I don’t know who will be the Republican candidate for Michigan governor next year, and I don’t know what ballot initiatives will join them on the ballot.
Going into the Ultimate Battle for Michigan in 2026, I have more questions than answers. Here’s one: Where my DOGEs at?
Historically, state legislatures are the laboratories of democracy. Ideas are tested, vetted, and experimented with. And the best of the best might make it to Washington.
But the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk’s baby, is a reversal of the trend. DOGE operates federally and looks to cut trillions of dollars of waste, fraud, and abuse from the federal budget.
Every Republican in America has been handed a winning issue. And Michigan Republicans have begun to take notice.
Fun fact: The Michigan budget has grown more than 40% since Gretchen Whitmer took office, from about $59 billion to about $83 billion.
Nobody in Michigan would say their quality of life, or the quality of their kid’s school, or the quality of our roads, has improved by 40%. Nobody. That means there’s plenty of opportunity for DOGEs to bark.
State Sen. Aric Nesbitt, the first Republican to join the governor’s race, gets it. He tweeted out some low-hanging fruit the other day:
– $786 Million spent on corporate welfare
– $125 million for a CCP-tied battery plant
– $15 million for “aerial drone projects”
– $10 million for a zoo
– $2 million for a boxing gym
– $3 million for solar panels in GR
– $1 million for horseback riding in Detroit
– $2.9 million for E-bikes
About $1 billion in every budget is spent on earmarks requested by lawmakers for their district. House Speaker Matt Hall says communities that embrace sanctuary status for illegal immigrants will be denied earmarks.
That’s a nice gesture, but it’s not enough. Republicans aren’t looking for tightly controlled access to the cookie jar.
They’re looking for the people who will smash the cookie jar, and do so without grabbing one first.
The Republicans who identify themselves as those people, as the smashers of the cookie jar, are our DOGEs. And on Nov. 3, 2026, every DOGE will have its day.
Michigan spends $83 billion a year without benefiting much of anyone. Who has the plan to fix this? We’re all waiting to hear one.
James David Dickson is host of the Enjoyer Podcast. Join him in conversation on X @downi75.
