By ED WHITE, Associated Press

DETROIT (AP) — Gretchen Whitmer won the race for Michigan governor on Tuesday as the Democratic Party took aim at the Republican Party's hold on most statewide offices with a slate of female candidates.

Whitmer pledged to fix the state's rickety roads and reverse a retirement tax, while her opponent, Bill Schuette, hoped a solid economy would convince voters to stick with a Republican. GOP Gov. Rick Snyder couldn't run because he reached his term limit. Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow, seeking a fourth term, is pitted against Republican John James, an Iraq War veteran.

Democratic women are challenging Republican male incumbents in two U.S. House races. There also are three statewide ballot questions, including one that would legalize recreational marijuana.

Here are some key races:

___

CONGRESS

Republicans dominate the state's U.S. House delegation, 9-4, with one vacancy in a Democratic-leaning Detroit-area district. Republican Rep. Mike Bishop is facing a vigorous test from former CIA analyst Elissa Slotkin, who has pounded the incumbent with TV ads highlighting his opposition to the Affordable Care Act. Democrat Haley Stevens, a key government staffer in the bailout of the auto industry, is running against Republican businesswoman Lena Epstein in suburban Detroit. The 1st District in northern Michigan has been held by a Republican since 2011. Democrat Matthew Morgan is challenging U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman after a successful write-in campaign in the primary. Republican Rep. Tim Walberg has a rematch against Gretchen Driskell, whom he trounced in their southern Michigan race in 2016.

___

LEGISLATURE

Democrats have long been outnumbered in the Michigan House and Senate. They're poised to make gains, though capturing a majority in both chambers for the first time in 34 years would be tough. Republicans have benefited for years because they controlled how districts were drawn after the 2010 census. Republicans hold majorities of 63-46 in the House and 27-10 in the Senate, with one Democratic-leaning seat in each chamber currently vacant. In case of a tie in the state Senate, the newly elected lieutenant governor who presides over the chamber would tip the balance.

___

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Democrat Dana Nessel is best known for representing two women who successfully challenged Michigan's ban on gay marriage. She has promised to shake up the attorney general's office, especially how it handles Flint water cases. She says the special prosecutor is overpaid and that criminal charges were influenced by politics. The Republican candidate, Tom Leonard, wants to put more emphasis on how local courts and law enforcers handle people who are mentally ill. A wild card: Will an independent candidate and the Libertarian Party nominee get enough votes to influence the result?

___

SUPREME COURT

The two candidates with the most votes in the six-person race will get seats on Michigan's highest court. Justices Elizabeth Clement and Kurtis Wilder were appointed by Snyder and are seeking to stay in office. Democrats nominated University of Michigan law professor Sam Bagenstos and appellate lawyer Megan Cavanagh, the daughter of former Justice Michael Cavanagh. Republicans have a 5-2 majority on the Supreme Court, though candidates aren't identified by party on the ballot.

___

MARIJUANA

Ten years after Michigan voters approved medical marijuana, they will decide whether to allow anyone age 21 or older to buy, grow and use the drug for recreational purposes. Local governments could ban pot shops even if the proposal wins at the ballot box. The nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan says police and jails might save money if marijuana becomes legal, but it also notes there will be a cost for abuse and other public health issues. Marijuana sales would carry a special 10 percent tax, with 70 percent of revenue going to schools and roads, on top of Michigan's 6 percent sales tax.

___

VOTING PROPOSAL

Proposal 3 would allow people to register to vote as late as Election Day and immediately get a ballot. Absentee ballots would be granted without reason. Straight-party voting — a single mark for candidates of one party — would be revived. Supporters, including the American Civil Liberties Union, civil rights groups and unions, say it would make voting more accessible. Among the opponents, Republican secretary of state candidate Mary Treder Lang says some provisions will "add more bureaucracy, red tape and government regulations." Recent polls showed strong support for adding it to the constitution.

___

DRAWING DISTRICTS

Voters could overhaul the way seats in the Legislature and Congress are drawn every decade. If approved, the job would go to a 13-member commission picked at random after the next census. It would be an extraordinary change, locked in the constitution and snatching power from state lawmakers and the governor. Republicans drew the maps after the 2010 census because they were in control of the state Capitol and have remained so, at least partly because of how seats were drawn. Critics of the proposal say a commission wouldn't be accountable to the public. Supporters, however, say representative democracy is at risk in a process soaked in politics.