Abigail Censky

Politics/Government Reporter
  • portrait: Abigail Censky
    Abigail Censky
    Lindsay Wilkinson Photography

Abigail Censky is the Politics & Government reporter at WKAR.

Abigail joined WKAR in December 2018.

Prior to joining WKAR, Abigail served as news intern at St. Louis Public Radio, covering the Missouri 2018 midterm elections; and covered Colorado politics as a reporter with the Colorado Springs Gazette.

Abigail Censky has a bachelor's degree from Colorado College.

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In Photos: A Dwindling, Stalwart Crowd At 2020 Women's March

By & • 8 hours ago
A small but stalwart crowd gathered at the Michigan state Capitol for the 2020 Lansing Women's march. Capitol facilities estimated more than 250 people took part in festivities despite heavy snow earlier in the day and poor driving conditions.
Abigail Censky, WKAR

A stalwart crowd of protesters gathered at the state Capitol Saturday for the 2020 Women’s March. The event was one of 200 sister marches held across the country for the popular protest that began in 2017 as a rebuke to President Donald Trump, the day after his inauguration.

Former MSU President Lou Anna Simon’s Protracted Legal Battle Continues

By • Jan 9, 2020
Lou Anna Simon's Attorneys announced Thursday they'll file a motion to quash another judges' motion ordering Simon to face trial in Eaton County Circuit Court.
Cheyna Roth / MPRN

Attorneys for former Michigan State University President Lou Anna Simon announced Thursday that they’ll file a motion to quash another Eaton County judge’s decision that ordered Simon to face trial in circuit court.


The Looming Battle For Michigan's Senate Seat

By • Jan 6, 2020
The reelection effort for Michigan’s junior Democratic Senator, Gary Peters, will be hard fought between Democrats, who need the seat to maintain their foothold in the Senate, and Republicans, who place Peters at the top of their “endangered” list.
Photo: WKAR

Another version of this story previously aired on Weekend Edition Saturday.

When Donald Trump won the state of Michigan in 2016, he did it by a narrow margin of just over 11,000 votes. The President’s victory in 2020 depends on voters in a coalition of battleground states, like Michigan, voting for him again.

While the top of the ticket race may be the marquee for politicos, it’s not the only one. The reelection effort for Michigan’s junior Democratic Senator, Gary Peters, will be hard fought between Democrats, who need the seat to maintain their foothold in the Senate, and Republicans, who place Peters at the top of their “endangered” list.

The Burden Of Proof; Politicians Spar Over Medicaid Work Requirements In MI

By • Dec 9, 2019
The Governor made a plea to Republicans in the legislature in a letter last week asking them to suspend Medicaid work requirements while there is ongoing litigation. The program is currently scheduled to begin January 1st.
Alec Gerstenberger, WKAR

As lawmakers in Lansing extend olive branches to make a deal on the state budget, public disagreements over Medicaid work requirements continue.


At Michigan State, Students Protect Their Mascot From Mischievous Rivals

By • Nov 14, 2019

Members of the Michigan State University marching band are braving below freezing temperatures to take part in "Sparty Watch" — a more than 50-year-old protection scheme devised to fend off attacks on MSU's beloved mascot, The Spartan, in advance of their rivalry football game on Saturday.

It's 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, and 22 degrees. Twenty members of the MSU marching band and color guard are huddled outside in the snow flanking the 9-foot bronze statue.

Debriefing The Lansing And East Lansing City Council Elections

By • Nov 7, 2019
Newcomers made the biggest gains on both the Lansing and East Lansing City Council's with Brandon Betz ousting incumbent Jody Washington. And, Lisa Babcock and Jessy Gregg knocking off Eric Altmann in East Lansing.
Amanda Pinckney, WKAR

Two incumbents were ousted from the Lansing and East Lansing City Councils in Tuesday’s election. The upsets were part of a trend of progressive and anti-establishment newcomers, unseating well-financed and widely recognized incumbents. WKAR’s Abigail Censky talked to Lansing State Journal Reporter Sarah Lehr about the results. Below are highlights of their conversation. 


Mid Michigan Election Results

By • Nov 5, 2019
The reelection effort for Michigan’s junior Democratic Senator, Gary Peters, will be hard fought between Democrats, who need the seat to maintain their foothold in the Senate, and Republicans, who place Peters at the top of their “endangered” list.
Photo: WKAR

Local elections happened all across Mid-Michigan Tuesday. For many Michigan voters this was the first election it was possible to vote no-reason absentee, or register on the same day after Proposal 3 was passed in the 2018 midterms. 

