Michigan Gubernatorial and Senate Candidates Outline Divergent Positions on Enbridge Line 5 Pipeline

LANSING, MI — With Michigan's top executive leadership term-limited ahead of the 2026 general election, the decades-long legal, political, and environmental battle over Enbridge Energy's Line 5 pipeline in the Straits of Mackinac has emerged as a paramount issue defining the campaigns for governor and the open U.S. Senate seat.

Operational since 1953, the Line 5 dual pipeline system transports approximately 540,000 barrels per day of light crude oil and natural gas liquids across Michigan's Upper and Lower Peninsulas. For more than a decade, the segment of dual pipes resting exposed on the lakebed of the Straits of Mackinac has been the subject of contentious regulatory disputes between environmental advocates warning of potential ecological catastrophes in the Great Lakes and energy industry proponents advocating for a million concrete-encased tunnel excavated beneath the bedrock of the lakebed.

Gubernatorial Candidates Present Opposing Policy Blueprints

In the race to succeed term-limited Governor Gretchen Whitmer, the major-party nominees have staked out contrasting, irreconcilable approaches to the pipeline's future:

• Jocelyn Benson (Democrat): The current Michigan Secretary of State has pledged to explore every legal and regulatory mechanism to protect the Great Lakes from oil spill risks. Benson’s comprehensive environmental platform calls for an immediate, independent statewide engineering audit of all aging fossil fuel pipelines across Michigan, accompanied by a commitment to decommission any infrastructure deemed hazardous to public waterways, including the exposed segments of Line 5.
• John James (Republican): The U.S. Representative from Shelby Township strongly supports Enbridge's Great Lakes Tunnel project. James has committed to immediately dropping all state-level litigation against Enbridge upon taking office, arguing that the tunnel provides a safe, modern replacement that secures essential energy supplies, protects consumer propane prices across the Upper Peninsula, and sustains refinery operations throughout the region.

U.S. Senate Candidates Debate Energy Reliability and Environmental Oversight

The Line 5 controversy has similarly elevated into a central debate in Michigan’s U.S. Senate contest, where candidates are addressing federal jurisdiction, environmental impact reviews, and Tribal treaty obligations:

• Dr. Abdul El-Sayed (Democrat): The former Wayne County health director and progressive candidate has advocated for a responsible, phased shutdown of Line 5 in its current form. While maintaining openness to rigorous engineering evaluations, El-Sayed has emphasized the necessity of comprehensive federal environmental reviews, strict adherence to Indigenous treaty fishing rights, and aggressive investments in renewable energy alternatives.
• Mike Rogers (Republican): The former U.S. Representative and national security specialist has reiterated long-standing support for constructing the underground tunnel. Rogers’s campaign emphasizes the strategic economic importance of reliable petroleum distribution across the Midwest, arguing that encasing the pipeline in deep bedrock eliminates spill vulnerabilities while preserving crucial cross-border energy trade with Canada.

Legal Precedents and Electoral Stakes for Michigan Voters

The candidate debates underscore the profound consequences of the upcoming executive transition. Over the past eight years, the administration of Governor Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel aggressively challenged Enbridge's 1953 easement in state and federal courts, citing the public trust doctrine and potential environmental risks to the Straits.

With both executive offices turning over in January 2027, the 2026 election will determine whether Michigan continues its protracted legal opposition or enters into a regulatory partnership with Enbridge and federal authorities to complete the tunnel. For Michigan voters, the decision highlights enduring questions surrounding environmental stewardship of the world's largest freshwater system, energy affordability, and industrial employment across both peninsulas.