What factors might shape 2018 election results? Michigan lawmakers weigh in

It's still more than a year before voters cast their ballots in the November 2018 elections, but Michigan's public officials are already thinking about what could happen and what it could mean for their respective parties. In Michigan, voters will have a lot to decide on when they head to the ballot box - one U.S. Senate seat and Michigan's 14 Congressional districts will be on the ballot, as well as state House and Senate positions and the statewide offices of Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State.  U.S. Rep. Brenda Lawrence, D-Southfield, said she's viewed the activism since the 2016 election as a "political awakening in our country," and hopes that translates into people staying engaged in the political process. Several key policy issues, including Trump's pulling out of the Paris climate accord, Congressional votes on repealing and replacing Obamacare, the nomination of Betsy DeVos to head the Department of Education and proposed budget cuts could be motivators going into the 2018 election cycle, Lawrence said.