MICHIGAN—Every seat in the state House and Senate is up for grabs on Nov. 3.
Republicans hold the House 58-52. Democrats hold the Senate 20-18. That means the direction of state government—including what bills pass, fail, and land on the governor’s desk—could be decided in a handful of districts where only a few hundred votes have decided the outcome.
The ‘Gander has been highlighting those races. Read on to learn more about the candidates.
Michigan House
44th District
Steve Frisbie (R) vs. Jim Haadsma (D)
This district had the closest margin in the state last election. Frisbie, a former paramedic and county commissioner, unseated Haadsma in 2024 by 79 votes—and only after a recount that Frisbie fought in court. Haadsma, a labor attorney who held the seat for six years, wants it back.
Click here to read the full race profile.
61st District
Denise Mentzer (D) vs. Robert Wojtowicz (R)
Wojtowicz, a Republican Chippewa Valley school board trustee, lost to Mentzer by less than 1,000 votes in 2024 and came back for a rematch this year. Mentzer, a former Mount Clemens city commissioner who spent years working for Macomb County, is seeking a third term.
Check back soon for the full race profile.
109th District
Karl Bohnak (R) vs. Anna Aho Rink (D)
Bohnak, a TV meteorologist for three decades until he was fired over a COVID-19 vaccine mandate, became the first Republican to represent Marquette County in the state House since the 1950s. Rink is a physician assistant who spent 17 years at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Marquette—the Upper Peninsula’s only abortion provider—until it was forced to close last year.
Click here to read the full race profile.
46th District
Kathy Schmaltz (R) vs. Jan Maino (D)
Schmaltz, the incumbent Republican, anchored the evening news in Lansing for 14 years before running for office. She’s seeking a third term against Maino, a licensed social worker and mental health therapist who has served on the East Jackson School Board for more than a decade.
Click here to read the full race profile.
27th District
Rylee Linting (R) vs. Jaime Churches (D)
Linting was 22 when she won this seat in 2024, making her the youngest member of the state Legislature. Churches, the public school teacher she beat, is running again. Churches won the seat in 2022 by just 660 votes, which tells you most of what you need to know about this district.
Click here to read the full race profile.
54th District
Sarah Pounds (D) vs. Roman Gaskey (R)
Republican Rep. Donni Steele is giving up this seat after two terms to run for state Senate, leaving northern Oakland County without an incumbent on the ballot. Pounds, a Democrat and paralegal from Lake Orion, ran unopposed and has been endorsed by EMILY’s List, the UAW, and a number of Oakland County officials. Gaskey, a recent college graduate from neighboring Orion Township, beat a former township trustee by 61 votes for the Republican nomination.
Check back soon for the full race profile.
28th District
Jamie Thompson (R) vs. Sherry Berecz (D)
Thompson, the incumbent Republican in this race, won this seat by fewer than 800 votes in 2022 before widening her margin in 2024. Berecz is the third Democrat to take a run at her—and the first with three decades of elected experience in the district’s largest township.
Click here to read the full race profile.
55th District
Mark Tisdel (R) vs. Alex Hawkins (D)
Margins don’t capture this one. In 2024, voters here backed Democrat Elissa Slotkin for US Senate and Tisdel, the incumbent Republican for state House, on the same ballot. Tisdel is a former Rochester Hills Council member who used to sell insurance. Hawkins is an Army veteran and National Guard officer who has worked for both Slotkin and US Sen. Gary Peters.
Click here to read the full race profile.
86th District
Nancy DeBoer (R) vs. Joseph McClusky (D)
DeBoer, the incumbent Republican, has won twice with about 56% of the vote. But Trump carried this district by a mere 0.3% of the vote in 2020, and Holland voters replaced DeBoer as mayor in 2019 with a more progressive candidate they’ve since re-elected three times. McClusky, 28, managed the campaign against her in 2022. Now he’s running himself.
Click here to read the full race profile.
Michigan Senate
9th District
Michael Webber (R) vs. Theresa Brooks (D)
Webber flipped this seat in 2022 by 0.5% of the vote, taking a district Democrats had held for more than a decade. He’s an insurance agent who served three terms in the state House. Brooks, a physician and Troy City Council member, won her primary with 47% of the vote.
Check back soon for the full race profile.
32nd District
Rebecca Amidon (D) vs. Kim Cole (R)
Republican Sen. Jon Bumstead is term-limited, opening a West Michigan seat he narrowly won in 2022. Cole has been Mason County sheriff since 2013. Amidon, a community college instructor, ran unopposed and pulled more primary votes than both Republicans combined.
Check back soon for the full race profile.
What happens next?
Democrats need four seats to retake the Michigan House. Republicans need to flip two to take the Senate. And whichever way it breaks, the state Legislature that gets elected in November will spend the next two years working with—or against—a brand new governor.
READ MORE: A ‘con-con’ could rewrite Michigan’s state constitution
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