Under-the-radar race will decide Michigan Senate control in Whitmer’s final year
Michigan voters are deciding control of the state Senate in a special election for the 35th District, which could shift the balance of power during Governor Gretchen Whitmer's final year in office. Democrats currently hold a 19-18 majority, but a Republican win would create a 19-19 split and increase GOP leverage in legislation. The outcome may also signal voter sentiment ahead of the 2026 midterm elections in the swing state.
- ▪Democrats currently hold a 19-18 advantage in the Michigan Senate with one seat vacant after Kristen McDonald Rivet moved to the U.S. House.
- ▪The 35th District covers parts of Bay, Saginaw, and Midland counties, which all voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election.
- ▪A Republican victory would create a 19-19 split in the Senate, giving Republicans greater influence despite Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II holding the tie-breaking vote.
- ▪The special election is seen as a bellwether for voter turnout and key issues ahead of the 2026 midterms in Michigan.
- ▪According to a mid-April Emerson College poll, 40% of likely 2026 primary voters in Michigan cited the economy as the most important issue.
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Michigan voters will head to the polls on Tuesday in the state Senate’s 35th District to cast ballots that will decide the chamber’s balance of power for Gov. Gretchen Whitmer‘s (D-MI) final year in office. Democrats currently hold a 19-18 seat advantage in the Michigan Senate, with one vacant seat after state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet left the state chamber for the U.S. House in January 2025. If Republicans can flip the former Democratic seat in Tuesday’s special election, they will have much more negotiating power in the state’s upper chamber.
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