It's Just Politics
Wednesdays at 3:40 p.m. and 8:40 p.m.
Michigan politics is rough and tumble, sometimes confusing but definitely consequential. It’s Just Politics hosts Rick Pluta and Zoe Clark help make sense of the serious questions and the tomfoolery every week. Listen Wednesdays at 3:40p and 8:40p on Michigan Public and get the It’s Just Politics newsletter in your inbox every Friday afternoon. Plus, be sure to subscribe to the It’s Just Politics podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
The Latest from It's Just Politics
The takeaway from conversations with 100 Michiganders on where things stand politically and Republican state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt joins It’s Just Politics to discuss his run for governor in 2026.
On the Podcast
From the Newsletter
Radio Segments
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Candidate websiteAfter nearly six years, Lavora Barnes is stepping down as chair of the Michigan Democratic Party. After a very disappointing 2024 for Democrats, a new party leader is going to have a lot to manage. But that doesn't appear to be diminishing Curtis Hertel's interest in the job. -
Joey Cappelletti/The Associated PressWhat does it mean that an election-denier is the new head of the Michigan Republican Party?
Elsewhere on Michigan Public
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Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan delivers his 12th and final state of the city address as he prepares for his 2026 independent bid for Michigan Governor. Duggan joins It’s Just Politics; plus, the politics surrounding an open Michigan Senate seat. -
Rick Pluta/Michigan PublicMichigan’s Democratic Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist announces he’s running for governor in 2026; plus, Republicans in the Michigan House shock Democrats with the introduction - and quick passage - of a $20 billion dollar budget in Lansing.
More from It's Just Politics
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In a special edition of the It’s Just Politics newsletter, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta take a look back at the 10 biggest political stories in Michigan of 2024. From Election 2024 and the Uncommitted National Movement to the state Supreme Court’s decision on ‘adopt and amend’ to Mayor Mike Duggan’s headline-grabbing gubernatorial announcement, the It’s Just Politics team breaks it all down. -
Frustration is boiling over at the state Capitol as the final days of Democrats’ complete control in Lansing come to an end. Republicans are continuing to boycott votes in the House, a Democratic lawmaker walked out of the Capitol while voting was underway, and state Representatives are taking to social media to vent their anger. -
In this week’s It’s Just Politics newsletter, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta take you behind the scenes of a day of lame duck in the 102nd Legislative session in Lansing. Plus, this week marks the tenth anniversary of the city of Detroit emerging from the nation’s largest municipal bankruptcy, and a recount in Calhoun County shows that every vote really does matter. -
2025 will be a monumental year in Detroit politics as Mayor Mike Duggan seeks to run for governor, leaving an open seat for the highest office in the state’s largest city next year. Stephen Henderson, host of American Black Journal, and Nancy Kaffer, editorial page editor of the Detroit Free Press join this week to discuss Duggan’s legacy, Detroit’s political landscape and the ten-year anniversary of the city emergency from bankruptcy. -
In this week’s It’s Just Politics newsletter, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta explore the ramifications of Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s announcement that he’s forgoing the Democratic Party and, instead, running for governor as an independent and what that means for the 2026 gubernatorial race in Michigan. -
On this week’s It’s Just Politics, Zoe Clark is joined by Democrat Felicia Brabec and Republican Graham Filler, two outgoing Michigan state Representatives, to talk about what their time in Lansing was really like: frustrations, surprises and what voters should know about the state Capitol. -
In this week’s It’s Just Politics newsletter, Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta dig into why state House Democrats are failing to deliver their lame-duck legislative agenda in Lansing. Plus, Michigan Republican Chairman Pete Hoestra is picked by President-elect Donald Trump to be the next United States Ambassador to Canada and the future for Democratic state Senator Mallory McMorrow.
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