Competing For Michigan's Life Sciences Future: The Gubernatorial Candidates Weigh In

Right now, Michigan is sitting on exactly what the twenty-first century needs most: a home for research and innovation, natural resources and geographic advantages like twenty percent of the world’s fresh water, and a proven history of growing and building things. 

We have world-class universities working on breakthrough research — from technology to the life sciences and Michigan is home to four leading research institutions that foster opportunities for talent, research innovation, and economic growth. Developing the life science industry, in and out of these institutions, are a pillar of my economic strategy to diversify Michigan's economy, make us the economic engine of the Midwest, and become the best state in the country to start and grow a business. 

But, Michigan's greatest asset has always been its people – from engineers to builders to the skilled trades to farmers. We have a manufacturing workforce that built the middle class and is ready to build the next economy. We have young people who aren't waiting for the old jobs to come back, they're creating new ones. Our workforce is ready and eager for the future — government just needs to help them get there. That’s why I will invest in our people. I want to invest in our schools, expand CTE and apprenticeship programs so every Michigander can find a good career, and make sure that our workforce is ready to seize the jobs of the future in life sciences and every other industry. 

Michigan’s life sciences industry should be central to our strategy to reclaim Michigan’s position as a national leader in innovation, advanced manufacturing, and high-wage job creation. We have world-class research universities, a skilled manufacturing workforce, abundant natural resources, and a history of building things the world needs. Our challenge is not a lack of assets. It is creating an economic environment where innovators and employers can afford to start, grow, manufacture, and stay in Michigan. 

My administration would focus on three priorities. 

First, make Michigan competitive again. I will work to eliminate the state income tax, reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens, and bring greater speed, predictability, and accountability to permitting. Life sciences companies compete for capital and talent globally, and Michigan cannot afford to lose investment because it is more expensive or more difficult to do business here. 

Second, connect Michigan innovation to Michigan production. Our universities, hospitals, research institutions, manufacturers, and entrepreneurs should be part of an ecosystem that takes ideas from research and development through commercialization and ultimately to production here in Michigan. Rather than chasing individual projects with taxpayer-funded giveaways, state government should focus on removing barriers, strengthening infrastructure, developing talent, and creating the conditions that allow companies of every size to succeed. 

Third, build and retain the workforce. Michigan must align education and workforce development with high-demand fields such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, advanced manufacturing, engineering, and health technology. I will support pathways that connect students and workers directly with employers and make Michigan a place where talented young people can afford to build their careers and raise their families. 

Michigan has the talent, institutions, manufacturing heritage, and work ethic to compete with anyone. The Governor’s job is to create an environment where those advantages can flourish and make Michigan the best state in the country to innovate, manufacture, and build the next generation of life sciences companies, right here at home. 

To keep Michigan business in Michigan we need to build capital at the earliest stages. Angel and seed investment is where emerging life sciences companies either get their start or run out of runway. I will prioritize tools that put money into that gap so companies don’t feel like they need to leave our state to succeed.  

We also need to invest in our communities to keep them competitive and attract businesses. That means building vibrant communities that attract families and talent with housing, greenscapes, and small business hubs. That way we can ensure Michigan’s communities attract the companies and jobs we need to grow the economy. 

With any of these approaches, transparency and clear standards will also be key. As we adopt new strategies, we’ll need to ask: is this actually delivering results for Michigan workers and businesses? If not, we fix it. 

Michigan should be a place where a breakthrough discovered here can be financed, commercialized, manufactured, and scaled here. Too often, Michigan educates talent and develops innovation only to watch jobs and investment follow to another state. 

My administration will strengthen the pipeline from discovery to commercialization by bringing together Michigan’s research universities, healthcare systems, entrepreneurs, private investors, manufacturers, and employers. State government should serve as a facilitator, connecting innovators with capital, industry expertise, manufacturing capacity, and talent, rather than picking winners and losers. 

We must also improve the underlying business climate. That means lower taxes, faster and more predictable permitting, less regulatory red tape, and incentives that are transparent, accountable, and tied to measurable economic benefits. I support public-private partnerships that leverage private investment, not taxpayer-funded blank checks for politically favored companies. 

Finally, we should capitalize on Michigan’s manufacturing advantage. Life sciences companies should not have to develop a product here and leave the state to manufacture it. We can connect emerging companies with Michigan suppliers, skilled workers, universities, and manufacturing capacity to move more innovations from the laboratory to the production line. 

