Democrats keep control of Michigan state Senate after special election win
Democrat Chedrick Greene has won a special state Senate election in Michigan, NBC News projects, ensuring his party will keep control of the closely divided chamber.
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Greene, a Marine veteran and firefighter, defeated Republican Jason Tunney, a former prosecutor, in the special election to replace Democratic U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, who resigned from the state Senate after she was elected to Congress in 2024.
Greene’s victory means Democrats will hold a 20-18 majority in the Senate. Democrats also control the governorship in Michigan, a key battleground state, while Republicans have a 58-52 edge in the state House.
The result continues a special election trend during President Donald Trump’s second term of Democrats’ outperforming former Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race.
With 55% of the expected vote in, Greene led Tunney by 22 points in Michigan’s 35th Senate District, which is in the Saginaw Bay area. In 2024, Harris won the district by just over 1,000 votes, or 50.4% to Trump’s 49.6%.
The special election attracted some high-profile members of both parties to the district.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer headlined a rally for Greene last week, and former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, a Michigan resident, also recently campaigned with Greene. Tunney hit the campaign trail with GOP Rep. John James, who is running for governor.
