# Winnie Brinks

Winnie Brinks is a Democratic member of the Michigan Senate for district 29.

- Party: Democrat
- Seat: Michigan Senate, district 29
- Serving since: 2019-01-01
- Current term: MI 2025–26 session
- Open States ID: ocd-person/de38477b-6f3e-44cd-96d0-bd81ff831948

Source: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/de38477b-6f3e-44cd-96d0-bd81ff831948 (America’s Political Pulse, Polarization Research Lab), data through 2026-10-27. Data under CC BY 4.0. Cite as: Westwood, Sean J., and Yphtach Lelkes. 2024. America's Political Pulse [data set].

## Headline

100% of the 15 bills Brinks sponsored got out of committee, the highest of 38 in the Michigan Senate.

## What Brinks says (MI 2025–26 session)

80 classified statements: 80 posts on X. Each rate is the share of statements with the label, against the State Senate Democrats average; rank 1 is the highest rate.

| Label | Brinks | State Senate Democrats average | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal attacks | 2.5% | 2.4% | 96 of 329 |
| Policy criticism | 11.3% | 10.3% | 121 of 329 |
| Policy discussion | 52.5% | 42.9% | 116 of 329 |
| Bipartisanship | 5.0% | 3.4% | 78 of 329 |
| Credit claiming | 22.5% | 16.1% | 87 of 329 |
| Extreme labels | 1.3% | 0.8% | 66 of 329 |

Most discussed policy areas: Government Operations and Politics 26% (State Senate Democrats 14%); Economics and Public Finance 17% (State Senate Democrats 10%); Labor and Employment 17% (State Senate Democrats 5.9%); Environmental Protection 14% (State Senate Democrats 4.4%); Health 12% (State Senate Democrats 17%).

## Ideology (CSIP)

CSIP score −0.35 (standard error 0.01), from 847 donors and 1,180 roll calls. Negative is left of 0, positive right of it, on one scale for every official. 88% of State Senate Democrats score lower.

## Votes (MI 2025–26 session)

523 roll calls. Attendance 100% (Michigan Senate 95.5%). Party unity 98.9% (92.6%). 2 votes against the party majority.

Key votes:

- 2026-10-14 · voted yea · PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 263 YEAS 31 NAYS 3 EXCUSED 4 NOT VOTING 0 · HB 5356 Vehicles: title; requirements for transfer of title by a dealer; provide for. Amends 14, 41a, 78, 217, 217c, 233, 233a, 233b, 234, 238, 239, 240, 248,… · pass · https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/HB5356/
- 2026-10-01 · voted yea · ROLL CALL: ROLL CALL # 260 YEAS 34 NAYS 2 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 · SB 947 Natural resources: inland lakes; dam safety regulations; provide for. Amends and adds (See bill). TIE BAR WITH: HB 5485'26 · pass · https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SB947/
- 2026-10-01 · voted yea · PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 247 YEAS 34 NAYS 2 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 · HB 5485 Natural resources: inland lakes; dam safety regulations; provide for. Amends secs. 31502, 31503, 31504, 31505, 31506, 31507, 31508, 31509, 31510,… · pass · https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/HB5485/
- 2026-10-01 · voted yea · PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 253 YEAS 36 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 · HB 4598 Crimes: organized; gift card fraud; provide for. Amends sec. 4 of 2012 PA 455 (MCL 752.1084). · pass · https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/HB4598/
- 2026-10-01 · voted yea · PASSED ROLL CALL # 258 YEAS 33 NAYS 3 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 · SB 791 Highways: memorial; portion of I-475; designate as the "St. John Street Community Memorial Highway". Amends 2001 PA 142 (MCL 250.1001 - 250.2092) by… · pass · https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SB791/
- 2026-10-01 · voted yea · PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 248 YEAS 32 NAYS 4 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 · HB 4703 Insurance: health insurers; coverage for group prenatal care services; require. Amends 1956 PA 218 (MCL 500.100 - 500.8302) by adding sec. 3406ss. · pass · https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/HB4703/
- 2026-10-01 · voted yea · PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 256 YEAS 35 NAYS 1 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 · HB 5514 Children: other; prohibition of use of certain restraint while transporting youths to certain youth residential treatment programs; provide for.… · pass · https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/HB5514/
- 2026-10-01 · voted yea · PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 250 YEAS 36 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 · HB 4302 Vehicles: emergency vehicles; exception to commercial driver license for authorized emergency vehicles of Michigan Mutual Aid Box Alarm System;… · pass · https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/HB4302/
- 2026-10-01 · voted yea · ROLL CALL: ROLL CALL # 259 YEAS 36 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 · SB 433 State agencies (existing): health and human services; educational materials regarding health dangers for youth using high-potency THC and cannabis… · pass · https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SB433/
- 2026-10-01 · voted yea · PASSED; GIVEN IMMEDIATE EFFECT ROLL CALL # 249 YEAS 36 NAYS 0 EXCUSED 2 NOT VOTING 0 · HB 4301 Vehicles: emergency vehicles; definition of authorized emergency vehicle; expand. Amends secs. 2 & 698 of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.2 & 257.698). TIE BAR… · pass · https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/HB4301/