Michigan already has the research, talent, healthcare institutions, and manufacturing expertise to compete.  

My goal is simple: when something is invented in Michigan, we should build the company, create the jobs, and manufacture the product in Michigan, too.

Diversifying our economy and investing in the industries of the future is key to getting back on top — and biomanufacturing is a big part of that next chapter. 

We are already one of the top states in the nation for medical device and biopharmaceutical manufacturing, and Kalamazoo is the number one mid-sized metro area in the country for both. We should be investing in communities like Kalamazoo and bolstering the innovation that’s already happening in our state and giving them the tools to succeed. 

These industries need a predictable regulatory environment, available build-ready sites, reliable and affordable energy, and a workforce that is trained for the work on day one. Michigan has the opportunity to do all four — and under my leadership we will. 

It starts with making the state easier to do business with. That means having a single point of accountability for major expansion projects, so a company is not bounced between agencies. It means faster and clearer permitting, and using the tools we already have for advanced manufacturing with discipline and transparency. It means treating the supply chain as an asset to be built here, so Michigan manufacturers of components, instruments and sterile products are positioned to supply the companies that expand in our state. And it means investing in the infrastructure those facilities depend on — from energy, to water, to rail. The last step will be results. When Michigan makes an investment in a facility, we need to see well-paying jobs, and in-state supply chain spending so we can grow our economy. That's how we make sure our dollars are making it back to the taxpayers. 

Michigan has the manufacturing heritage, skilled workforce, research institutions, and infrastructure to become a national leader in life sciences manufacturing. My administration will focus on making Michigan the best place to build, expand, and strengthen critical domestic supply chains. 

This is an issue I have already worked on in Congress. Through my service on the U.S. House Energy & Commerce Committee, I have had a seat at the table for federal policy affecting the entire life-sciences pipeline from biomedical research and FDA approval to commercialization, manufacturing, supply chains, data security, and the energy needed to manufacture products domestically. Furthermore, the House passed my Promoting Resilient Supply Chains Act to identify vulnerabilities and anticipate supply chain disruptions before they hurt American families and businesses. I also voted for the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act, supporting immediate R&D expensing and greater Section 179 expensing to encourage investment and innovation here at home. 

As Governor, my administration will be obsessed with customer service. Michigan’s job creators should have a government that works with them, not against them. We will cut regulatory red tape, streamline permitting, lower the tax burden, and provide the speed, predictability, and accountability businesses need to invest with confidence. We will also ensure Michigan has reliable, affordable energy to compete for investment in pharmaceuticals, medical devices, diagnostics, and biomanufacturing. 

We will connect life sciences companies with Michigan manufacturers, suppliers, research universities, and skilled workers while strengthening domestic supply chains. 

Michigan helped build America's industrial strength. With customer-service-obsessed leadership and a government focused on results, we can make Michigan the best place in America to build what America needs. 

Michigan does not grow its economy if we do not improve our public education system. My goal is simple: every kid graduating from a Michigan high school should be career or college ready, ready to go on to a two year or four-year program or straight into an apprenticeship and a great career. Getting there means building a lifelong learning system from cradle through career, and it means expanding career and technical education, apprenticeships and work-based learning with employers at the table designing them. 

Employers in biomanufacturing, quality and compliance, clinical trials, and laboratory science need workers with specific and learnable skills. There is no reason those skills cannot be taught right here in Michigan and then put to work here. As governor, I would prioritize registered apprenticeship and training programs built with employers, so after finishing a program people move directly into a well-paying job. I would also work to strengthen partnerships between our community colleges, our research universities, and companies, so students are learning skills that match the work required. 

As Secretary of State, I overhauled one of the most important state agencies to save Michiganders time and money. I will bring that same approach and discipline to strengthen our workforce. 

Michigan’s life sciences workforce strategy should be focused on results: connecting people with good-paying, in-demand careers and ensuring employers have the skilled workers they need to grow here. 

My administration will bring employers, universities, community colleges, career and technical education programs, and workforce organizations together to better align training with real workforce needs. Life sciences companies should have a voice in identifying skills gaps and shaping programs in manufacturing, engineering, laboratory sciences, clinical research, regulatory affairs, data science, and other high-demand fields. 

