MICHIGAN—Polls have closed across most of Michigan and ballots are being counted to decide who will lead the state for the next four years. At the top of the ballot are an open US Senate seat that could help decide control of the Senate and an open race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Voters are also choosing a new attorney general and secretary of state, two state Supreme Court justices, every seat in the Legislature and all 13 of Michigan’s US House seats. Two statewide ballot proposals are on the ballot, too. Polls in four Upper Peninsula counties on Central time close at 9 p.m. Eastern.
This story will be updated throughout the night as results roll in.
US Senate Race
Recent polls show a close race for Michigan’s open US Senate seat, with Democrat Abdul El-Sayed holding a narrow edge over Republican Mike Rogers in most surveys.
El-Sayed, an epidemiologist with a medical degree, previously ran the public health departments for the city of Detroit and Wayne County. He lost to Gretchen Whitmer in the 2018 primary election for governor and won this year’s primary election over US Rep. Haley Stevens.
Rogers, a US Army veteran and former FBI agent, represented Michigan in Congress from 2001 to 2015 and chaired the House Intelligence Committee. He lost the 2024 US Senate race to Elissa Slotkin by fewer than 20,000 votes and has President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
The seat is open because Democratic US Sen. Gary Peters did not seek reelection this year, and it’s one of a handful of races that could decide which party controls the Senate.
This section will be updated as results come in.
Governor’s Race
Recent polls show Democrat Jocelyn Benson ahead of Republican John James in the race to become Michigan’s next governor.
Benson has been Michigan’s secretary of state since 2019 and oversaw the state’s elections through the 2020 presidential race and its aftermath. She’s a former dean of Wayne State University Law School and won the primary over Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson.
James, a US Army veteran, has represented Michigan’s 10th Congressional District since 2023. He lost his campaigns for US Senate in both 2018 and 2020, and won this year’s gubernatorial primary election over businessman Perry Johnson. He is running with Trump’s endorsement.
The seat is open because Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term-limited.
This section will be updated as results come in.
Attorney General’s Race
Democrat Eli Savit and Republican Doug Lloyd, both county prosecutors, are running to replace term-limited Attorney General Dana Nessel.
Savit has been the Washtenaw County prosecutor since 2021. He clerked for two US Supreme Court justices and won the Democratic Party’s nomination at its April convention over Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald.
Lloyd has worked as a prosecutor for three decades and has led the Eaton County prosecutor’s office since 2013. He is president of the state’s county prosecutors association and won the Republican Party’s nomination at its March convention.
This section will be updated as results come in.
Secretary of State’s Race
Democrat Garlin Gilchrist and Republican Anthony Forlini are running to replace Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who is term-limited and running for governor.
Gilchrist has been Michigan’s lieutenant governor since 2019 and previously worked as a software engineer. He ended his campaign for governor in January to run for secretary of state.
Forlini, a former state representative, has been the Macomb County clerk since 2021, overseeing elections in the state’s third-largest county.
This section will be updated as results come in.
Michigan Supreme Court
Regardless of the outcome, Democratic-nominated justices will keep their majority on the Michigan Supreme Court. Democratic nominees hold six of the court’s seven seats, and both seats on the ballot this year belong to Democratic-nominated incumbents.
Cavanagh, the court’s chief justice, was first elected in 2018 after more than 15 years as an appellate attorney. Hood was appointed by Whitmer in 2025 after serving on the Michigan Court of Appeals and as a circuit judge in Detroit. Both were nominated by Democrats.
Warren has been an Oakland County circuit judge since 2002 and teaches at Cooley Law School. Morse-Bills has been presiding judge of the 23rd Judicial Circuit in northeast Michigan since 2018 and is a former Oscoda County prosecutor. Both were nominated by Republicans.
Supreme Court candidates are nominated at party conventions but appear on the ballot without party labels. The top two vote-getters in this year’s election will win eight-year terms.
This section will be updated as results come in.
Michigan Legislature
All 148 seats in the Michigan Legislature are on the ballot, and control of both chambers is up for grabs. Democrats hold the state Senate 20-18, while Republicans hold the state House 58-52. A party needs 20 seats to control the Senate and 56 to control the House.
Whichever party controls each chamber will shape how much of the next governor’s agenda can pass. This section will be updated once results are in.
Proposals 1 & 2
Proposal 1 asks voters whether to hold a convention to rewrite Michigan’s constitution. The state constitution automatically puts the question on the ballot every 16 years, and voters last rejected it in 2010. A large bipartisan coalition of groups urged a no vote on this proposal.
Proposal 2, also known as “Mop Up Michigan,” would bar regulated gas and electric utilities, along with companies holding more than $250,000 in state contracts, from making political contributions. It would also expand disclosure rules for political ads, including online ads. Michiganders for Money Out of Politics, a coalition of left-leaning groups, put it on the ballot.
This section will be updated once results are in.
US House
All 13 of Michigan’s US House seats are on the ballot, and four of them could decide majority control of Congress. Republicans hold seven of Michigan’s seats and Democrats hold six.
Nationally, Republicans hold 218 seats and Democrats hold 214, with one independent who caucuses with Republicans and two vacancies.
Democrats need a net gain of three seats to reach the 218 needed for a majority.
Among the most competitive races in Michigan:
MI-04: Republican US Rep. Bill Huizenga, who has served in Congress since 2011, faces Democratic state Sen. Sean McCann of Kalamazoo. This section will be updated as results come in.
MI-07: First-term Republican US Rep. Tom Barrett faces Democrat Will Lawrence, a community organizer, in the state’s most expensive House race. This section will be updated as results come in.
MI-08: First-term Democratic US Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet faces Republican Thomas J. Smith in a district Trump narrowly won in 2024. This section will be updated as results come in.
MI-10: Republican Mike Bouchard and Democrat Christina Hines are running for the open seat John James is leaving to run for governor. This section will be updated as results come in.
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