Published July 28, 2026 at 4:00 PM EDT

Today on Stateside, Michigan's primary election, where voters will choose the candidates who will appear on the ballot in November, is less than a week away. Michigan Public's Morning Edition host Doug Tribou has been interviewing the people hoping to be Michigan's next governor. Today, his conversation with current Secretary of State and Democratic candidate for governor Jocelyn Benson.

Then, a look at an under-discussed subject: men’s mental health. Men are less likely than women to self-report conditions like depression and anxiety. Michigan State University clinical nurse practitioner Michael Martel discussed the nuances that shape how men experience mental health conditions.

And, writer John Freeman reviews the new collection Dementia Lyrics by Michigan poet Dennis Hinrichsen. In it, Hinrichsen uses neuroscience and prose to make sense of a friend’s decline.

Finally, there are an estimated nearly 20,000 Amish residents spread across more than 50 settlements in Michigan. Their commitment to preserving traditions for centuries has set them apart and drawn fascination from mainstream society. Ohio author Kevin Williams reflects on more than three decades of observing Amish settlements in his new memoir Not So Simple: My Adventures Among the Amish, Mennonites, Shakers, and Other Plain People.

GUESTS ON TODAY’S SHOW:

• Jocelyn Benson, Michigan Secretary of State and Democratic candidate for governor
• Michael Martel, assistant professor at the MSU College of Nursing 
• John Freeman, lecturer at Oakland University and author of the books Brother of Leaving and Fight Songs
• Kevin Williams, author of Not So Simple: Adventures Among the Amish, Mennonites, Shakers, and Other Plain People

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