We will expand work-based learning by strengthening partnerships to create Michigan-based internships, co-ops, apprenticeships, and other pathways that provide students with practical experience while connecting employers with future workers. Every student should graduate with marketable skills and a clear pathway to college, a skilled trade, military service or direct entry into the workforce. 

My plan also supports a Retention and Relocation Worker Tax Credit for Americans working in critical-shortage occupations or moving to Michigan to fill those roles. I support a 100 percent tax credit for businesses that invest in scholarships for students pursuing careers in high-demand, critical skills fields, including health care, manufacturing, and information technology. 

Michigan has all the pillars necessary for a world class life sciences ecosystem: research universities that rank in the top ten nationally in research expenditures, a community of more than 3,000 companies, outstanding health systems, a bipartisan legislative caucus focused on this sector, and industry leadership through MichBio. Now, we need leaders that will invest in these strengths. That’s the job of the next governor. As governor, I would bring the research universities, the medical professionals, business leaders, and the community colleges to the table with a shared agenda. 

As governor, I would also pursue federal partnerships with our congressional delegation, to establish stable federal research funding, SBIR and STTR reauthorization, and protect the intellectual property framework that allows federally funded discoveries to become Michigan companies. 

Michigan has tremendous assets in our universities, research organizations, healthcare systems, and private sector. The Governor’s job should be to bring those assets together, remove barriers to collaboration, and ensure Michigan competes aggressively for federal research dollars and private investment. 

My administration will strengthen partnerships among these institutions around shared priorities, including life sciences research, commercialization, workforce development, and domestic manufacturing. State government should serve as a facilitator and partner, connecting researchers with employers, investors, healthcare systems, and manufacturing capacity so discoveries made in Michigan become companies and jobs in Michigan. 

We should also align higher education and workforce priorities with areas where Michigan has the greatest needs and opportunities, including health care, engineering, manufacturing, information technology, and life sciences. Stronger collaboration between employers and educational institutions will help ensure research investments also build a sustainable Michigan talent pipeline. 

I will also renew Michigan’s participation in the federal Rural Health Transformation Program, which I supported in Congress and which has already brought $173 million to Michigan’s rural communities to expand telehealth, strengthen mental health and addiction treatment, and increase healthcare provider options. We should aggressively pursue opportunities like this that bring federal dollars back to Michigan and produce measurable results. 

Success means attracting more research funding and private capital, commercializing more Michigan discoveries, improving patient outcomes, and creating more high-wage jobs. Michigan should not simply conduct world-class research. We should turn that research into opportunity right here at home. 

Companies deciding where to start and grow their business are looking for the same thing in every state: an environment that is clear, predictable, and consistent. Right now, we are not getting that. Between the chaos at the federal level and the inefficiencies in our bureaucracy we are at a competitive disadvantage — and it’s the job of the next governor to resolve those challenges. 

As Secretary of State, I overhauled the Department of State into a national model for elections and expanded services while cutting costs. We cut wait times from hours to just 20 minutes, added self-service stations in grocery stores, moved services online, and saved Michiganders time and money. I’ll bring that same approach of eliminating bureaucracy and streamlining services to every state agency to establish transparent permitting with real timelines, a single point of contact for life sciences companies, and regulations grounded in evidence and results. 

I believe we should welcome innovation into our state, but never at the expense of the health and safety of Michiganders. That’s why, along with improving the function of our health and environmental agencies, strict enforceable guardrails for these companies will be key to ensure we are maintaining high standards for public health, safety, ethics, and environmental stewardship. 

I will improve these programs the same way I did at the Department of State: through transparency and following the data. I will track permit and review timelines, delays, compliance outcomes, and feedback from companies and investors. Then, I would publish the results so Michiganders can see where government is working for them. 

Michigan will not become a top destination for life sciences investment until we make it more affordable, predictable, and efficient to do business here. 

My solution starts with eliminating the state income tax and lowering the overall cost of living and doing business in Michigan. We also need a regulatory system that protects public health, safety, ethics, and the environment without creating unnecessary barriers to investment and innovation. 

My administration will require meaningful economic impact and cost-benefit reviews for new regulations, demand clear statutory authority for agency actions, and streamline permitting so companies receive timely, predictable decisions. Agencies should enforce the law, not continually expand it through bureaucratic interpretation. We will also make state government more customer-service focused so businesses can navigate permitting, workforce, infrastructure, and regulatory requirements without unnecessary delay or confusion. 

