Voters in Michigan’s 35th Senate District will decide a special election Tuesday, May 5, that’s set to determine control of the upper chamber for the rest of the year.
Democrat Chedrick Greene and Republican Jason Tunney are facing off in a special election for the district, which has been vacant since U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, D-Bay City, was elected to Congress and sworn into office in early 2025. Libertarian Ali Sledz is also on the ballot.
The 35th District covers communities in Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties. Polls are open on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voters can find more information about their polling precinct, how to register to vote and more at the Michigan Voter Information Center at michigan.gov/vote.
Tuesday’s special election is the first midterm-year test for Republicans and Democrats in Michigan. Nationally, Democrats have outpaced Republicans in special elections this year. Analysis by the website POLITCO found in more than 200 state and federal elections since the 2024 presidential election, Democrats have made gains compared to their 2024 results in significantly more races than Republicans. And with frustration over spiking gas prices mounting, there could be residual dissatisfaction with President Donald Trump driving more Democratic turnout in the 35th.
Still, Republicans have been focused on the district even before Tunney and Greene launched their campaigns — GOP lawmakers lambasted Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for taking too long to call a special election to fill McDonald Rivet’s seat in their eyes.
Recent polling conducted by the Glengariff Group on behalf of the Detroit Regional Chamber found the economy was the top issue for both Democratic and Republican likely voters in the August statewide primary election.
Democrats currently hold a 19-18 advantage in the Michigan Senate, so a Republican picking up the seat would ensure any legislation would need bipartisan support to pass the chamber. While Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, a Democrat, serves as the tiebreaking vote in the event senators are split 19-19, an even split in the chamber would mean Republicans could block Democratic-backed policies from passing if a Republican senator were to abstain from voting, since legislation needs support from a majority of lawmakers currently serving in a chamber to pass.
If Republicans were able to pick up the 35th District, it would give them a boost in state budget negotiations as the House, Senate and Whitmer, a Democrat, try to agree on a spending plan for the upcoming fiscal year. The House is currently under Republican control.
Both Greene and Tunney have spent relatively heavily to drive turnout — in the most recent campaign finance reporting period stretching from Feb. 24 to April 19, Greene’s campaign spent over $204,000 while Tunney’s spent over $245,000, according to public campaign finance disclosures.
Greene is a U.S. Marine veteran and a firefighter in Saginaw. He previously told the Free Press boosting funding for public schools and increasing support to expand manufacturing jobs in Michigan are among his key legislative priorities.
Tunney is an attorney operating a private practice in Saginaw. He previously was an assistant prosecutor in Saginaw County and also practiced private law for a period of time in Ohio. He told the Free Press in a previous interview his experience as a prosecuting attorney in the area provides him insight into the district. On his campaign website, Tunney lists eliminating Michigan’s state income tax and prohibiting lawmakers from signing non-disclosure agreements among his legislative priorities.
The 35th Senate District, like all other state Senate seats, will be up for election again this November. It’s not immediately clear when the winner of Tuesday’s special election will be sworn into the Senate.
Unofficial election results will be posted on freep.com once they are available.
You can reach Arpan Lobo at alobo@freepress.com
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Special election in Michigan’s 35th District could decide Senate control
Reporting by Arpan Lobo, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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