Statewide Candidates Speaking to Livingston Dems

Candidates for the Democratic nominations for two key statewide offices will speak at the next meeting of Livingston Dems.

Rep. Joe Tate, former speaker of the Michigan House and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate, will speak at the June 26 meeting. Also speaking will be Mark Totten, former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan and a candidate for the Democratic nomination for attorney general.

“The Michigan Democratic Party has a very deep bench of candidates for the offices of U.S. Senator, governor, attorney general, and secretary of state. We will be inviting every candidate to come and speak so that voters can make informed choices at the August 2026 primary and state convention,” said Judy Daubenmier, chair of the Livingston County Democratic Party.

The meeting will be at Re/MAX Platinum Auditorium, 6870 Grand River, between Brighton and Howell. The social hour will be at 6:30 p.m. and the meeting will be at 7 p.m. Attendees should park in the back, use the rear entrance, and take the stairs or elevator down to the auditorium.

Joe Tate was elected the first African American speaker of the Michigan House in 2023.

In that role, he passed major legislation, including repealing Michigan’s abortion ban, ending the state’s Right-to-Work law, passing the largest education funding increase in state history, enacting universal background checks and red flag laws, expanding the Working Families Tax Credit, repealing the retirement tax on seniors, and providing free school meals to all Michigan students. The son of a Detroit public school teacher and a firefighter who died in the line of duty when he was three months old, Tate earned Academic All-Big Ten honors as a captain of the Michigan State University football team, spent two years in the NFL, and completed two combat tours in Afghanistan as a U.S. Marine. After returning home, he earned dual master’s degrees from the University of Michigan and ran for State Representative in 2018.

As a U.S. Senator, he said he will stand up to Donald Trump and Republicans and protect Michigan residents. More information about Tate is available here.

Totten said his top priority as attorney general “will be to hold the President accountable as the Administration continues to brazenly violate the law and harm Michiganders.” He said he will also fight to fill the gaps left by a federal government which has turned against the very people it's supposed to protect – in civil rights, worker rights, consumer protections, and more. Totten served as U.S. attorney from 2022 to 2025 after being nominated for the post by President Biden and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. He was the chief federal law enforcement officer across 49 of Michigan’s 83 counties – the entire U.P. and the western half of the lower peninsula.

He successfully prosecuted members of an international sextortion ring, adults whose guns killed kids, a white supremacist who painted hateful messages on the side of synagogue, and a former speaker of the Michigan House who accepted bribes while regulating the marijuana business. Totten was born and raised in Kalamazoo. His mom was a public-school teacher, MEA member, and single parent. His dad was a long-distance truck driver. After graduating from Yale, Totten began his career in Washington, D.C. at the U.S. Department of Justice. He soon returned home to Michigan, where he began teaching law at Michigan State University. His partner, Kristin, is a former ACLU attorney and today protects children from abuse and neglect. They live in Kalamazoo with their kids, Jake (16) and Grace (18).

More information is available at his website and follow him on social media Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, X.

The nomination for U.S. Senate will be decided in the August 4, 2026, primary, and the nomination for attorney general will be decided by party members at the August 2026 convention. To be eligible to vote at the party convention, make sure your party membership has been activated. You can do so here.

Let us know you're coming to the meeting by RSVP'ing here. The party’s regular business meeting will follow. Attendees are encouraged to be prompt as the business locks the door at 7 p.m.