This post will be updated as the results come in. Below are the results for races across Ingham, Eaton and Jackson Counties.

MSU Trustee Nancy Schlichting Resigns After Board Cancels Plans For Independent Investigation

By • Oct 28, 2019
Nancy Schlichting, second from left, stands behind MSU Trustee Melanie Foster. She served under a year of the remainder of George Perles' term before resigning, citing trustees unwillingness to waive privilege and conduct an independent investigation.
Alec Gerstenberger, WKAR

Nancy Schlichting has resigned from the Michigan State University Board of Trustees after serving under a year of the remaining four years of George Perles’ term. She sent a letter to Governor Gretchen Whitmer over the weekend resigning from her post citing the board's unwillingness to conduct an independent investigation of the Larry Nassar sex abuse scandal. 


Supreme Court Tables Gerrymandering Decision In Michigan

By & • Oct 25, 2019
United States Supreme Court Building
Ray Garcia / WKAR-MSU

Early Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a lower Michigan court’s decision that would require lawmakers redraw gerrymandered district and congressional lines before the elections in 2020. WKAR's Politics Reporter Abigail Censky spoke to Riley Beggin, Bridge Magazine's politics reporter about the decision and it's implications for Michigan. Below are highlights of their conversation.

GM And UAW Announce Tenative Agreement Amid Calls For Washington Intervention

By • Oct 16, 2019
Alec Gerstenberger / WKAR-MSU

The United Autoworkers strike against General Motors is now in its fifth week. By some estimates workers have lost more than six hundred million in wages. Now, the UAW has announced they've reached a tentative agreement with GM.

GM Suppliers Hurting From Autoworkers Strike, Too

By • Oct 9, 2019

With the UAW strike against General Motors in its fourth week, the automaker is losing millions of dollars. So are the businesses that supply GM. Many of their workers have also been out of work for four weeks, but unlike the striking UAW workers, their plight is much less visible.

Lansing, Mich., has nine regional GM suppliers. These are companies that do everything from producing ads to making parts for GM's cars and trucks. Altogether, that's more than 6,000 jobs. Supplier jobs in Lansing outnumber GM jobs.

Lansing City Council Passes New Rules For Recreational Marijuana

By • Oct 7, 2019

Starting in November, the state of Michigan will begin accepting license applications for recreational marijuana businesses. However, don’t expect to start seeing these businesses open up for some time. WKAR’s government and politics reporter Abigail Censky spoke to Lansing State Journal reporter Sarah Lehr about new marijuana legislation approved by the Lansing City Council.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin Embarks On District Tour After Backing Impeachment Inquiry

By • Oct 3, 2019
Congresswoman Elissa Slotkin faced consituents for the first time Wednesday after announcing she now backs an impeachment inquiry.
Amanda Barberena / WKAR-MSU

Hundreds of people crowded into a Grand Traverse Pie Company in East Lansing on Wednesday for Representative Elissa Slotkin’s (MI-08) first in-district public event since she announced she was joining calls for an impeachment inquiry last week.


Analyst Estimates Supplier Losses Outpace UAW Worker Losses In Third Week Of Strike

By • Oct 1, 2019
A United Auto Worker strikes outside of the Lansing Grand River assembly plant in the first week of the strike. The strike is now three weeks old and some analysts predict supplier wage losses are outpacing UAW wage losses.
Alec Gerstenberger, WKAR

The United Auto Workers strike against General Motors entered its third week Monday.  It’s estimated that GM has lost more than $135 million over the course of the strike. But the businesses that supply GM are also losing millions. WKAR’s politics reporter Abigail Censky spoke with Patrick Anderson, CEO of the Anderson Economic Group, about how much he estimates suppliers are losing. Below are highlights of their conversation.

Lansing City Council Will Consider New Rules For Recreational Marijuana

By • Sep 20, 2019
WKAR Special Report: Marijuana in Michigan
illustration / WKAR-MSU

The city of Lansing will be making the rules that govern recreational marijuana by modifying their rules on medical marijuana. Lansing State Journal reporter Sarah Lehr reports on city council and she joined WKAR’s Abigail Censky in the studio to discuss the potential changes. Below are highlights of their conversation.

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