Polling Average
15%10%5%0%
13%
Democrat
Dana Nessel
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee?
$782.6K
AUG 5, 2026Primary Election
Party selects its nominee.
Overview
Current roleAttorney General
PartyDemocratic
Political ideologyProgressive Democrat
Age57 years old (Apr 19, 1969)
GenderFemale
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LocationMichigan
BackgroundAttorney
EducationUniversity of Michigan (BA)
Notable personal detailsDana Michelle Nessel is an American lawyer and politician serving as the 54th Attorney General of Michigan, first sworn into office on 2019-01-01. Before being elected attorney general, she worked as a Wayne County prosecutor and later practiced law privately, including serving as lead attorney for the plaintiffs in DeBoer v. Snyder, a precursor to Obergefell v. Hodges. She earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan and a J.D. from Wayne State University Law School.
SourcesShowHide
michigan.goven.wikipedia.orgdananessel.comdigital.law.wayne.edulgbtqnation.comcleanwater.orgmichiganprosecutor.orgsado.orgbridgemi.comgongwer.commichwomen.comlaw.msu.edulegislature.mi.govmichiganadvance.comnaag.orgsfa.senate.michigan.govmy.lwv.orgcbsnews.comwxyz.commichigannewssource.comapnews.comaxios.comwashingtonpost.comassets.apnews.comjustfacts.votesmart.orgnga.orgwikidata.orgtlaib.house.govwhitehouse.senate.govjudiciary.senate.govballotready.orgbanking.senate.govdeveloper.ballotpedia.orgcommons.wikimedia.orgcreativecommons.orgupload.wikimedia.orgthanedar.house.govwassermanschultz.house.govvoterguide.ballotpedia.orgcongress.govdemocrats-homeland.house.govnadler.house.govfec.govoversight.house.govgovinfo.gov
Positions
LiberalConservative
Economy & Taxes
Dana Nessel has defended limits on permanent income tax cuts and interpreted a temporary statutory income-tax reduction as not intended to be made permanent; she has also prioritized consumer protection around tax-related scams and identity theft. Her public statements and formal opinions indicate resistance to making broad, permanent tax reductions that would follow short-term revenue increases.
Healthcare
Supports protecting and expanding access to affordable healthcare and opposes federal actions that would reduce coverage or allow discrimination in care. Has joined multistate efforts and filed suits/letters to defend the Affordable Care Act, preserve public benefits and Medicaid access, and protect access to gender-affirming and other medically recommended care.
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Immigration & Border
Supports robust access to asylum and refugee resettlement, protection of unaccompanied migrant children, and oversight of federal immigration enforcement in Michigan. Has joined multistate actions opposing federal rules or orders that would restrict asylum or refugee processing and has created mechanisms to document alleged misconduct by ICE/CBP. Positions emphasize humanitarian access and legal protections while pursuing enforcement oversight mechanisms rather than expansion of enforcement powers.
Abortion & Reproductive Rights
The candidate supports broad access to abortion and reproductive health care, has refused to defend Michigan’s pre‑Roe criminal abortion statute, and has actively worked to protect medication abortion and to uphold constitutional protections for reproductive freedom in Michigan. The candidate has filed and joined legal actions and coalitions to preserve access to abortion and supported placing reproductive-rights protections (Proposal 3) into the Michigan Constitution.
Climate & Energy
Supports using state legal and regulatory tools to hold fossil fuel companies accountable, defends federal climate protections and environmental review processes, and advocates for development and protection of renewable energy such as wind. Actions emphasize mitigation of greenhouse-gas impacts and expanding clean-energy deployment while challenging federal actions that would roll back climate safeguards.
Public Safety & Guns
Supports expanded gun-safety laws including universal background checks, safe-storage requirements, Extreme Risk Protection Orders (red flag laws), regulation of ghost guns, and legal accountability for irresponsible firearm industry practices. Has testified in favor of domestic-violence-related firearm prohibitions and supported enforcement of federal and state restrictions on firearm possession by prohibited persons.
News
AINews Summary
Last updatedJun 3, 2026
Dana Nessel is in the news for pushing back against a planned ICE detention facility in Romulus, asking the federal government to stop the project over safety, floodplain, and consultation concerns. Her office also launched an ICE activity reporting form, though many of the early submissions were false or unrelated. More broadly, Michigan is shaping up as a major battleground for 2026, with attorney general races drawing heavy money and immigration, tariffs, and other economic issues likely to be central themes.
michigan.gov+44
Articles
RSRaw Story3 months ago
ICE sparks fury with plan to build mass detention center 'stone's throw' from school
Positive
MLM Live Michigan 3 months ago
Michigan AG demands halt to Romulus ICE detention facility
Positive
MLM Live Michigan 3 months ago
Most initial submissions to ICE tracker were unclear or false, data shows
Neutral
BNBreitbart News Network1 month ago
Mike Rogers Says Democrats ‘Want to Mandami Michigan’
Negative
Polls
Michigan Democratic Senate nominee?
Aggregation source: FiftyPlusOne
New updates coming soon
We're monitoring and will update when new data impacts the race.
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