Rep. Denise Mentzer is the Democratic incumbent running for reelection in House District 61. Rep. Mentzer was elected in 2022. According to her campaign website, “Denise will also be a firm advocate for protecting a woman’s right to make their own private reproductive healthcare decisions.” Rep. Mentzer has been endorsed by Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan for the 2024 election as a “Sexual and Reproductive Health Champion.” Planned Parenthood is one of the country’s leading reproductive health organizations. 

Rep. Mentzer voted in favor of a group of bills that restored abortion rights to the people of Michigan. 

Challenging Rep. Mentzer in November is Republican candidate Robert Wojtowicz. Wojtowicz, who does not appear to have a campaign website, has been endorsed by Right to Life of Michigan PAC. RLM-PAC, an anti-abortion group that requires its endorsed candidates to support bans on abortion without exceptions for rape or incest, also requires candidates to submit questionnaires outlining their positions on abortion.   

After the United States Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the Michigan Republican Party issued a statement praising the decision as “a huge win.” 

In the aftermath of the Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Republican-led legislatures across the country began enacting abortion bans. In Michigan, however, an abortion ban from 1931 was already in place, and as a result of the Court’s ruling, the ban could have become the law in Michigan once again. 

A majority of Michigan Republican lawmakers opposed repealing the 1931 abortion ban, but the Democratic-led legislature passed a group of laws to repeal the ban and restore abortion rights in Michigan once again. 

Note: this article has been updated to reflect the results of the August 6 primary.