Eli Savit
Democratic · MI · Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney
Eli Savit has been Washtenaw County Prosecuting Attorney since 2021 and earlier clerked for U.S. Supreme Court Justices Sandra Day O'Connor and Ruth Bader Ginsburg. He wants to crack down on corporate polluters and consumer scams and fight wage theft.
Where Eli Savit stands, based on their records
Supports
Environment and Public Health (1 record), Immigration (1 record), Public Safety and Crime Control (2 records),
Track record
Track record — Environment and Public Health
Environment and Public Health · 1 support
Stopped charging people for unauthorized use of buprenorphine, a drug that treats opioid addiction, on January 13, 2021. Large-scale black-market sellers can still be charged.
January 13, 2021Supports Environment and Public Health
Source: michigandaily.com
Track record — Immigration
Immigration · 1 support
Was named as a defendant in a U.S. Justice Department lawsuit filed April 9, 2026 over Washtenaw County's immigration policies. The suit targeted his office's directive telling prosecutors to avoid immigration consequences when consistent with public safety.
April 9, 2026Supports Immigration
Source: michiganpublic.org
Track record — Public Safety and Crime Control
Public Safety and Crime Control · 2 support
Charged four pro-Palestinian protesters on May 16, 2024 with resisting or assaulting police during a November 2023 sit-in at a University of Michigan office building. His office declined charges against about three dozen others arrested there.
May 16, 2024Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: michiganadvance.com
Issued two police-related policies on January 8, 2021. His office now seeks an outside special prosecutor when police use violence against residents, and reviews all evidence, including video, before charging anyone with resisting police.
January 8, 2021Supports Public Safety and Crime Control
Source: michigandaily.com
Track record — Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties · 2 support
Issued two police-related policies on January 8, 2021. His office now seeks an outside special prosecutor when police use violence against residents, and reviews all evidence, including video, before charging anyone with resisting police.
January 8, 2021Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: michigandaily.com
Stopped his office from asking courts to set cash bail on January 4, 2021. Release recommendations now rest on public safety, not a person's ability to pay.
January 4, 2021Supports Criminal Justice and Civil Liberties
Source: michigandaily.com
Track record — General
General · 7 records
His campaign confirmed on September 10, 2026 that he did paid part-time work for Dema Law, a Virgin Islands law firm, while serving as county prosecutor. The campaign said the work was on out-of-state cases in his free time.
September 10, 2026
Source: yahoo.com
A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department's immigration lawsuit against Washtenaw County officials, including him, on August 21, 2026. The judge ruled the federal government cannot force local officials to enforce its will.
August 21, 2026
Source: cbsnews.com
Won the Michigan Democratic Party's endorsement for attorney general at its convention, as reported on April 20, 2026. He beat another county prosecutor for the party's backing.
April 20, 2026
Source: jta.org
Stopped charging consensual sex work on January 14, 2021, shifting his office's focus to human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
January 14, 2021
Source: michigandaily.com
Stopped charging people for using or having marijuana or natural psychedelic plants, such as psilocybin mushrooms, on January 12, 2021.
January 12, 2021
Source: michigandaily.com
Ended the Washtenaw County Prosecutor's Office's zero-tolerance policies on January 1, 2021, his first day in office. Prosecutors could again offer plea deals, treatment courts and delayed sentencing case by case.
January 1, 2021
Source: michigandaily.com
As legal counsel to Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, helped negotiate a settlement approved July 3, 2018 with the ACLU and NAACP Legal Defense Fund. It let low-income Detroit homeowners facing tax foreclosure keep their homes for $1,000.
July 3, 2018
Source: aclumich.org
Track record — Candidate Ethics
Candidate Ethics · 1 record
The Michigan Bureau of Elections found on July 30, 2026 that there may be reason to believe he broke campaign finance law. He had used a county-owned car and county fuel card for campaign travel. The bureau cleared the county board.
July 30, 2026
Source: michigan.gov
Past race Eli Savit ran in:
- Attorney General · November 3, 2026 · Michigan