At the same time, strong standards matter. Life sciences companies must have confidence that Michigan provides clear, science-based rules that protect patients, workers, communities, and natural resources. Regulatory certainty is itself a competitive advantage. 

We will evaluate success based on measurable results: private capital investment, business formation and expansion, permitting timelines, job creation, wage growth, retention of Michigan companies, and the number of firms choosing Michigan for new facilities or technology centers. 

Lowering costs for Michiganders is my top priority. I’ve already released a comprehensive plan to lower healthcare costs, which includes creating a healthcare affordability board to hold pharmaceutical companies accountable for price gouging. With the authority to review manufacturing practices, approve price increases, and hold pharmaceutical companies accountable, the board will ensure Michiganders can afford their medications. 

At the same time, Michigan should remain a place where the next generation of medicine is discovered and produced. Michigan's biopharmaceutical and medical device sectors are among the strongest in the nation, and policies that hollow them out would cost us the jobs and the science that make us a leader in the field. That’s why as Governor, I will work to attract emerging and new industries to Michigan so that we can develop the jobs of the future right here at home. That is how we turn our state into the go-to place for new industry — investing in emerging markets while working to ensure those markets work for Michiganders and bring well-paying jobs. Affordability and innovation are not opposites. Michigan needs both, and I intend to deliver both.

I firmly believe that increasing competition, transparency, and access in health care is the best way to lower costs for patients. In Congress, I have put those principles into action by authoring the Patients Deserve Price Tags Act to ensure patients know the cost of their care before receiving it, supporting the Lower Costs, More Transparency Act to strengthen transparency requirements for pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), and voting to prohibit discriminatory Quality-Adjusted Life Year (QALY) standards that can undervalue treatments for people with disabilities and chronic conditions and limit access to innovative care. 

As Governor, I would bring that same approach to prescription drug affordability. We need greater transparency and accountability throughout the prescription drug supply chain, including PBMs, insurers, manufacturers, and other intermediaries. That means delinking PBM compensation from drug list prices, strengthening reporting and audit requirements, ensuring negotiated discounts and savings actually reach patients, and addressing co-pay accumulator policies that can drive up patients’ out-of-pocket costs. 

Prescription drugs are simply too expensive for too many Michigan families. No one should have to choose between filling a prescription and paying their other bills. My focus will be on reforms that lower what patients actually pay at the pharmacy counter, increase competition, and hold every part of the prescription drug supply chain accountable. 

At the same time, I am skeptical of arbitrary government price controls that may sound appealing but fail to deliver meaningful savings to patients, restrict access to innovative treatments, or discourage the research and investment needed to develop new cures. We can make prescription drugs more affordable without sacrificing innovation. Michigan should be a state where patients can afford the medicines they need and where companies want to research, develop, manufacture, and invest in the next generation of lifesaving treatments. 

Michigan government has too many workforce agencies, yet we still do not have enough jobs. We need greater coordination, clearer accountability, and a fundamental change in how state government works with employers and drives economic development. 

I have grown a small business and helped create hundreds of jobs right here in Michigan. Nobody else in this race can say that. We are not going to cut or sue our way to prosperity. We have to grow our way there, and experience matters. 

My economic philosophy is simple: Retention, Reclamation, Recruiting, in that order. The best way to attract new investment is to treat existing investment with respect. As Governor, I will streamline workforce agencies and align MEDC, LEO, LARA, DHHS, and other agencies around retaining the talent and investment we have, reclaiming what Michigan has lost, and recruiting new opportunities. 

That starts with overhauling MEDC and creating a customer-obsessed culture across state government. We will take a concierge approach to permitting and compliance, improve access to contracts and capital for Michigan businesses, and hold agency leaders accountable for measurable outcomes. 

For Michigan’s life sciences sector, that means breaking down silos among economic development, workforce, health, and regulatory agencies so companies can invest and expand, workers can develop the skills employers need, and innovators can spend less time navigating government. 

Finally, Michigan businesses need stability and certainty. I will reform EGLE and restore the DEQ, focusing on responsible stewardship and creating a more predictable environment for businesses to invest, innovate, hire, and grow. 

I’m a competitive person, and I want Michigan to be leading the competition across all industries. 

Michigan still has superior resources: world class research universities, one of the top ten research bases in the country, roughly $1 billion a year in federal research funding, top five and top six national rankings in medical device and biopharmaceutical establishments, and a manufacturing workforce no other state can match. What we have lacked is a consistent, visible and sustained strategy that ties those assets together. 

