Gongwer News Service Michigan analyzed the latest events in Michigan's race for governor and talked to Harbor's John Sellek about it. 
Does the latest social media controversy hurt James in the long run or could it be a turning point? Is Johnson's front-loaded spending what really matters in the race? Can Nesbitt and Cox's smart new ads help them capitalize on the opportunity created by Johnson changing the trajectory of the race? Lots to talk about. 

DoorDash is launching an emergency relief program to help drivers save money as gasoline prices rise.

"Rising gas prices have a real impact on Dashers, especially those who are delivering the most," said Cody Aughney, vice president of Dasher and logistics at DoorDash. "This program is about giving Dashers real savings at the pump."

Harbor's CEO John Sellek joined WJR Radio 'JR Morning with Lloyd, Jamie, and Chris to unpack the president’s latest speech.

Mike Bishop and former Lt. Gov. John Cherry of the Democracy Defense Project visited Saginaw Valley State University to speak with students about their impact on the future of democracy.

“Young voters have a huge role to play in the future of our democracy, and that’s why the Democracy Defense Project is excited to support their deep interest in our elections,” Bishop said. “We’re truly encouraged to see college students come together as young Republicans and young Democrats to find common ground as they deepen their knowledge of our democracy.”

WJR's Kevin Dietz and Harbor's John Sellek talked about big movement in this year's CPAC poll, which showed that V.P. Vance and SOS Rubio are by far ahead of the pack, as did a recent New Hampshire primary poll. They are benefiting from their governing roles in a way that potential 2028 Democratic challengers cannot match. 

“As expensive as drugs are for people, most of that money does not go to the pharmacist. Often, the pharmacists are paid less than what it costs them to get the drug in their door,” said Miguel Rodriguez, Executive Vice President and General Counsel of American Pharmacies.

We’re seeing the same split-personality-of-the-party dynamic still showing up,” said Sellek, a former adviser to Republican ex-Attorneys General Bill Schuette and Mike Cox. “We have a lane where somebody from outside the system runs as a MAGA activist-style candidate … and then the other lane is the more traditional lane of somebody who’s been an elected official before..."

Save MI Tips’ John Sellek said servers and bartenders no longer need to worry about the chaos a OFW referendum would have caused. The grand bargain remains locked into law.

"Engler and former Michigan Democratic Governor Jim Blanchard are promoting voter education along with transparency and trust in elections. “They’re managed by over 1,500 local city and township clerks, staffed by thousands of volunteers and our system should be respected.” Combating mis and disinformation through public education are also priorities.

Former Democratic Lt. Governor John Cherry and Republican U.S. Congressman Mike Bishop are also members of the Michigan Democracy Defense project team.”

Sellek said DeBoer’s entry into the race is a “coup for Republicans” because of her high name recognition among voters. “This saves Republicans a lot of money, because her name ID is already high.” He said the pressure now falls on DeBoer to translate her strong name recognition into a clear political message.

“The Midwest Independent Retailers Association (MIRA) says the law is costly, outdated, inconvenient and increasingly ignored — in addition to health hazards in grocery stores, with overflowing bins and sticky floors and machines.”

"The organization (MIRA Midwest Independent Retailers Association & Foundation) makes it clear it’s time to recycle the bottle law. The organization says it makes groceries more expensive, drives up operating costs for stores and forces customers to bring dirty bottles to be brought inside stores for recycling."

“I had nowhere else to go. I was in foster care. I, yeah, didn't have a family or home to be placed in, so they just sent me there,” said Sophia Knoblauch, a former resident of the Vista Maria residential treatment facility in Dearborn Heights. “I feel like it was like a never-ending hell, honestly.”

Bill Wild, president of the Midwest Independent Retailers Association, joins Steve Gruber to discuss the calls to repeal Michigan’s outdated bottle deposit system. The current system is costly, creates health concerns inside grocery stores, and return rates continue to decline, while modern curbside recycling expands.

“When you say it out loud, that we’re asking you to take your trash back to the grocery store, what other industry do we say that to?” said Bill Wild, CEO of the Midwest Independent Retailers Association.

