News & Press

Brendan J. Johnson Expands Platform to Five Priorities, Listening Tour Underway Across District 26

Bridgeport-area candidate adds Roads & Infrastructure and Workforce Development to platform; has attended meetings in two counties since filing

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — March 9, 2026
Media Contact: Brendan J. Johnson — Brendan@JohnsonForSenate.us
Phone: 989-272-3327
Web: JohnsonForSenate.us

SAGINAW COUNTY, MI — Brendan J. Johnson, a 28-year-old Bridgeport-area resident running for Michigan State Senate in District 26, has expanded his platform since announcing his candidacy last month and has begun the listening tour he promised voters — attending local government meetings across the district before he ever sets foot in Lansing.

Johnson, a Democrat who filed on February 25, was first covered by ABC 12 (WJRT) on February 27. He has since added two priorities to his platform and attended his first two stops of a planned ~61-meeting listening tour spanning all four counties of the district.

An Expanded Platform

Johnson’s platform now covers five priorities:

1. Constituent-Focused Service. Johnson says the most important part of the job is actually helping the people who elected you. He’s committed to treating his office as a real resource for residents navigating state government — not a presence that only materializes every two years when votes are needed.

2. Car Insurance & Healthcare. Michigan has some of the highest car insurance rates in the nation. Johnson supports stronger rate transparency, real authority for the Insurance Commissioner to hold companies accountable, and protecting the Healthy Michigan Plan from cuts that would strip coverage from working families and put rural hospitals at risk.

3. School Funding Reform. Michigan’s count-day funding system creates perverse incentives that hurt schools and distract from teaching. Johnson will push to make school funding stable, predictable, and fair — so teachers can focus on students, not attendance gimmicks.

4. Roads & Infrastructure. Bad roads aren’t just an inconvenience — they cost drivers real money and hold communities back from attracting employers. Johnson will push for infrastructure investment and funding transparency so residents can see what’s actually being done in their township.

5. Jobs & Workforce Development. Johnson’s father is a retired third-generation Michigan union member and commercial carpenter. That kind of steady work with good benefits is what Johnson says too many people in District 26 can’t find close to home. He’ll support workforce training and retraining programs that connect residents — including older workers re-entering the workforce — with in-demand skills, and that build on Michigan’s manufacturing and skilled trades heritage.

“I’m not running to give speeches or score political points,” Johnson said. “I’m running because the people of this district deserve a senator who actually shows up, listens, and helps — no matter who they voted for.”

The Listening Tour Is Already Underway

Johnson has begun attending township and city council meetings across all four counties of District 26 — Saginaw, Genesee, Lapeer, and Tuscola — as part of a listening tour scheduled to run through the August primary, with plans to continue through November if he advances.

On March 2, Johnson attended the Burton City Council meeting, where he learned that a high-priority road repair on Dort Highway — from Atherton Road to Maple Avenue — is still pending, and is scheduled for the same fall window when I-75 traffic will be diverted onto it. On March 3, he attended the Bridgeport Charter Township board meeting, where officials discussed a rezoning request on Old Baker Road and the expansion of the RxKids program into Bridgeport.

“That’s two meetings, two counties, and I’ve already learned specific things that matter to real people here,” Johnson said. “This is what I mean by constituent service. You have to actually show up to know what’s going on.”

Johnson has scheduled roughly 61 meetings through the August primary, covering townships and cities across the entire district, with plans to continue the tour through November if he wins. He posts recaps of each meeting on his Facebook page at facebook.com/BrendanJJohnsonForStateSenate.

About Brendan J. Johnson: Brendan J. Johnson is a candidate for Michigan State Senate, District 26. He grew up on a family dairy farm in Fostoria on the Tuscola-Lapeer county border and has spent 26 of his 28 years in the Bay-Thumb region. He graduated from Delta College in 2019 with an associate degree in computer programming and now lives near Bridgeport in Saginaw County with his fiancée. He previously volunteered with the Voters Not Politicians campaign for Michigan’s independent redistricting commission amendment. The seat is currently held by term-limited Sen. Kevin Daley. The primary election is August 4, 2026; the general election is November 3, 2026. For more information, visit JohnsonForSenate.us or email Brendan@JohnsonForSenate.us.

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Editor’s note (May 11, 2026): The media contact email in this release has been updated to the campaign’s current address, Brendan@JohnsonForSenate.us. The original release used JohnsonForSenate26@gmail.com.

Editor’s note (May 28, 2026): The campaign’s Facebook address in this release has been updated to facebook.com/BrendanJJohnsonForStateSenate. The original release linked facebook.com/JohnsonForStateSenate.

Brendan J. Johnson Announces Candidacy for Michigan State Senate, District 26

Fostoria native and Bridgeport resident runs on constituent-focused service, affordability reforms, and public school funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE — Feb. 27, 2026
Media Contact: Brendan J. Johnson — Brendan@JohnsonForSenate.us

SAGINAW COUNTY, MI — Brendan J. Johnson, a 28-year-old Bridgeport-area resident who grew up on a family dairy farm in Fostoria, has filed to run for the Michigan State Senate in District 26. Johnson, a Democrat, is campaigning on a platform of constituent-focused service, car insurance and healthcare affordability, and public school funding reform.

Johnson grew up in Tuscola County and graduated from Delta College with an associate degree in computer programming. He has lived and worked across the four-county region that makes up District 26, which spans portions of Saginaw, Genesee, Lapeer, and Tuscola counties. The seat is currently held by term-limited Sen. Kevin Daley and will be open in the November 2026 general election.

“Your senator should be an advocate in Lansing and a public servant to the people of this district,” Johnson said. “I’m determined to do what’s right and fight for real change in Lansing.”

At the center of Johnson’s campaign is a commitment to constituent services. He is launching a listening tour across the district’s townships and cities, attending local board meetings and engaging directly with residents and officials about the issues affecting their communities. Johnson says too many state legislators focus on Lansing politics while neglecting the day-to-day needs of the people who elected them.

“People aren’t asking for partisan fights; they’re looking for someone who will actually listen and help,” Johnson said. “They deserve relief from healthcare costs that keep going up, car insurance rates that are among the highest in the nation, and a school funding system that shortchanges their kids.”

Johnson’s platform centers on three priorities: constituent-focused service that treats the senator’s office as a resource for residents navigating state government; affordability reforms targeting Michigan’s car insurance rates and healthcare costs; and public school funding reform to ensure every student in the district has access to a quality education regardless of their zip code.

Editor’s note: Johnson’s platform has since expanded to five priorities. See the March 9, 2026 press release above or the Priorities page for the full list.

Johnson’s background reflects the communities he seeks to represent. Raised on a family dairy farm, he brings a practical, hands-on perspective shaped by rural Michigan values. His experience in computer programming and technology gives him a forward-looking approach to the economic challenges facing the region, from workforce development to supporting local infrastructure and manufacturers.

Johnson officially filed his candidacy on Feb. 25, 2026. The primary election is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026, and the general election will take place on Nov. 3, 2026.

About Brendan J. Johnson: Brendan J. Johnson is a candidate for Michigan State Senate, District 26. A Tuscola County native and current Saginaw County resident, Johnson is a graduate of Delta College with a degree in computer programming. He previously volunteered with the Voters Not Politicians campaign for Michigan’s independent redistricting amendment. He lives near Bridgeport with his fiancée. For more information or to contact the campaign, email Brendan@JohnsonForSenate.us.

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Editor’s note (May 11, 2026): The media contact email in this release has been updated to the campaign’s current address, Brendan@JohnsonForSenate.us. The original release used JohnsonForSenate26@gmail.com.