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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Wondering why data centers are suddenly everywhere in the news? We’ll break it down. Plus, why the backlash isn’t falling along the usual party lines and what Michigan can learn from how voters in other states have responded at the ballot box. -
Michigan’s latest economic forecast points to a “short-term pause.” But, University of Michigan economists expect a rebound in 2027, potentially giving the next governor a well-timed boost. -
Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed laws this week that put new rules in place over how, and when, lawmakers can request earmarks - otherwise known as pork-barrel spending. But, will it really add transparency to Lansing’s budget process? -
Michigan Republican lawmakers have asked the DOJ to oversee the state’s 2026 elections, claiming a conflict of interest as Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson runs for governor. The move heightens tensions over election management ahead of a high-stakes election year. -
Democrats across the state — and around the country — are asking why eight Senators who caucus with Democrats sided with Republicans to reopen the government. Former Michigan Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee breaks down the surprising vote. Plus, Trump preemptively pardons Michigan’s “fake electors” and more legal filings in the case against the state’s new marijuana tax. -
After a new task force report urging an overhaul to the court funding system in Michigan was released this week, state lawmakers will consider how to end the reliance on fines and fees from defendants. Plus, bipartisan bashing of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation and a second plea deal in ex-Speaker Lee Chatfield’s corruption case. -
City Council President Mary Sheffield has been elected as Detroit’s next mayor, succeeding Mike Duggan after twelve years in office that reshaped how the city works with Lansing. How will Mayor-elect Sheffield navigate her relationship with Lansing in a time of divided government? And, what lessons can she draw from Duggan’s approach? Plus, Michigan is in the middle of a legal standoff with the federal government over voter-data privacy. -
Michigan legislative leaders passed a confusing mix of stopgaps this week to address the 1.4M Michiganders losing federal food aid due to the ongoing government shutdown. -
Michigan has ended its multi-billion dollar deal with Chinese-backed Gotion. What went wrong and what’s next for economic development policy in Lansing. Plus, the latest on “The 9 Bills.” -
A corruption case tied to Lansing politics continues to raise questions about transparency, campaign donations, and oversight at the state Capitol. Plus, the U.S. Supreme Court could, once again, take up the legality of same-sex marriage.
