Who's Running in 2026? Early Look at the Macomb County Candidate List and What It Means for Sterling Heights

Sterling Heights voters will have contested races for both Michigan House seats serving the city and for the state Senate district that includes part of it when they vote Nov. 3, 2026. The Macomb County Clerk's unofficial candidate list puts names to those races early — before television ads and party messaging harden — and gives residents a chance to demand specifics on school funding, state spending and the rules that affect local communities.

The filing window for Democratic and Republican candidates closed April 21, 2026, at 4 p.m., while independent candidates had until July 16, 2026, at 4 p.m.

Sterling Heights is divided between Michigan House District 57 and Michigan House District 58, so a resident's address determines which race will send their representative to Lansing. District 57 includes parts of Sterling Heights, Troy and Madison Heights in Macomb and Oakland counties. District 58 includes Utica City and parts of Sterling Heights, Warren and Shelby Charter Township.

In District 57, Republican incumbent Thomas Kuhn is running against Democrat Tom Turner. In District 58, Republican incumbent Ron Robinson faces Democrat Katrina Manetta.

Part of Sterling Heights also sits in Michigan Senate District 9. The district includes Rochester, Rochester Hills, Troy, Utica, and parts of Oakland Township, Shelby Township and Sterling Heights. Republican incumbent Michael Webber will face the winner of a Democratic primary between Theresa Brooks, Brendan Johnson and Ren Nushaj. Working Class Party candidate Jacob Schodowski and independent Philippe M. Cicchini are also on the November ballot.

The Senate contest is projected to be among Michigan's most expensive legislative races. That kind of money can quickly bury local concerns beneath television ads and party talking points. Sterling Heights voters should insist that candidates spell out what they would actually do once the mailers stop and the budget votes begin.

Kuhn is seeking another term in District 57 after winning 57.24% of the vote in 2024. He chairs the Appropriations Subcommittee on General Government and serves as vice chair of the Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Health, positions that give him a hand in major state spending decisions. Turner is a Sterling Heights attorney and U.S. Army veteran. Voters should ask whether Kuhn will use his budget influence to protect local priorities — and what Turner would change in Lansing's spending decisions.

Robinson is seeking re-election in District 58 after defeating then-incumbent Democrat Nate Shannon with 53.19% of the vote in 2024. Robinson took office in January 2025 and is a Marine Corps veteran, small business owner and former Utica City Council member. He chairs the Medicaid and Behavioral Health Committee and the Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, and serves as majority vice chair of the Michigan House Appropriations Committee.

District 58 is competitive. Manetta, a Shelby Township resident, is challenging Robinson. Katrina Manetta, Democratic candidate for Michigan House District 58, said her priorities include "lowering costs for families, strengthening public safety, and protecting workers' rights." Her campaign has received endorsements from State Representative Mike McFall, Sterling Heights Councilman Mike Radtke, Eastern Michigan University College Democrats, United Steelworkers District 1 and Moms Demand Action.

Robinson and Manetta should explain how their priorities would hold up when state dollars are limited, budget demands collide and party leadership is pushing for votes.

Webber is seeking re-election in District 9 after winning 50.35% of the vote in 2022. His current Senate term ends Jan. 1, 2027. The district has a partisan lean of R+5.1. Brooks, Johnson and Nushaj will compete in the Aug. 4 Democratic primary for the chance to face Webber. Nushaj is an attorney. Schodowski and Cicchini will also appear on the November ballot.

The crowded field gives residents a useful opening. Candidates should have to say what they would do when Sterling Heights' needs run up against statewide priorities, not just which party they plan to fight for.

State legislators write and vote on bills involving state law and education policy, approve the annual state budget and education funding allocations, and oversee state agencies. For local families, that can mean the difference between adequate state support for schools and costs pushed back onto districts and local taxpayers. Development is another area where candidates need to be precise. Zoning, building codes and local development decisions mainly belong to cities and townships, but Lansing shapes the ground rules through infrastructure funding, environmental regulations and laws governing local planning authority. Residents should ask which state laws and funding decisions candidates would support that could expand or limit Sterling Heights' options.

Residents can ask every legislative candidate how they would vote on per-pupil funding formulas and whether they would oppose K-12 education cuts during budget negotiations. They can ask whether candidates back stronger lobbying and campaign-finance transparency rules, and whether they would disclose meetings with lobbyists and developers before votes affecting land-use authority or education funding.

Kuhn and Robinson, given their appropriations roles, should identify the budget line items they would protect or cut and say whether they would reject budget deals that shortchange schools or shift costs to local property taxpayers.

Every candidate should also answer basic questions about access: Will they hold regular public office hours in Sterling Heights? How will they seek constituent input before major votes? How quickly will they respond to residents who ask for help or an explanation?

Candidates campaigning on affordability should name the tax votes and state budget priorities they would support or oppose when party leadership applies pressure. Those are commitments voters can check against actual votes later.

Michigan's primary election is Aug. 4, 2026, when Democratic voters in District 9 will choose among Brooks, Johnson and Nushaj. The general election is Nov. 3. Residents can use the Macomb County Clerk's office and the Michigan Voter Information Center to identify their House and Senate districts, check registration and find candidate contact information.

The candidate list is only the beginning. Sterling Heights residents can use the months ahead to demand answers they can measure later — against budget votes, education funding decisions and whether their representatives remain accessible once the campaign signs come down.