News & Press

Johnson finishes 34-meeting listening tour; roads, fire service and water came up most

Johnson received the most primary votes of any candidate for the seat, without asking anybody for their vote

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 27, 2026
Media contact: Brendan J. Johnson
Phone: 989-272-3327
Email: Brendan@JohnsonForSenate.us
Website: JohnsonForSenate.us

BRIDGEPORT, Mich. (Oct. 27, 2026): With the Nov. 3 election a week away, Brendan J. Johnson, the Democratic nominee for Michigan State Senate District 26, has finished a listening tour of 34 township, village and city board meetings across Genesee, Lapeer, Saginaw and Tuscola counties. Roads came up at more than half of them, he said, followed by fire and emergency services, then water and wastewater systems.

Johnson started at the Burton City Council on March 2 and finished at the Frankenmuth City Council on Oct. 6, sitting in on meetings of 30 different boards: 21 townships, six cities and three villages. April was the busiest month, with 12 meetings, including five in four nights the week of April 13. He drove to the meetings in his 2006 Corolla, which had 276,378 miles on it by the end of the tour, and he does most of the repairs on it himself.

Johnson won the Aug. 4 Democratic primary with 57% of the vote, and his 15,848 votes were the most of any candidate in either party’s primary for the seat, according to certified results.

“One thing I still haven’t done is ask anybody for their vote,” Johnson said. “I’d rather show people who I am by actually showing up to listen and talk with them, and then let everybody decide on their own from there.”

On roads, Burnside Township in Lapeer County got quotes of $125,600 to turn a short stretch back into gravel or $315,000 to resurface it properly, and instead of either one, it put $39,000 into gravel on a different road, with the county splitting the cost. In Akron Township in Tuscola County, Sheridan and Elmwood roads were paved the same year, but Sheridan is cracking while Elmwood is holding up, so the board was leaning toward fixing Sheridan. In Vienna Township in Genesee County, the board said cold patch on a busy road lasts only about 48 hours.

On fire and emergency services, Watertown Township’s board in Tuscola County, where Johnson grew up, said the township received about $1,800 from state public safety revenue sharing this year, while Bay City received around $188,000, because the formula is based on violent crime counts. The aerial ladder truck serving Vienna Township is pushing 30 years old, and a replacement runs about $2.2 million and takes four to five years to build after it’s ordered. The Twin Township Ambulance, which serves Maple Grove Township in Saginaw County and neighboring Hazelton Township, told residents in August that it was losing about $80 per call on average and finished its year down $212,323. Johnson said he’d push for a state public safety formula that also takes into account what it costs to keep rural fire and EMS ready.

On water, the village president in Mayville in Tuscola County told Johnson that an $800,000 lagoon repair put off in 2005 turned into a $14 million project for a village that runs on about $1.5 million a year, and the USDA loans paying for it raised residents’ water bills. In Saginaw County, Thomas Township’s bids showed that lining nearly a mile of leaking sewer line all in one year would cost about $1.03 million instead of $1.19 million spread over three years, saving its sewer fund more than $150,000. When Denmark Township’s supervisor asked whether he knew anything about an ultrasonic device the board was considering for algae blooms in its wastewater lagoons, Johnson looked into the research and sent him a written summary the next day. What he found was that the science looked shakier than the sales pitch.

Small staffs came up too. In Montrose, the city council heard that its clerk now works about 30 to 36 days straight each election since voters added early voting in 2022. In Mayfield Township in Lapeer County, which has been without its own zoning administrator, residents were being sent back and forth to county offices over paperwork, and the supervisor said one round trip could cost a resident $8 in gas.

Some of what he heard was good news. Millington Township in Tuscola County lowered its police millage from 1.7 to 1.6 mills because its police fund was healthy. The supervisor of Marathon Township in Lapeer County sat out the vote on his own pay, and a Genesee Township board member caught a $5,000 Consumers Energy bill for a pump station that should have been about $2,000. In Frankenmuth, a wastewater clarifier arm started caving in during an inspection after being in service since 1972, as far as the crew could tell, and a local steel company said it could probably build a replacement in about 10 days for about $10,000 less than the original manufacturer, which had a 12-week wait.

“Like my dad says, water always wins, and the longer a repair waits, the more it costs in the end,” Johnson said. “Local boards usually know exactly which roads need fixing, but a lot of them end up counting on millages to pay for it, so I’d push for state funding that’s steady and predictable enough for them to actually budget and plan around.”

Johnson posted a recap of every meeting on his Facebook page at facebook.com/BrendanJJohnsonForStateSenate. He is running without paid staff, consultants or corporate cash, and he has said that if he’s elected, he’ll help anybody in the district who needs it, no matter how they voted.

About Brendan J. Johnson

Brendan J. Johnson, 29, is the Democratic nominee for Michigan State Senate District 26, which covers Genesee, Lapeer, Saginaw and Tuscola counties. He grew up on his family’s old dairy farm in Fostoria and has worked as a grocery clerk, IT technician, construction laborer, school photographer and licensed chauffeur. He earned an A.A.S. in Computer Programming from Delta College in 2019, works full-time in IT and lives near Bridgeport with his wife, Shelby, who is also his campaign treasurer. The seat is open because Sen. Kevin Daley is term-limited. The general election is Tuesday, Nov. 3.

Paid for by Brendan Johnson for State Senate, PO Box 164, Bridgeport, MI 48722

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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.