## Legislation (MI 2025–26 session)

Sponsored 15 bills: 15 reached committee, 15 passed one chamber, 7 passed both, 0 became law. Cosponsored 25. 100.0% of sponsored bills got out of committee (Michigan Senate 38.2%; rank 1 of 38).

Recent sponsored bills:

- SCR 16: A concurrent resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for John Pappageorge, former member of the Michigan Senate and Michigan House of Representatives. (passed one chamber, 2026-10-14) https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SCR16/
- SR 146: A resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for John Joseph Henry Schwarz, M.D., former member of the Michigan Senate. (passed one chamber, 2026-10-14) https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SR146/
- SCR 13: A concurrent resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for R. Robert Geake, former member of the Senate and House of Representatives. (passed both chambers, 2026-06-25) https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SCR13/
- SR 102: A resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for Joel Gougeon, former member of the Michigan Senate. (passed one chamber, 2026-03-18) https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SR102/
- SCR 12: A concurrent resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for Bruce Patterson, former member of the Michigan Senate and Michigan House of Representatives. (passed both chambers, 2026-03-12) https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SCR12/
- SCR 10: A concurrent resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for Donald Koivisto, former member of the Michigan Senate and Michigan House of Representatives. (passed both chambers, 2025-12-16) https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SCR10/
- SCR 8: A concurrent resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for Irma Clark-Coleman, former member of the House of Representatives and the Senate. (passed both chambers, 2025-12-02) https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SCR8/
- SCR 7: A concurrent resolution to urge the Trump Administration and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to immediately release Supplemental Nutrition… (passed both chambers, 2025-11-04) https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SCR7/
- SCR 6: A concurrent resolution of tribute offered as a memorial for Virgil Clark Smith, former member of the Michigan Senate and Michigan House of Representatives. (passed both chambers, 2025-10-23) https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SCR6/
- SR 82: A resolution to condemn political violence in all forms, regardless of political party or ideology, and affirm the commitment of the Michigan Senate to… (passed one chamber, 2025-10-21) https://openstates.org/mi/bills/2025-2026/SR82/

## Campaign money (2026 cycle)

Itemized receipts $109.1K (State Senate Democrats median $55.5K). 76% of itemized individual money came from in state. Aggregates only; no individual donors.

## Recent statements

Newest first. Posts on X are listed by date and link only.

- 2026-10-26 · Post on X · labels: policy discussion · https://x.com/WinnieBrinks/status/2114810637427810313
- 2026-10-22 · Post on X · https://x.com/WinnieBrinks/status/2113261612941398399
- 2026-10-21 · Post on X · https://x.com/WinnieBrinks/status/2113031627404411260
- 2026-10-20 · Post on X · labels: policy discussion · https://x.com/WinnieBrinks/status/2112576791621632061
- 2026-10-20 · Post on X · https://x.com/WinnieBrinks/status/2112641572949155856
- 2026-10-18 · Post on X · labels: policy discussion · https://x.com/WinnieBrinks/status/2111784904606253443
- 2026-10-18 · Post on X · labels: policy discussion · https://x.com/WinnieBrinks/status/2111861118608261620
- 2026-10-14 · Post on X · labels: credit claiming · https://x.com/WinnieBrinks/status/2110427134690811969
- 2026-10-12 · Post on X · labels: policy discussion · https://x.com/WinnieBrinks/status/2109682051616260136
- 2026-10-09 · Post on X · https://x.com/WinnieBrinks/status/2108631905016979708

## Links

- Official site: https://senatedems.com/brinks/
- Campaign site: https://winniebrinks.com/
- X: https://x.com/WinnieBrinks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SenatorBrinks/

Full profile, with every chart and the methods: https://americaspoliticalpulse.com/p/de38477b-6f3e-44cd-96d0-bd81ff831948