Local grocer Denha says his store often has 10–15 bags of bottle returns in the back at a time. He notes they can be dirty, smelly, and attract pests. “It’s a nuisance and a burden on us because we’re selling fresh meat and produce, while also dealing with this dirty area for bottle returns.”

The state’s overall recycling rate has increased to 25%, while use of the bottle system continues to decline year after year.

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The Bottle Bill raises already high grocery prices, adds unnecessary costs, and brings dirty containers into food stores. That’s why the Midwest Independent Retailers Association (MIRA) is calling on the Governor to start a conversation about repealing the Bottle Bill.
 

Applause rang out inside the Michigan Capital Building after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took a moment during her final State of the State address Wednesday night to offer thanks to a pair of law enforcement officers who help in the response to a mass killing at a Grand Blanc Township church.

The MIRS Monday pundit panel featured Harbor’s John Sellek:

"First, the attacks confirm that John James is leading the race. Next, we know Johnson has the marketing budget. What we don’t know is if he has the product. And it’s not like this product hasn’t been on the market before.”

“What, you ask, could have been so consequential that these otherwise warring parties came together to get done? It was a fix to a ticking time bomb of a law that, if left unchecked, would have spelled disaster for Michigan’s restaurant industry and harmed both workers as well as owners — not to mention customers.”

Harbor talked to the Detroit News about their new polling and President Trump’s visit to Detroit

“Sellek said Trump will be at his best Tuesday if he can acknowledge that things are tough, even if he completely blames President Biden’s time in office, and says, 'I’m working on it.'”

This week’s Off The Record featured commentary by Harbor’s John Sellek on voters “in the middle” who are waiting to be called back to their party, but right now are comfortable telling pollsters they are willing to vote independent. 

"'They think if this California dark money group brings a millionaire celebrity to Michigan, they win,' Save MI Tips’ John Sellek said.

'I don't know how they're going to get the signatures by March in the middle of the winter.'”

New Year, New Insights! Harbor's John Sellek joins Zoe Clark and Rick Pluta on Michigan Public’s It’s Just Politics, breaking down what’s ahead in this crazy election year.

Harbor’s John Sellek talks to Tim Skubick about rumors revolving around Lt. Gov. Gilchrist’s possible switch out of the race for governor. 

John Sellek of Harbor Strategic joins Kevin Dietz of WJR Radio to discuss why 2026 will be a pivotal election year for Michigan, with particular focus on the races for Secretary of State and Attorney General.

"It's big for Rogers because it’s one of three Dem-held seats where they’re putting money, and it’s got the most money,” said Sellek, CEO of the firm Harbor Strategic."

“Sellek, who worked in the Legislature and is chief strategist at Harbor Strategic, said the timing of Sheffield's property tax-cutting gambit "may be a wise choice right now. Both Gov. Whitmer and Speaker Hall have proposed cutting state property taxes."

Former Congressman Mike Bishop and former Lt. Gov. John Cherry joined SVSU College Democrats, College Republicans, and political science students for a bipartisan conversation on democracy and election security.

"Young voters have a huge role to play in the future of our democracy, and that's why the Democracy Defense Project is excited to support their deep interest in our elections," Bishop said.

On Monday, Democracy Defense Project board members, former Congressman Mike Bishop and former Lt. Gov. John Cherry, visited Saginaw Valley State University to discuss democracy and election security with students ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

“As DDP board members, we want to help inform voters of all ages and backgrounds that Michigan elections feature a wide range of safeguards to ensure voting is secure and transparent,” former Lt. Gov. John Cherry said in a statement.

"Michiganians believe in competing and winning on a level playing field. We support strong, enforceable trade agreements that open markets and protect workers. It’s time our leaders in Congress listened to their constituents and focused on advocating for a straightforward trade policy that creates jobs, lowers costs and allows families and farms to plan for a strong future."

“People were getting burned out before; it was just that they had no choice but to walk away," said Sellek, a political consultant and CEO of Harbor Strategic, referring to the former six-year cutoff in the House.”

The National Cherry Festival, National Cherry Queen, and Harbor stopped by WNEM news to celebrate 100 years of the National Cherry Festival and talk about Michigan's favorite fruit, the cherry.

