Michigan Democrats' razor-thin control of the state Senate faces a critical test Tuesday as voters in a competitive central Michigan district decide whether to deadlock the chamber at 19 senators each, potentially stalling the party's legislative agenda for the remaining eight months of the current term.
After 16 months without representation in the state Senate, voters in District 35 will fill the seat last held by Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet, who's now a congresswoman. Michigan Democrats won a state government trifecta in 2022—control of the governorship and both chambers of the state Legislature—but lost the state House in 2024 and cling to a 19-18 state Senate majority. A Republican victory on Tuesday would deadlock the body at 19 senators each.
Legislative Gridlock Potential
While the state constitution allows Democratic Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II to break ties, Republicans could still block measures by withholding votes and preventing Democrats from reaching the 20-vote threshold required to pass legislation. This procedural reality means even a tie could effectively halt the Democratic agenda through the remainder of the term.
The Candidates
The nominees for the seat are Democrat Chedrick Greene, Republican Jason Tunney and Libertarian Ali Sledz. Greene, a firefighter and former state Senate aide to McDonald Rivet, received 60% of the vote in the Feb. 3 Democratic special primary against five others. Tunney, an attorney and former executive at his family's roofing company, won the GOP special primary with 51% of the vote against three opponents. Sledz, a graduate student and Army spouse, received the Libertarian Party nomination at a local party convention in January.
District Dynamics
State Senate District 35 includes parts of Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties and borders Lake Huron. Although Republican Donald Trump carried all three counties in the 2024 presidential race, the portions of the counties that fall within District 35 are more competitive. McDonald Rivet won the seat in 2022 with 53% of the vote. Democrat Kamala Harris barely edged Trump in the district in 2024, 49.7% to 48.9%, on the strength of her 17-percentage-point lead in the Saginaw portion of the district. Trump posted smaller leads in the parts of the district in Bay and Midland counties. District voters also preferred Democrat Joe Biden over Trump in the 2020 presidential race by a slightly larger margin.
McDonald Rivet vacated the seat in January 2025 following her election to Congress. Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced in August 2025 that the special primary would be held Feb. 3 and the special election on Tuesday.
What's Next
The winner will complete the remaining eight months of the term. Both Greene and Tunney have filed to run in the Aug. 4 primaries for nomination to a full term. As of Tuesday, there will be 91 days until the Aug. 4 state primary and 182 days until the 2026 midterm elections.
Nearly 46,000 voters cast ballots in the Feb. 3 special primary in District 35. In the regularly scheduled 2022 general election, about 116,000 ballots were cast in the district. As of Friday, about 32,000 ballots had already been cast in the special election.
Polls in Senate District 35 close at 8 p.m. ET. The Associated Press does not make projections and will declare a winner only when it's determined there is no scenario that would allow a trailing candidate to close the gap. Michigan's mandatory recount law does not apply to state Senate races. Instead, candidates may request and pay for a recount, with the payment refunded if the recount changes the outcome.
Why This Matters:
This special election will determine whether Michigan Democrats can continue advancing legislation or face eight months of potential gridlock. Even with Lt. Gov. Gilchrist's tie-breaking vote, a 19-19 split would allow Republicans to block bills by denying Democrats the 20-vote threshold needed for passage—effectively creating a check on single-party governance. For voters concerned about unchecked legislative power, the race represents an opportunity to restore institutional balance after Democrats' 2022 sweep. The outcome will shape policy debates on taxation, regulation, and spending through the end of the term, with both candidates already positioned to compete again in August for a full term. The district's competitiveness—where Harris won by less than one percentage point in 2024—suggests voters remain closely divided on the direction of state government.