturing, the Michigan Legislature passed a bipartisan state budget—two days after the constitutional October 1 deadline and more than three months past the statutory July 1 target. Governor Gretchen Whitmer says she will sign early next week. -
Michigan lawmakers approved a plan early Wednesday morning to fund state government for another week as they finalize a spending agreement for the new fiscal year. The state’s previous budget had run out at midnight and questions abound: was the state government shutdown temporarily or not? And, when will a permanent budget actually get passed? -
Less than a week ahead of the October 1 deadline to avert a partial state government shutdown, and months past a due-date written into state law, Governor Gretchen Whitmer and the leaders of the state House and Senate announced Thursday evening that they have "reached an agreement" to pass a budget to keep the government funded. But there’s still a lot of work to be done. -
Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Michigan lawmakers have one week to come up with a budget deal. If they don’t there will be partial state government shutdown. What do voters think about the stalemate in Lansing? And who will they blame if there’s a shutdown? Pollster Richard Czuba, founder of Glengariff Group, has answers. -
On Tuesday, with two weeks before a possible partial state government shutdown, Governor Gretchen Whitmer seemingly reemerged with a speech at the State Capitol. Its focus was the economic impact on Michigan of federal tariff policy and, more to the point, that not having a state budget deal is only making things worse. -
Governor Gretchen Whitmer warns that the budget deadlock at the state Capitol will worsen Michigan’s economic uncertainty caused by federal tariffs. With just two weeks until a possible state government shutdown, what could a shutdown mean for Michigan’s already shaky economy?
