Voters in parts of Birmingham and Bloomfield Township will choose among three Democrats in the State House District 6 primary on Tuesday, August 4, and attorney Melanie Macey is making her case as the candidate with the deepest local government experience.
Macey, 46, has lived in Royal Oak for 22 years and served on the Royal Oak City Commission from 2017 to 2025. She holds a law degree from the University of Michigan, a master's in computer science and engineering from U-M, and a bachelor's in political science from Haverford College in Pennsylvania.
Downtown Publications, the Birmingham and Bloomfield area newsmagazine, endorsed Macey on June 18, calling her a public interest attorney with community service on the Royal Oak City Commission, library board, and a school district panel focused on equity and diversity.
What she's running on
In a voter guide published July 14 by C&G Newspapers' Birmingham Eagle, Macey listed seven priorities: fully funding public education to attract and retain teachers, defending voting rights and reproductive freedom, lowering costs by holding utilities and insurers accountable, expanding childcare access, investing in clean energy infrastructure, regulating AI in the public interest, and reforming campaign finance.
"Fully fund public education to meet all students' needs and to attract and retain talented educators," Macey wrote in the guide. "Put the people, not corporations, in control of AI to ensure technology serves the public good."
The field
Macey faces two other Democrats on the August 4 ballot. Charlie Gandy-Thompson, 60, is a Royal Oak resident of 23 years who works as a COO and consultant in engineering and quality services. David Lauer, 36, is a Beverly Hills resident with a background in disaster relief, finance, and nonprofit leadership. Republican Mike Steger is running unopposed in the GOP primary and will face the Democratic winner on Tuesday, November 3.
Why it matters locally
This is the first election cycle in which several Birmingham precincts fall within District 6. A 2024 federal court redistricting ruling moved those precincts from the former District 5 into District 6, meaning some Birmingham residents are voting in this state house race for the first time.
The Oakland County Times published a video interview with Macey on July 24. The full interview is available at oaklandcounty115.com.
Early voting details
Early voting for the August 4 primary began July 25 and runs through August 2 at the Bloomfield Township Public Library, 1099 Lone Pine Road. Hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily, except Thursdays when hours are noon to 8 p.m. More information is available at bloomfieldtwp.org/elections.
