Michigan's 2026 Ballot Could Decide State's Gun Law Future

Michigan's Nov. 3 elections could reshape firearm policy for years, with a U.S. Senate race featuring a candidate who once floated swapping the Second Amendment for a healthcare right, plus a governor-appointed task force already pushing bans and new retailer licensing rules.

Key points

• Senate matchup: NSSF reports Democrat nominee Abdul El-Sayed proposed amending the Constitution to replace the right to bear arms with a right to healthcare, and has described the Second Amendment as a musket-era militia protection rather than an individual right — a view the Supreme Court rejected in Heller.
• GOP opponent's record: Republican nominee Mike Rogers backed the PLCAA in 2005 and national concealed carry reciprocity in 2011 during his House tenure.
• Lansing's narrow margins: Republicans hold the state House 58-52 and Democrats the Senate 20-18; all 148 seats and the governorship are on the ballot, meaning small swings flip control.
• Task force agenda: Gov. Whitmer's Gun Violence Prevention Task Force has recommended banning so-called assault weapons and "large capacity" magazines, raising the purchase age to 21, mandating waiting periods and adding retailer licensing requirements.
• Governor's race contrast: Democrat Jocelyn Benson touts endorsements from GIFFORDS PAC and Everytown, while Republican John James has pledged to sign permitless carry legislation.

Quick take

NSSF frames this election as a direct fork in the road for gun rights in Michigan, and the math backs that up — a handful of legislative seats and one governor's signature stand between the task force's recommendations and actual law. Whatever your politics, it's worth knowing exactly who's on your ballot before early voting closes.

Read the full story: nssf.org