Hall To Be Speaker, Puri Minority Leader; More Leadership Posts Announced

Rep. Matt Hall (R-Richland Township), this term’s minority leader, will take the Speaker’s gavel come January, bringing an end to the first speakership Democrats had since Republicans took control in 2010.

When speaking with reporters, the first thing he mentioned as a priority is to hold session more frequently.

“I think that one of the reasons the Democrats lost their majority is because they were too afraid of losing it, and they didn’t have session, and they didn’t take tough votes,” Hall said.

Next, he mentioned establishing a more permanent structure for funding roads by prioritizing it first in the budget and re-dedicating revenue from pork projects. He added that he wouldn’t support a tax increase on gas as an added revenue stream.

“Governor Whitmer ran on fixing the roads, so I would hope that she would be willing to work with me to solve this problem,” Hall said.

When it comes time for budget season, Hall said his caucus will be looking at government-funded programs and evaluating their return on investment, and consider eliminating what isn’t working before trying to fund new projects.

The caucus’ education plan that was introduced in September is another policy he’d like to hit the ground running with in January. 

The House Republican Campaign Committee’s ten-point “Mission for Michigan” is a document Democrats will want to familiarize themselves with, as Hall said the easiest way for bills to make it through the chamber will be to align with those principles. 

“As with the Edmund Fitzgerald, the gales of November came early for House Democrats,” said Republican Caucus spokesperson Jeremiah Ward, referencing the anniversary of the wreck of the SS Edmund Fitzgerald that fell on Sunday. 

Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford), who has served as minority floor leader under the Democrats, is set to become majority floor leader in the next legislative session, ending Rep. Abraham Aiyash (D-Hamtramck)’s run as the chamber’s first Muslim majority floor leader.

He said his first priority is to bring back statesmanship and decorum to the House floor. He didn’t mention specific examples from this session that were contrary to those values. Posthumus also mentioned the Mission for Michigan criteria going into the 103rd Legislature. For now, he said he’s hoping lame duck will actually be lame. 

Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Shelbyville) was elected to serve as speaker pro tempore. The former municipal clerk has a reputation among the caucus for being efficient without being controversial and making connections, sources tell MIRS.

Reps. Ranjeev Puri (D-Canton) and John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) were elected to be minority leader and minority floor leader come January. Puri served as whip under the Democrats’ majority.

“It’s an extremely humbling moment to be selected by your peers. If you ever want a crash course in humility, try calling your peers and asking for a leadership vote on no sleep,” Puri said, immediately mentioning that he and Fitzgerald will do whatever they can to win a majority for their caucus again in 2026.

Puri said he ran a leadership campaign based on elevating the voices of every member of the Democratic caucus. He said he’ll do that by re-envisioning how the caucus is made up and trusting more members to help make decisions. 

Speaking of re-envisioning the caucus, Rep. Carrie A. Rheingans (D-Ann Arbor)’ proposed caucus rule changes received discussion in caucus Thursday, Puri said, but were tabled for discussion at a later date. 

The rule changes are to elect all leadership positions, create a Rules Committee, allow any member to call for a vote of no confidence against a member in leadership, and adopting the Hastert Rule to prevent a bill from being put on the board.

The proposed changes would only impact the caucus operations of the majority party, which the Dems no longer have.

But, while the Dems have the gavel for a few more weeks, Puri said he hasn’t become privy to lame duck priorities that will be put forth by Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit), who didn’t run for any leadership positions for the minority.

Tate managed to slip out of the chamber before answering questions.

Puri beat out the chamber’s first openly LGBTQ+ speaker pro tempore, Rep. Laurie Pohutsky (D-Livonia), and Rep. Jason Morgan (D-Ann Arbor). Fitzgerald was able to pull ahead of other interested candidates such as Rheingans and Rep. Kristian C. Grant (D-Grand Rapids).

Ivan Diaz, a Kent County commissioner and 2026 candidate for Michigan’s 29th Senate district (because that race has apparently already started) posted on Twitter Thursday that he didn’t think either Fitzgerald nor Grant would be fit for leadership.

He cites Grant’s chairmanship of the housing subcommittee, which she hasn’t leveraged to pass rent control or stop corporations from buying single family homes, and Fitzgerald’s promise to the Latino community that he’d get the Drive Safe bills passed without fulfilling the promise yet. 

He said multiple people have told him they’re both hoping to run for that 29th Senate district seat in 2026, which he’s also looking to run for.

Leadership races ultimately come down to internal alliances and what the individual can prove to the caucus that they can do in negotiations and face-to-face conversations, but the ability to fundraise for caucus members’ races can’t hurt, either.

The Puri PAC raised a total $42,275 this period, more than the Pohutsky for Michigan Fund or Jason Morgan Majority Fund. 

The remainder of leadership positions for Democrats weren’t announced Thursday, given that only the minority leader and minority floor leader are elected by the caucus and the rest are appointed.

Other Republican leadership positions announced include: 

Rep. Rachelle Smit (R-Shelbyville) for speaker pro tempore

Rep. Jay DeBoyer (R-Clay) for associate speaker pro tempore

Rep. Brian BeGole (R-Perry) for assistant majority floor leader

Rep. Mike Harris (R-Clarkston) for majority whip

Rep. Joseph A. Aragona (R-Clinton Township) for chief deputy whip

Rep. Ken Borton (R-Gaylord) for caucus chair Representative-elect Nancy Jenkins–Arno for caucus vice chair

Article courtesy MIRS News for SBAM’s Lansing Watchdog newsletter

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