Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democrat nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat, is under fire for claiming a farming tax credit on her property, despite no visible agricultural activity—a move that saves her thousands in property taxes each year.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democrat nominee for Michigan’s open Senate seat, is facing scrutiny over her property tax arrangement, which allows her to pay no property taxes on her home by claiming a farming tax credit, despite no apparent agricultural activity on the property.
According to the New York Post, Slotkin benefits from an agricultural tax exemption on her Holly, Michigan home, saving about $2,700 annually. Despite the property's "agricultural-improved" designation, public records indicate there are no active agricultural licenses associated with it, and aerial photos show no visible farming activity—just a single-family home, woods, and fields.
The agricultural exemption on Slotkin's property existed before it was transferred to her ownership. Under Michigan law, a property can be classified as agricultural either by its existing designation or if 50% or more of the land is used for farming. However, homeowners can request to withdraw from this designation by applying to the Michigan State Tax Commission.
Slotkin's father, Curtis, transferred the property to Slotkin and her brother in May 2023 via a quitclaim deed, according to records cited by the Post. The "agricultural-improved" designation applies to properties with structures suitable for farming, granting homeowners a 100% property tax exemption.
Critics have seized on this tax arrangement. National Republican Senatorial Committee spokeswoman Maggie Abboud accused Slotkin of deceiving Michigan voters, calling her a "phony politician" who falsely presents herself as a farmer. Abboud also pointed to past controversies surrounding Slotkin’s living arrangements.
In response to the Post's report, a campaign spokesperson for Slotkin stated, "Rep. Slotkin’s farm has been in her family for three generations since 1956. It has been agricultural since then, and Oakland County has confirmed on multiple occasions that the property qualifies for the agricultural exemption."
Despite this explanation, questions remain about the true purpose of the property. Slotkin co-founded the Congressional Specialty Crops Caucus in April, with Michigan Farm News reporting that she “resides on her family’s beef cattle farm in Holly.”
Further scrutiny has emerged regarding Slotkin’s broader living arrangements. During her 2022 congressional campaign, Slotkin, who was then married, temporarily moved into the Lansing apartment of lobbyist Jerry Hollister following Michigan's redistricting. Although Slotkin and Hollister were both registered to vote at the Lansing address, Hollister claimed he was living elsewhere. Slotkin returned to Oakland County after winning her seat.
The timeline becomes more complicated with Slotkin's personal life. Divorce records from February 2023 reveal that Slotkin and her husband, David Moore, had been living apart since at least August 2022. During a 2022 debate, when her opponent, Republican Tom Barrett, suggested she was living with a lobbyist, Slotkin defended herself by referencing her marriage. She filed for divorce on February 1, 2023, and it was finalized on March 1, two days after she announced her Senate candidacy.
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