This article originally appeared in The Detroit News January 27, 2026.

Michigan enters 2026 at a crossroads. This year will shape the state’s direction for the next decade or more.

This is Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s last year in office, so her proposals and decisions will most likely be focused on unfinished business and legacy items.

It’s a humdinger of an election year. Michigan voters will choose a new governor, attorney general and secretary of state. Control of the state Legislature is up for grabs. Voters will elect two Michigan Supreme Court justices. At the national level, an open U.S. Senate seat and several House races could shift control of Congress. Voters will even be asked whether we should rewrite the state constitution.

Meanwhile, Michigan is teetering on the edge of mediocrity. From 2009 to 2024, our state ranked 46th out of 50 for population growth, says the Pew Research Center. Harsh weather isn’t scaring people away (cold-weather Idaho and Montana are fast-growing states). If they don’t come to Michigan, it’s because they don’t see opportunity.

Michigan’s story matters — to us, and to the rest of the country. The state is the birthplace of automotive innovation, which changed the world. Iconic, household-name companies grew here: Whirlpool, Domino’s Pizza, Dow Chemical Co., Perrigo, Kellogg, Carhartt, Shinola and Gibson Guitars.

Detroit’s music is recognized around the world. Our factories powered the Arsenal of Democracy during World War II. Our universities are world class. Our breweries are celebrated. Politically, Michigan is a crucial battleground state.

We are a state with a rich legacy, abundant natural resources and courageous entrepreneurs. But we risk squandering all that.

Anemic population growth shows that Michigan is not attracting or keeping companies, jobs and families. One failed tactic that governors of both parties keep trying is to throw billions of dollars at favored companies. These deals earn temporary applause but do not deliver broad, sustained growth.

Educational outcomes are another warning sign. We are spending more money to educate fewer students and getting ever-worsening academic results. Policymakers are now scratching their heads, trying to figure out how Mississippi — ever the punch line in education jokes — is now a Top 20 education state, far outperforming Michigan. Michigan is failing the next generation.

“Your organization is perfectly designed to produce the results you’re getting right now,” a corporate consultant once told me. The same is true for states. Michigan is perfectly designed to produce the results it is getting right now.

My colleagues at the Mackinac Center have identified six key policy areas that determine whether a state is competitive.

Energy must be abundant, affordable and reliable. Schools must teach children reading, writing and arithmetic. Taxes should raise enough revenue for core functions of government while staying low, flat and fair. Housing regulations should encourage new construction. Government should be neutral toward labor unions, respecting the individual choices of workers. And state finances should be managed prudently.

Prosperous states get these big things right. Michigan increasingly does not. The result is an erosion of the quality of life for families, and a reluctance among entrepreneurs to sink roots here. We risk Michigan’s great legacy with poor policy decisions. Fortunately, the state can reinvent itself. That starts by acknowledging what isn’t working.

Michigan is a state worth fighting for. With the right policy choices, it can once again be a magnet for people, opportunity and growth.

Permission to reprint this blog post in whole or in part is hereby granted, provided that the author (or authors) and the Mackinac Center for Public Policy are properly cited.