The political narrative for 2022 is whether a Republican takeover of the House is a lock, and what are the handful of Senate races that determine party control?

These outcomes will shape the remainder of Joe Biden's first term, and the 2024 presidential election. The stakes are humongous.

So are a handful of critical state elections, in Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and North Carolina — all battlegrounds — with major national implications for voting rights and possibly deciding how presidential electors are awarded. (Other than Michigan, these states also have competitive U.S. Senate contests.)

Michigan: This state may be politics central in 2022; “Everything is up for grabs,” says Bill Ballenger who writes the authoritative Ballenger Report on Michigan politics.

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is polarizing. She moved aggressively and effectively against the COVID outbreak. That generated a ferocious backlash; white nationalists planned to kidnap her and put her on trial. They were caught by the FBI. Currently voters are split on her job performance.

The Republican contenders, however, aren’t yet creating any sparks. A former Detroit police chief, James Craig, a Black conservative, has been the early favorite, but has been a lackluster candidate, says Ballenger. In a big field, others include Tudor Dixon, a right-wing television anchor, a wealthy automobile dealer, and a leader of a group that is calling for Whitmer’s arrest.

Responding to Trump’s phony claims of...

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