Oakland County’s deputy county executive Sean Carlson has walked away from his county job to campaign full-time for the 13th District in the Michigan Senate, stepping into the race while a string of investigations into his work at the county continues to swirl in the background.
Records and reimbursements
Public records obtained by reporters show Carlson billed taxpayers $46,394.82 for travel, mileage and meals between May 2022 and August 2025, including roughly $7,502.12 for personal-car mileage. The records include a $4,788.50 trip to a London trade show, where Carlson’s lodging is listed at the St. James’s Hotel and Club in Mayfair, along with other overseas travel tied to economic-development work. During that same span, he earned $230,099.22 as deputy county executive, as reported by WXYZ.
County officials respond
In a statement to WXYZ, County Executive Dave Coulter said he was grateful for Sean’s leadership and that Carlson told him he would leave the county to campaign full-time. Carlson, in his own statement to the 7 Investigators, said, "Today marks my last day with the Coulter Administration," and added that he plans to bring results-driven leadership to Lansing.
Campaign backdrop
Carlson was an early entrant into the 13th District contest and quickly drew support from Democratic Senate operatives. Reporting shows the Michigan Senate Democratic Fund picked up the tab for an initial campaign website and media push late last summer. As reported by Bridge Michigan, party leaders have tagged the open seat as a top target for the 2026 cycle.
Contract probe and legal questions
At the same time, Oakland County’s IT department has been under scrutiny after a whistleblower alleged employees used their positions for personal gain and county leaders hired the law firm Miller Canfield to investigate. The outside firm concluded that awarding a CLEMIS staffing contract to ZaydLogix LLC, a deal valued at about $450,000, violated state law and county rules. The contract was canceled before any payment was made, and county officials have released only a summary of the review, according to TV20 Detroit. County officials say internal discipline and procurement changes have followed as the matter was reviewed.
What’s next
The state primary for Senate seats is scheduled for Aug. 4, 2026, and Carlson will now focus on the August contest in a district party leaders say will be closely watched this fall. Local leaders and watchdogs say they plan to keep a close eye on procurement and expense policies as the campaign unfolds and any official reviews continue.
