State Sen. Dayna Polehanki, a Livonia Democrat, is seeking re-election to Michigan's 8th Senate District in the Tuesday, Nov. 3 general election. The district covers Farmington, Farmington Hills, Livonia, Northville, Northville Township and part of Novi.

Polehanki, a former high school teacher, said in a questionnaire submitted to Surround Sound News that she is running to continue her focus on recruiting and retaining teachers, expanding access to college and the skilled trades, and making quality healthcare more accessible and affordable. She also cited environmental protection and community safety as priorities.

Candidate information

  • Party: Democratic
  • Residence: Livonia. She lives with her husband Jim, a manager at Ford Motor Company.
  • Education: Master's degree in teaching; bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University, magna cum laude; teacher certification from Alma College.
  • Career before office: High school teacher at New Haven Community Schools for nearly 20 years, where she was twice named Teacher of the Year. She also worked as manager of features casting at Paramount Pictures from 1995 to 1998 and owned Detroit Casting Company from 2009 to 2018.

Experience and public service

Polehanki has served in the Michigan State Senate since 2019. She chairs the Senate Education Committee and serves as Majority Caucus Chairwoman, a Democratic leadership post. She is also Majority Vice Chairwoman of the School Aid Appropriations Committee, according to her questionnaire response.

In 2025, she was appointed Legislative Commissioner to the Education Commission of the States. Her awards include the 2023 Michigan School Counselor Association Legislator of the Year, the 2024 Outstanding Government Official Award from the Michigan Association of School Librarians and the 2025 Humane Society of Huron Valley Legislator of the Year.

On the issues

Affordability: Polehanki called affordability the most pressing issue facing Michigan residents. She pointed to legislative actions she supported, including repealing the seniors' retirement tax, increasing the Working Families Tax Credit fivefold and raising the minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2027. She said lawmakers also increased unemployment benefits from $362 to $614 per week by 2027 and extended their duration from 20 to 26 weeks.

Education: Education is central to her campaign. Polehanki said she wants to continue improving early literacy, protecting student safety and mental health, recruiting and retaining teachers and expanding access to college. She cited her teaching background and committee leadership as evidence she can handle the job.

Budget: Asked how she would handle competing budget demands, Polehanki said lawmakers had to "backfill a $1 billion hole in the budget" to protect Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) from cuts tied to the federal One Big Beautiful Bill. She said that meant less funding for individual districts but called it a necessary trade-off.

Environment: Polehanki said she supports environmental initiatives rooted in the belief that clean air and water are human rights. She also listed protecting the Great Lakes from corporate abuses and fixing water infrastructure as priorities on her campaign platform.

Public safety: Polehanki said she supports recruiting a high-quality police force, embedding social workers in police departments for mental health calls and improving law enforcement accountability and training. She also listed road maintenance as a safety priority.

Voters can find more information about the race and check their registration status through their local city clerk's office.