My most memorable moments of 2025

Believe it or not, Democrats still hold every lever of power in state government but one – the State House of Representatives.

It just didn’t feel that way in 2025.

Republican House Speaker Matt Hall dominated state government this year, controlling the message, legislative output, the agenda and the news.

He ran his caucus with an iron fist. Any legislator who defied him paid a price for it. Committee reassignments. Bills stripped out of a committee chair’s control.

None of these tactics are new, admittedly, but with Hall it all seemed so swift, decisive and final. 

The lobbying corps would speak up for their bills not moving, but … do they want to get on the Speaker’s bad side? If Republicans keep winning majorities, Hall could theoretically be in charge for two more terms.

So, as I’m putting together my memorable moments of 2025, it’s no wonder that Hall is top of mind.

1. Hall Press Conference – It’s not that he held roughly two dozen press conferences. It’s that in nearly every single one of them, Hall exhausted the media’s questions.

In an era of diminishing live press conferences, the Republican leader filled the void, controlling the narrative while giving those reporters paying attention numerous news leads if not full-fledged headlines.

2. Tipped Wage, Roads, Pork – The Legislature passed the fewest number of bills from a regular session in the state’s history, and yet, Hall made it somehow feel like less was more.

What got done is exactly what Hall wanted. A return of tipped wages for wait staff. A revamped paid sick leave policy. More road funding. Transparency in legislative pork projects.

3. Brief Government Shutdown – To make it happen, Hall waited until autumn to lay out his budget ideas and then signaled that he was willing to drive the state to a prolonged state government shutdown. Democrats blinked.

To partially pay for a $1.8 billion road funding plan, he not only got a $420 (hardy har har) million wholesale marijuana tax through the Democratic-controlled Senate, but also watched nearly every Senate Dem vote for it.

4. House Appropriations Can Do What? – Apparently, it can reject leftover state money the Governor continues year after year through something called a “work project.” The Governor planned on spending $2.7 billion this way in 2026 and Hall axed a quarter of it.

The administration is still figuring out what to do about it.

1. Enough about Hall. He didn’t dominate everything that happened in state politics, after all.
2. Benson Talks Gubernatorial Campaign In State Office Building – Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson positioned herself as the likely 2026 gubernatorial nominee in 2025, but things started off shaky when she announced to the press in the lobby of a state office building.

If anyone should know this is a no-no, it’s the head of the state’s head elections officer. The Attorney General slapped her wrist and Democrats quickly forgot about it.

6. Trump ‘Not Happy’ About James Running For Governor – U.S. Rep. John James announced for governor outside of the wishes of President Donald Trump, who would rather see the two-term incumbent run for re-election in the competitive 10th Congressional District. At a June event, Trump told James, “John James. I don’t know. You know, he’s running for governor, but I’m not sure I’m happy about that.”

James told Trump he had someone running for Congress in his stead. He’s yet to publicly endorse anyone.

7. The Blue Folder – Any realistic shot Gov. Gretchen Whitmer had at seeking the Democratic presidential nomination in 2028 evaporated when she was photographed by the New York Times in Trump’s Oval Office sticking a blue folder in front of her face. The media has been trying to track her down ever since.
8. Real Democratic Primaries – With the political wind at their backs, we’re suddenly seeing competitive Democratic primaries in places it matters – the U.S. Senate, the 7th Congressional District and 10th Congressional District, most notably.

For the U.S. Senate, it’s the most competitive Dem primary field since 1994.

 

 (Kyle Melinn is the editor of the Capitol news service MIRS. You can email him at melinnky@gmail.com.)