Michigan is burning. Here’s what the next governor can do to extinguish the blaze.

The Detroit Regional Chamber's political action committee declined to endorse either Jocelyn Benson or John James for Michigan governor, failing to reach the two-thirds majority required. The chamber, which had enthusiastically backed independent Mike Duggan last year before he dropped out in May, offered no further explanation for the snub.

Michigan ranks in the bottom 10 states for per capita income, educational attainment, and fourth-grade reading scores, according to statistics the chamber itself has publicized. Neither candidate is talking much about the state's structural problems, an aging workforce, talent flight, or the gap in bachelor's degree attainment tied closely to state wealth.

Both candidates are instead focused on affordability, cutting the costs of housing, healthcare, energy, and groceries, an emphasis driven partly by tariff costs that have reportedly added more than $5,000 per Michigan household since January 2025. James wants a retention tax credit while also proposing to eliminate the state income tax, a combination that undercuts its own stated goal.

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