District Composition and Profile
A Lapeer-centered district extending into Mid-Michigan and the Thumb
The 26th District is situated in the Mid-Michigan and Thumb regions. Following the 2021 redistricting cycle, the district comprises the following areas:
- Lapeer County: The entire county, including the City of Lapeer.
- Genesee County: The townships of Davison, Forest, Richfield, Thetford, and Vienna; the cities of Burton, Clio, and Davison.
- Saginaw County: The townships of Birch Run, Blumfield, Bridgeport, Frankenmuth, and Taymouth; the City of Frankenmuth.
- Tuscola County: The townships of Arbela, Millington, and Watertown; the City of Vassar.
The mix of exurban, agricultural, and small-city communities gives the district a political character that is consistently Republican but still shaped by local geography. Candidates who can tie a conservative message to agriculture, infrastructure, and regional economic priorities are likely to have the clearest path.
The Candidate Field
The Three-Candidate Field
As of April 2026, three primary candidates have declared their intent to seek the Republican nomination.
Institutional Profile
Matthew Bierlein
State representative, former Tuscola County commissioner, and the candidate with the clearest organizational edge.
Bierlein currently serves as the State Representative for Michigan's 97th House District. His professional background includes service as a Tuscola County Commissioner and as an aide to former Senator Mike Green. His legislative focus includes agricultural policy and rural infrastructure, and he enters the race with the strongest institutional profile.
Grassroots Challenge
Gabriel Lossing
Davison-based small business owner emphasizing transparency, parental rights, and accountability in Lansing.
Lossing is a small business owner and conservative activist based in Davison. He previously contested the 2022 primary for the 67th House District. His platform emphasizes government transparency, parental rights in education, and accountability in Lansing.
Outsider Lane
Daltson Atwell
Former congressional candidate running on a direct-engagement message and a formal refusal of PAC support.
Atwell is a businessman from Montrose. He previously sought the Republican nomination for Michigan's 9th Congressional District before entering the State Senate race. His campaign is centered on a "No PAC" pledge and a message built around direct constituent engagement.
Campaign Finance Disclosures
The January filings show a clear resource gap
The following figures reflect the January 2026 quarterly statements filed with the Michigan Bureau of Elections.
| Candidate | Total Contributions | Expenditures | Cash on Hand |
|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Bierlein | $75,420 | $12,150 | $63,270 |
| Daltson Atwell | $28,220 | $28,204 | $16 |
| Gabriel Lossing | $18,100 | $5,250 | $12,850 |
| January 2026 quarterly statements filed with the Michigan Bureau of Elections. | |||
Bierlein's fundraising includes contributions from individual donors and political action committees. Atwell's filings indicate substantial personal loans to his campaign. Lossing's revenue is primarily derived from small-dollar individual contributions. Together, the filings suggest that Bierlein begins the race with a clear financial advantage, while Lossing is running a leaner operation and Atwell faces a narrower financial path.
Endorsement Portfolio
Institutional support, activist support, and deliberate independence
The current distribution of formal support from elected officials and organizations helps illustrate the coalition each candidate is trying to build.
Matthew Bierlein
Bierlein has secured endorsements from elected officials and organizations that place him in the strongest institutional position in the field.
- State Senator Kevin Daley
- State Representative Phil Green
- Michigan Farm Bureau's AgriPAC
- Associated Builders and Contractors of Michigan
- Michigan Chamber of Commerce
- Small Business Association of Michigan
- Right to Life of Michigan
- Great Lakes Education Project
Gabriel Lossing
Lossing's support comes primarily from grassroots and activist-oriented circles, reflecting a more populist and outsider lane.
- Genesee County "America First" Caucus
- Regional delegates and organizers in the Lapeer County Republican network
- Regional delegates and organizers in the Genesee County Republican network
Daltson Atwell
Atwell has formally declined organization and PAC endorsements as part of his campaign platform, choosing independence as a core campaign message.
- Formally declines PAC endorsements
- Formally declines organization endorsements
- Runs on a no-PAC campaign identity
Procedural Timeline
Key Dates Ahead
The next major public tests in the race are the filing deadline and the next round of campaign finance disclosures.
April 21, 2026
Official filing deadline for candidates to submit nominating petitions or filing fees by 4:00 PM.
April 27, 2026
Public availability of the April quarterly campaign finance statements.
August 4, 2026
Republican primary election.
November 3, 2026
General election.
The full filed candidate list is also available on our qualified candidates page.
Regional Context and Major Employers
The district's economy helps explain the policy priorities in the race
The district's political vocabulary is rooted in the industries that sustain it. Agriculture remains the clearest throughline, but manufacturing, tourism, and health care also shape the local concerns candidates must address.
Agriculture and Agribusiness
A defining political and economic anchor
Agriculture and agribusiness remain central to the district's identity and policy priorities. Major operations connected to the region include Michigan Sugar Company and Star of the West Milling Co. in Frankenmuth. This part of the district's economy helps explain the continued political importance of agricultural policy, land use, and rural infrastructure.
Manufacturing
An enduring employment base
Manufacturing also remains a major force in the district and surrounding region. Employers such as ZF Lemforder in Lapeer and Nexteer Automotive in the Saginaw-Genesee area continue to shape local concerns about jobs, trade, and industrial growth.
Tourism and Hospitality
Frankenmuth's distinctive local engine
Tourism and hospitality are especially important in Frankenmuth, where Bavarian Inn and Zehnder's remain two of the district's best-known employers and economic anchors.
Health Care
A stabilizing institutional presence
Health care is another major component of the district economy, with McLaren Lapeer Region serving as a significant institutional employer.
Taken together, this regional economy helps explain why the campaign is likely to focus on agriculture, infrastructure, small business conditions, education, and state regulation. In state senate races, candidates are often judged less by the ideological wars of the day than by whether they appear grounded in the local concerns of the district.
Conclusion
The Republican Primary Is Likely to Decide the Seat
The 2026 Republican primary in Michigan's 26th State Senate District is a contest between a candidate with clear institutional and financial advantages, a grassroots challenger, and an outsider running on anti-PAC positioning. Because the district is so strongly Republican, the primary is likely to be the decisive stage of the race.