Lansing state Rep. Sarah Anthony kicked off her campaign this week, setting up a run in 2022 against another Democrat, former state House Minority Leader Sam Singh.
The two candidates are running according to their current district boundaries, which could shift during the redistricting process.
Anthony promises to prioritize abortion rights, affordable higher education and helping Michiganders recover from the coronavirus pandemic.
“The issues that I've been fighting for in the state house, I plan on taking to the state Senate," she said.
Singh says he's re-entering electoral politics to protect voting rights and access to quality education.
"I've watched the pandemic, I've watched the economic recovery," Singh said. "And I've watched these attacks on democracy by the Republicans, both here in Michigan as well as nationally, and I couldn't sit on the sidelines any longer.”
Singh formed a committee in June to finance his Senate run and reported an $81,807 balance as of July.
Anthony hasn't made a fundraising report yet from the state Senate campaign committee she created this month. But she disclosed an ending balance of $112,531 in July from the account she used to run for state representative; Anthony could transfer money from that account to bankroll her Senate bid.
Anthony, a former Ingham County commissioner, has been representing Michigan's 68th state House district since 2019. Singh, a former East Lansing mayor, served in the state House from 2017 through 2019. He's now the Chief Executive Officer of a firm called Public Policy Associates.
Candidates have until April 19 to file to run in the August 2022 primary. The general election will be Nov. 8 of next year.
Michigan’s 23rd district has been heavily Democratic.