State Rep. Joe Aragona racked up the highest tab among Michigan lawmakers for lobbyist-provided meals and travel in 2025, according to a report from the online publication Bridge Michigan. His total of $12,508 exceeded the next highest lawmaker by more than $2,700.

“His inclusion on that list demonstrates just how much those lobbyists want to bend his ear,” Aragona told the Macomb Daily. The 60th District representative, which covers parts of Macomb and Clinton townships, said the spending surge reflects intense interest from special interests now that Republicans hold the House majority, regained in 2024 after two years in the minority.

Overall, Michigan lawmakers and executive branch officials received more than $485,000 in such perks last year. Meals with individual legislators alone cost lobbyists over $180,000—a record that topped 2024’s figure by nearly $40,000. Nine of the top 10 recipients were Republicans, the report states.

“When we moved from Democrats to Republicans controlling the House, there’s a lot of people who want to talk to you,” Aragona said. He acknowledged he hadn’t fully reviewed the Bridge Michigan report but added that lobbyists seek meetings to gauge his views on key issues. “I continue to work, so I will meet with them.”

Aragona, 38, chairs the House Regulatory Reform Committee, serves as vice chair of the House Rules Committee and sits on the Finance and Insurance committees. First elected in November 2022 and re-elected in 2024, he previously worked as deputy supervisor in Harrison Township.

One standout expense in the report: a $4,500 trip to the Turks and Caicos Islands courtesy of the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association. The group hosted its winter seminar at the Ritz-Carlton, a five-star resort in the Caribbean, last February. The lobby shelled out about $9,600 to bring three lawmakers as speakers.

Aragona missed the original flight after a grueling House session left him with just two hours of sleep. “They wanted to meet with me… I said ‘Let’s just do it by Zoom, I’ll pay the costs,'” he recalled. The association insisted on an in-person meeting to get to know him better and covered his travel instead.

“They really wanted to talk, obviously,” Aragona said.

He brushed off potential political backlash. “If you don’t want to look bad, you’re in the wrong business,” he told the Macomb Daily. “People will try to trash me, that’s part of being a public servant.” The representative noted the scrutiny that comes with public life—he avoids running errands in sweatpants and always dresses appropriately when out in public.

Michigan state representatives earn a base salary of $71,685 annually, plus a $10,800 expense allowance and mileage reimbursements.