In November, Michigan voters will see a consequential but under-the-radar question on their midterm ballots, asking voters whether the state should hold a Constitutional Convention – widely known as a “Con-Con” – to revise Michigan’s Constitution.
The question automatically appears on Michigan ballot every 16 years, and 2026 marks the fourth time voters will be asked that question since the 1963 revision of the state constitution – the fourth in Michigan history – went into effect.
If passed, the proposal would kickstart the process of rewriting the state constitution, and that could have a significant impact on the state’s governmental and legal structure. If voters OK a Con-Con, the revised constitution would have to be approved by voters.
While past proposals ‒ in 1978, 1994 and 2010 ‒ were defeated by a clear majority, that majority shrunk slightly with every election, from a nearly 77% no vote in 1978 to 67% in 2010.
Particularly considering the current political climate, that trend poses the lingering question of whether Michiganders will decide to take the state’s constitution to the political battleground this year.
How do Michigan candidates plan to vote?
While the proposal will be in the hands of all Michigan voters, we wanted to know how candidates running in primaries for governor, U.S. Congress and state Legislature plan to vote on the Con-Con – perhaps revealing a glimpse of the current sentiment around the issue.
As part of the 2026 primary Voter Guide questionnaire, Freep Opinion asked candidates with competitive primary election races whether they’d vote to call a Con-Con.
The result? An overwhelming majority said no.
A whopping 80.4% of the 102 candidates who submitted the questionnaire said they would not vote for a Con-Con. Only 19.6% of candidates said they would, and the vast majority of are candidates running for seats in the state Legislature.
Here’s a breakdown.
Governor
Four gubernatorial candidates said they would vote against the proposal. State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, who suspended his campaign but will still appear on the August primary ballot, was the lone yes vote. Businessman Perry Johnson did not return the questionnaire.
Yes:
No:
U.S. Senate
The two candidates running in the U.S. Senate primary said they’d vote against the proposal. Mallory McMorrow, who suspended her campaign but will still appear on the August primary ballot, also said she would also vote no.
Yes:
No:
U.S. House
Twenty of 21 U.S. House primary candidates who responded to the questionnaire said they would vote no on the Con-Con proposal, leaving Shanelle Jackson, a Democrat challenging U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib in the 12th District primary, as the lone yes vote.
Yes:
No:
Michigan Legislature
In competitive state House and Senate primaries, 55 candidates – about 75% – said they would vote against the Con-Con proposal. Eighteen candidates said they would to call a Con-Con; 13 are Democrats and five are Republicans.
See how each candidate plans to vote in the Freep’s primary Voter Guide.
Don’t see a candidate? Here’s why
Sonja Krohn is an editorial assistant. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may publish it in print or online.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Jocelyn Benson, John James and Rashida Tlaib agree on 1 thing | Opinion
Reporting by Sonja Krohn, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Sonja Krohn, Detroit Free Press | USA TODAY Network
