Eli Savit announces candidacy for Michigan Attorney General
Washtenaw County prosecutor Eli Savit, a Democrat, has announced his campaign for the 2026 Michigan Attorney General race.
Michigan's current state attorney general Dana Nessel, a Democrat, is facing term limits and is unable to run for re-election. Attorney Mark Totten, also a Democrat, announced his candidacy in April.
"At a time when our constitutional rights are under attack, Eli will be a fearless advocate for justice, fairness, and opportunity for all," Savit's campaign announcement said.
Savit was born and raised in Ann Arbor. He attended Kalamazoo College, where he played basketball. After college graduation, he worked as a public school teacher both in special education and eighth-grade U.S. history.
After graduation from University of Michigan Law School, Savit worked for two federal judges. He then clerked at the U.S. Supreme Court for Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
As senior legal counsel for the City of Detroit, Savit oversaw the city's lawsuits against the opioid industry and led the right-to-literacy lawsuit on behalf of Detroit students. He also worked on a negotiating team that secured nearly $100 million in funding for Detroit schools.
He also served as the top lawyer in international negotiations that facilitated the construction of the Gordie Howe International Bridge between Michigan and Ontario.
Savit was elected Washtenaw County prosecuting attorney in 2020 and re-elected in 2024. In that role, he created special teams that included an economic justice unit and investigated "cold case" rape incidents. He also established the county's integrity and expungement unit, giving over 1,000 residents who met the requirements a chance at clearing old records.
Other projects included litigating on behalf of the ACLU, the American Association of University Women, and the League of Women Voters to challenge the Michigan Legislature's adopt-and-amend strategy that was invoked upon a voter-approved measure on paid sick leave and a boosted minimum wage.
In addition to his work as a prosecutor, he is a lecturer at the University of Michigan Law School.
