Biography
Justin Onwenu is the Democratic candidate for the Michigan State Senate, District 1, in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1][3] A Detroit native and attorney, he describes himself in a Ballotpedia survey as the City of Detroit's first Director of Entrepreneurship.[1][2]
Onwenu was born in Detroit and earned a bachelor's degree from Rice University in 2018 and a law degree from Columbia Law School in 2024.[1] In a Ballotpedia survey, he said he began his career as a community organizer in Detroit's 48217 zip code, River Rouge and Ecorse, working on air filters, drinking water access and pandemic resources.[2] He said that at Columbia he studied labor and constitutional law, served as student body president, and worked as a law clerk for the UAW and SEIU.[2]
Onwenu said he now serves as Detroit's first Director of Entrepreneurship and Economic Opportunity and teaches workers' rights law at Detroit Mercy Law School.[2] He named rebuilding the state economy, investing in neighborhoods, and ethics and government reform, including campaign finance reform and the Michigan Voting Rights Act, as his key campaign messages.[2]
- 1.Justin Onwenu - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
- 2.Justin Onwenu - Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey (2026) · Ballotpedia Candidate's own words
- 3.Michigan State Senate elections, 2026 - Ballotpedia · Ballotpedia Reference
Researched from the cited sources on 2026-10-21. Not yet independently fact-checked.
Michigan Senate District 1
Justin Onwenu is on the Nov 3, 2026 ballot for Michigan Senate District 1 as D. Not researched in depth — candidate list only.