Denise MentzerDenise Mentzer

EMILYs List recruits, trains and supports Democratic pro-choice women candidates at every level of the ballot. By helping to elect these women to office in 2025 and 2026, we’re not only building a foundation for the future, but we’re also putting strong women in charge of decisions that affect women and families every day — from the legislators who write laws to the attorneys general who defend and enforce them to the secretaries of state who ensure access to the ballot.

Denise Mentzer is an incumbent Democrat running for her third term in the Michigan House of Representatives in the 61st District. The daughter of one sheriff’s deputy and the sister of another, Mentzer is a proud graduate of L’Anse Creuse High School and Baker College. She moved to Mount Clemens in 2011 and later served nine years on the City Commission before being elected to the State House in 2022. Several bills introduced by Mentzer have become law, including bills that have modernized health and safety standards and increasing access to veterans’ benefits. She has also played a key role in protecting the rights of workers and voters; expanding access to healthcare; repealing the retirement tax and so-called “right-to-work” laws; and investing in education, public safety, and infrastructure. Mentzer is dedicated to making healthcare affordable and accessible, particularly for those with pre-existing conditions, and is committed to defending women’s rights to make private reproductive health decisions. Mentzer emphasizes the importance of education and vocational training, advocating for expanded access to trade schools and college programs to help individuals acquire the skills needed to advance. Mentzer is also working to improve and modernize water infrastructure and to require that corporate polluters pay for cleaning up pollution they cause. Mentzer has been endorsed by the following progressive partner organizations: Equality Michigan Action Network, Michigan AFL-CIO, Sierra Club - Michigan, Michigan League of Conservation Voters, Michigan Association for Justice, Planned Parenthood Advocates of Michigan, and Service Employees International Union - Michigan. Mentzer is running against Republican candidate Robert Wojtowicz, who is endorsed by anti-reproductive-freedom organization Right to Life of Michigan. Mentzer is the most progressive choice in this race.