“It’s no surprise that they failed on this because we had blue seat, red seat, and even swing seat legislators all vote yes and then Gov. Whitmer signed it into law,” said John Sellek, spokesperson for Save MI Tips

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“No one was interested in signing a petition to undo one of the biggest partisan solutions of this entire legislative session. Now servers and bartenders can go back to living their lives and earning a good living.”

Jeffrey Mosher welcomed Miguel Rodriguez of American Pharmacies, a national organization testifying in Lansing this month about the rapid closure of local, independent pharmacies that serve Michigan patients in the healthcare system.

On Tuesday, Democracy Defense Project’s Mike Bishop spoke to Oakland University students on the importance of civility and civil discourse in today's political climate. 

"The Midwest Independent Retailers Association is calling on Governor Whitmer. We're asking her to consider starting that conversation that's needed, that's been needed for a long time, and that's to repeal the fifty year old bottle bill in the state of Michigan."

“The program has not been updated for decades, and its success has faltered in recent years.” That’s why the Midwest Independent Retailers Association is asking Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to support a refresh of the outdated system and expand curbside recycling programs to reflect Michiganders’ current needs.

"My (case) workers sent me there because I had no place to go… As soon as I stepped in there, the energy from it was like, this doesn't sit well with me," said Sophia Knoblauch, a former resident of the Vista Maria residential treatment facility in Dearborn Heights.

Midwest Independent Retailers Association's Bill Wild Joined Samantha Shriber on the MIRS Monday Podcast to discuss why it's time to modernize bottle recycling. 

"The state's bottle deposit law should be retired," Bill Wild, President and CEO of the Midwest Independent Retailers Association, told Gongwer News Service Michigan. 

Michigan's bottle Bill is outdated and costly, placing an unnecessary burden on Michigan families. It's time for the state to modernize its laws and "start the transition away from this outdated law and move more quickly toward a modern curbside recycling system." 

“It’s time to recycle the Bottle Bill… Michigan must accelerate its move toward modern curbside and community-based recycling programs that reflect how Michiganders live, shop, and recycle in 2026,” said Bill Wild, President and CEO of the Midwest Independent Retailers Association.​

Michigan's four living former governors participated Wednesday in a panel discussion in downtown Lansing, where they spoke out against divisive rhetoric and called on candidates to attend debates in the state's top political races.

Michigan Advance’s Ben Solis asked John Sellek about the current state of the Democratic combination for governor.

"Sellek said that Benson would normally be feeling like she’s living the dream in the sense that her initial opponents never materialized and started backing off before the race really began. But like Johnson, the independent Duggan presents a serious challenge to the pool of voters she might expect to net in the general election." 

The Detroit News is out with new polling in Michigan’s US Senate race and they talked with Harbor's John Sellek about what it all means.  

“The poll is good news for Rogers, noted John Sellek, CEO of the firm Harbor Strategic Public Affairs.

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"We’re looking at a super close, purple state, open-seat election, and there is a long way to go yet. There's a lot of work the Democrats have to do, because none of them have ever been statewide office holders before, and none of them have held especially high-visibility positions."

The Detroit Free Press talked with Harbor’s John Sellek about the newly contested race for SOS.

“This race started a long time ago, when they started electing precinct delegates," explained Sellek. With the Michigan Democratic Party convention set for April 19, Gilchrist has just three months to rally delegates. 

"John Sellek said (OFW and Fonda) should leave Michigan’s 2025 law alone. 'To intentionally seek to disrupt a major compromise that was years in the making that took place between Democrats, Republicans, and the governor last February is incredibly selfish and self-serving.'"

“She isn't hoping she becomes an influencer or has her own media presence. She has already built one. She's already there," said Sellek, Chief Strategist of public relations and affairs agency Harbor Strategic.

John Sellek, from Harbor Strategic, is featured on MIRS News as a consultant to share his viewpoint on House Speaker Matt Hall’s push for property tax relief in the new year. 

MISTA’s John Sellek met with Shelley Irwin to talk about the Michigan Smart Trade Alliance and how to sign up and join the educational effort on smart, consistent trade policies. 

WJR legend Paul W. Smith & Harbor’s John Sellek talked about the many toss-up elections Michigan residents face in 2026. And what the end of the JOA between the Detroit News & Free Press means for citizens.