Whitmer calls special election for open Michigan Senate seat after months of bipartisan pressure

BY KYLE DAVIDSON, MICHIGAN ADVANCE

MICHIGAN—Nearly eight months after US Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) left her seat in the Michigan Senate to serve in Congress, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has called a special election to fill the vacant seat.

According to an announcement from the Executive Office of the Governor, Whitmer sent a letter to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson on Friday calling for a special election, with the primary set for Feb. 3, 2026 and the general election set for May 5, 2026.

“Today, I am calling a special election for the 35th Senate District that represents parts of Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties,” Whitmer said in a statement. “We have a lot of good work to get done before the end of next year. Michiganders want us to create jobs and grow the economy, invest in schools and boost literacy rates, and, of course, fix those damn roads. I look forward to working with the next state senator from this district to tackle these issues and more.”

The 35th Senate District is considered a key target for both parties, with major implications for Democrats’ razor thin majority in the upper chamber. In the months leading up to this announcement, politicians and officials on both sides of the aisle have called for a special election, with some emphasizing the more than 270,000 Michiganders left without representation in the seat.

Prior to McDonald Rivet’s departure, Democrats held a two person majority in the Senate. Should a Republican candidate take the seat in the general election, the chamber would be split 19-19.

While Michigan Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist can break the tie on any 19-19 vote, an absence from either party would result in a 19-18 vote, leaving Gilchrist without a tie to break. In order to pass through the chamber, any policy must receive a minimum of 20 votes. With Republicans holding the majority in the House, a split Senate would further complicate the Democratic governor’s ability to advance her policy agenda.

This coverage was republished from Michigan Advance pursuant to a Creative Commons license. 

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