Lansing — State Rep. Joe Tate, the first Black person to be speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, will not seek re-election to his Detroit-based House seat in November.
The former speaker confirmed his decision to The News on Tuesday, but did not comment further on his reasons for not seeking another term.
His departure was first reported by the Michigan Chronicle.
Tate, who is serving his fourth term in the House, became the House’s top leader when he was selected by the then Democratic majority to lead the chamber from 2023 to 2024.
He was eligible to serve two additional terms in the House under changes voters made to term limits in 2022 that allowed lawmakers to serve a total of 12 years in one chamber or combined across both chambers.
In a statement Wednesday, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called Tate a “good friend, committed public servant and trailblazer.”
“Speaker Tate always led with compassion and kindness, put Michiganders first, and worked tirelessly to get things done that make a difference for his constituents and every Michigander,” Whitmer said. “I want to congratulate him on capping off his historic legislative career and wish him and his family the best as he begins a new chapter.”
House Speaker Matt Hall, a Richland Township Republican who was minority leader while Tate led the chamber, said he was “disappointed” to hear that Tate would not seek re-election.
“It is tradition for speakers, regardless of party, to maintain a close and respectful relationship after leaving the rostrum,” Hall said. “I look forward to doing exactly that with former Speaker Tate for many years to come.”
Tate is a former National Football League player, Michigan State University offensive lineman and a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. Before he was elected to the Legislature in 2018, Tate worked for the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation.
Under Tate’s leadership, Democrats, who had trifecta control of the state Senate, House, and governor’s office, immediately repealed right-to-work legislation, re-instituted the prevailing wage, expanded the earned income tax credit, and repealed several abortion laws in 2023.
But the House Democratic caucus lost momentum later in the year when two of its 56-member majority were elected to mayoral positions in the Detroit suburbs, leaving the House in a 54-54 tie with Republicans.
Amid that stalemate and for months after regaining the majority, the House was unable to move forward on significant legislation amid divisions within the caucus and little aid from House Republicans.
Democrats lost their majority in the November 2024 election, leaving the caucus a little more than a month to move all of its long-sought legislation out of the chamber during lame duck.
Instead, there was a historic collapse in the lower chamber after Republicans walked out of session and state Rep. Karen Whitsett, D-Detroit, refused to come to session. Whitsett’s absence deprived House Democrats of the key 56th vote needed for any legislation to leave the chamber.
In 2024, Tate formed an exploratory committee to run for Detroit mayor before abandoning the idea. In 2025, he briefly joined the race for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.
eleblanc@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Ex-Speaker Joe Tate won’t seek reelection to Michigan House
Reporting by Beth LeBlanc, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
