Democrats will retain control of the Michigan State Senate after a special election in mid-Michigan Tuesday.
Democrat Chedrick Greene defeated Republican Jason Tunney in Tuesday’s special election to fill the 35th state Senate district seat. Libertarian Ali Sledz finished a distant third.
Greene teared up as he thanked his supporters Tuesday night.
“Michigan 35th Senate District has spoken, and they said loudly and clearly that they want this marine veteran, this retired fire captain, proud union member to be their next state senator,” Greene told his cheering supporters.
Greene promised to work on affordable housing, better paying jobs, and medical debt.
The seat representing parts of Midland, Bay, and Saginaw counties has been vacant since January 2025, when former state senator Kristen McDonald Rivet took her seat in Congress.
Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s long delay in scheduling a special election was decried by Republicans as politically motivated. Democrats hold a slim majority in the Michigan Senate, which narrowed to a single senator when McDonald Rivet vacated the seat.
If Tunney, the Republican, had won the special election, the Legislature’s upper chamber would have been deadlocked, 19 Democrats to 19 Republicans, with Democratic Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist to cast the tie breaking vote.
Tunney consoled his supporters Tuesday night by reminding them that the special election was only the “halfway point.”
As the winner of Tuesday's special election, Greene will serve out the final eight months of the current term. Voters in Saginaw, Bay, and Midland counties will go through the whole process again to elect a state senator to a full term in November.
Tunney is confident he’ll win the Republican primary to get his party’s endorsement to run in November. He also predicts a stronger showing in the November general election with a larger pool of voters.
“Special election, low turnout ... we’re optimistic going forward for November,” said Tunney.
With 94% of the vote counted Tuesday night, Greene had about a 20-point lead over Tunney.
The special election was seen as a potential bellwether for this fall’s mid-term elections in Michigan. In 2024,the 35th District voted for Republican Donald Trump for president and Democrat Elissa Slotkin for U.S. Senate.
