MICHIGAN—Every seat in the Michigan House of Representatives is on the ballot this November. The ‘Gander is profiling the races that could decide who controls Lansing.
Here’s what voters need to know ahead of Election Day in the 61st House District:
The race
Democratic state Rep. Denise Mentzer is seeking a third term. In the Aug. 4 primary election, she won about 84% of the vote over Mahbube Khan.
Republican Robert Wojtowicz, a Chippewa Valley Schools board member, won about 72% of the Republican primary vote over John Grossenbacher. This is his second run against Mentzer.
They’ll face off in the general election on Nov. 3.
The district
Michigan’s 61st House District is in Southeast Michigan and includes the city of Mount Clemens, parts of Sterling Heights, and Clinton Township. It’s home to roughly 93,000 people.
Mentzer first won this seat in 2022 by a margin of 1,600 votes. Two years later, Wojtowicz came within striking distance. Mentzer won 50.5% to 49% in 2024—a margin of only about 700 votes.
Both parties poured serious money into that election. With a total of about $4.6 million spent in all, it was among the most expensive Michigan House races of the 2024 election cycle.
This year, the stakes are just as high.
Democrats can’t win back majority control of the state House without holding onto seats like this one, and Republicans see the 61st District as one of their best shots at growing their majority.
Robert Wojtowicz (R)
Wojtowicz is a lifelong Macomb County resident and father of three children.
He describes himself as a “strong advocate and supporter of public education” and has served on the Chippewa Valley Schools Board of Education since he was elected in 2020. He’s also a former PTO president, and he previously served on the Clinton Township Building Committee.
His campaign website lists five top priorities: fixing Michigan schools, Michigan’s broken roads, illegal immigration, defending the Second Amendment, and crime—in that order.
If elected, Wojtowicz also says he would cut legislative “pet projects and corporate welfare.”
But a closer look at his platform raises real questions for voters who care about funding for public schools, reproductive rights, gun safety, data centers, and LGBTQ+ equality.
On his website, Wojtowicz says “government schools” are “failing our children.” He blames “administration and union control” for “bullying” teachers into pushing “ideology.” Wojtowicz said he supports policies that would hold back third graders who fall behind on reading. And he says he “100% support[s] parental choice,” a common framing for private school vouchers.
On abortion, Wojtowicz’s position is clear. He is endorsed by Right to Life of Michigan—an organization that supports abortion bans with no exceptions for rape or incest. He is also endorsed by Citizens for Traditional Values, another anti-abortion group that lists support for “traditional marriage” as one of its core values in deciding whether to endorse a candidate.
On guns, he calls the firearm safety laws passed after the 2023 Michigan State University shooting “an unconstitutional infringement on our God given right to defend ourselves.” Those laws include universal background checks, safe storage requirements, and red flag protections.
On data centers, Wojtowicz doesn’t appear to have taken a coherent stance on the issue. But it’s worth noting that his campaign has received financial support from DTE Energy, which is actively working to bring more data centers online in Michigan before the end of the year.
On immigration, Wojtowicz sides with the Trump administration. On his website, he warns of “many illegal immigrants, criminally coming across our northern border,” without offering evidence. He also wants the state Legislature to “crack down on sanctuary cities.”
“The Michigan legislature should support our border patrol and ICE officer recommendations,” his website reads. “The legislature must cease with all the incentives provided to illegals and foreign entities. Without the incentives, we’re bound to see fewer illegal immigrants.”
His website also promises to get “tough on child predators, rioters, looters, and thugs.”
Wojtowicz is endorsed by several public school board members, the Southeast Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the Michigan Manufacturers Association, and other business groups.
Denise Mentzer (D)
Mentzer grew up in Clinton Township, graduated from L’Anse Creuse High School, and earned a business administration degree from Baker College before taking a job for Macomb County, serving 10 years on the Mount Clemens City Commission, and winning her House seat in 2022.
In the legislature, Mentzer has built much of her record around costs. Her top priorities center around affordable and accessible healthcare, new educational opportunities for kids and families, improving the state’s economy, and upgrading Michigan’s water infrastructure.
In recent years, Mentzer introduced bills to block utilities from filing for rate increases more than once every three years. She has also called for a “Ratepayer Bill of Rights” to limit investor profits and tighten reliability standards. And she has repeatedly called on the federal government not to extend operations at the Campbell coal plant in Ottawa County.
Mentzer has also helped pass new clean energy laws, reinstate prevailing wage, repeal the pension tax on seniors, expand the Earned Income Tax Credit, extend the Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act to LGBTQ+ Michiganders, and formally repeal the state’s 1931 abortion ban.
Her campaign website says she’s known for “doing my homework” and “being a budget hawk.”
On data centers, Mentzer hasn’t taken a firm position. In April, she hosted a “neutral information session” at Macomb Community College so residents could hear from experts and ask questions, framing the issue around what new demand could mean for electric bills.
On reproductive rights, Mentzer says she supports “every Michigander’s right to full bodily autonomy” and access to fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization. She is endorsed by both Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan and Reproductive Freedom for All.
Mentzer’s endorsements span the political map. They include the Detroit Free Press, EMILY’s List, the Michigan League of Conservation Voters, the Sierra Club, Giffords, Moms Demand Action, the Michigan Education Association, the UAW, and the Michigan AFL-CIO. She also has the backing of the state Fraternal Order of Police, the Police Officers Association of Michigan, the Michigan Professional Fire Fighters Union, and the Michigan Credit Union League.
“There’s no reason not to engage in conversation with somebody that’s politically different than you,” Mentzer told the Free Press. “Because you know what? You may just find some common ground, and it’s common ground that’s going to make Michigan better.”
What’s at stake?
Control of the Michigan House of Representatives hangs on a handful of seats like this one.
Republicans hold a narrow majority there and Democrats need to flip some battleground districts if they want to regain the gavel in 2027. The 61st District is exactly the kind of race that will determine which party runs Lansing—and what gets done there—for the next two years.
READ MORE: 11 Michigan races that could decide who runs Lansing
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