As governor, I will aim to put Michigan back in the top ten states for life sciences innovation, investment and manufacturing. That requires a long-term strategy designed together with the industry, our universities and our manufacturers. It means capital at the early stage, a trained workforce designed with employers, a regulatory environment that is predictable and fast, and an economic development arm that can prove it is delivering. 

If we commit to leading in the life sciences, we will see progress in the form of well-paying jobs, growth and retention of businesses, and the national ranking Michigan deserves. 

Michigan does not lack assets. We have world-class universities, advanced manufacturing expertise, natural resources, and talented people. We trail competing states in turning those advantages into sustained private investment, commercialization, business growth, and high-wage job creation. 

My administration will focus on the fundamentals that determine where companies choose to build and grow: lower taxes, predictable regulation, faster permitting, reliable and affordable energy, stronger infrastructure, and a workforce prepared for the jobs employers actually need. 

Education and workforce policy must be part of that strategy. Michigan spends heavily on education, but too often we focus on inputs rather than outcomes. We need stronger literacy and math performance, expanded educational options, more career readiness, and better alignment between higher education and fields facing critical shortages, including healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, information technology, and skilled trades. 

We also need to close the gap between research and commercialization. In Congress, I voted for the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act to reauthorize the SBIR and STTR programs, key sources of early-stage funding for emerging biotechnology companies. These programs help companies generate the data needed to demonstrate promising technologies, attract private investment, and advance new therapies toward commercialization.  

As Governor, I will work to strengthen collaboration among universities, healthcare systems, entrepreneurs, manufacturers, and private investors so more research developed in Michigan becomes companies, products, and jobs here in Michigan. 

We should measure progress by results: private capital investment, research commercialization, startup formation, high-wage life sciences employment, manufacturing expansion, federal research funding, and the share of Michigan graduates who remain in the state. Those benchmarks will tell us whether Michigan is truly becoming a Top 10 state for life sciences growth and innovation. 

First, invest in innovation. I want Michigan to lead in innovation by supporting startups and scale-ups, investing in research universities, creating sector-specific hubs, and launching tools like a Michigan venture capital fund while ensuring transparency and accountability in economic development investments. 

Second, build the talent pipeline the industry actually needs. That means building a lifelong learning system from birth through career, expanding career and technical education and apprenticeships, and supporting workforce development that ensures every Michigander has access to opportunity. This is how we keep Michigan talent in Michigan. 

Third, streamline our bureaucracy to make sure government saves people time and money and then gets out of the way. If it’s faster and less expensive to build a business in Michigan, start-ups will choose Michigan and stay in Michigan. 

My first-term priorities would focus on three areas: making Michigan more competitive, building the workforce employers need, and turning more Michigan innovation into Michigan jobs. 

First, make Michigan the best place to invest and grow. I will work to eliminate the state income tax, cut unnecessary regulatory red tape, streamline permitting, and ensure access to reliable and affordable energy. My administration will be customer-service obsessed, providing businesses with the speed, certainty, and accountability they need to invest with confidence. 

Second, build and retain a world-class workforce. We will better align higher education and workforce programs with employer needs in healthcare, engineering, manufacturing, information technology, and other high-demand fields. My Retention and Relocation Worker Tax Credit will help attract and keep workers in critical-shortage occupations, while a 100 percent tax credit for businesses investing in scholarships will encourage employers to directly invest in Michigan talent. 

Third, turn Michigan research into Michigan companies and manufacturing. We will strengthen collaboration among universities, healthcare systems, entrepreneurs, investors, and manufacturers to accelerate commercialization and connect promising discoveries with private capital and Michigan production capacity. 

These priorities address the fundamental reasons Michigan loses talent, companies, and investment. Rather than buying growth through politically connected handouts, we will create an environment where innovation can succeed. If we lower barriers, develop talent, and connect Michigan research with Michigan capital and manufacturing, our life sciences industry can compete with any state in America. 

• I support continuing Michigan’s Research and Development Tax Credit as proposed by House Speaker Matt Hall, which is an objective tax credit process and not a subjective grant-style subsidy.
• While I support prioritizing the attraction of biomanufacturing, pharmaceutical, and medical device manufacturing facilities to Michigan, I want to emphasize that my highest priority as Governor will be retaining the manufacturing facilities we already have."