Jaime Churches wants Downriver voters to send her back to Lansing. But her move from the Legislature to an organization benefiting from a funding program she voted to expand continues to raise questions.
According to Rep. Mike Harris, Churches supported increasing funding available through the Utility Consumer Participation Board before later taking a job with an organization receiving those grants. In September, the House voted 88–15 to establish a two-year restriction on former lawmakers accepting employment with grant recipients—a bipartisan response to concerns about Lansing’s revolving door. Harris cited Churches’ transition as an example while expressly stopping short of alleging wrongdoing.
Now, The Midwesterner reports that Emgage has removed Churches’ biography from its Michigan chapter page, and she does not appear on its current 2026 endorsement list. The organization’s national staff page still identifies her as Michigan state director, and Emgage has not explained the changes.
Removing a biography does not answer the underlying question: what safeguards should prevent lawmakers from expanding funding programs and then going to work for organizations that benefit? Downriver voters deserve transparency from someone asking for another term.