Democrat Wins Michigan 35th Senate Seat by 20 Points

A Democrat secured a decisive victory in a closely watched special election for Michigan's 35th State Senate District on Tuesday, defeating the Republican candidate by nearly 20 percentage points and preserving the party's narrow majority in the chamber.

Chedrick Greene, a former Marine and fire captain, won the seat vacated by Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet, who resigned in January 2025 to join the U.S. House. The district, spanning parts of Bay, Saginaw and Midland counties, had backed Donald Trump over Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race, with Trump carrying Bay County by 14.7 points, Saginaw by 3.3 points and Midland by 15.2 points. Harris won the specific district by less than 1 percentage point last year, while McDonald Rivet took the Senate seat by 6 points in 2022. Republican Jason Tunney, an attorney, and Libertarian Ali Sledz trailed Greene in the contest.

Democrats now hold a 20-18 edge in the Senate, maintaining leverage during Governor Gretchen Whitmer's final year in office before she reaches term limits at the end of 2026. A Republican victory would have created a 19-19 tie, forcing greater bipartisan negotiations on legislation.