Following a competitive special primary election in the Saginaw Bay area, Chedrick Greene and Jason Tunney are now the official Democratic and Republican candidates for Michigan's 35th Senate District special election set for May 5, as reported by CBS News Detroit. Greene, a Saginaw fire captain and retired Marine, secured a convincing win with 60.4% of the Democratic vote. On the Republican front, Tunney, a Saginaw attorney, emerged victorious with 51.2% of the vote after a tightly contested race. The winners are aiming to fill the seat left by Kristin McDonald Rivet, now representing Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, with the term concluding at the year's end.
Both candidates have expressed their readiness to address the district’s needs. According to a statement obtained by WNEM TV5, Greene believes his experience as a district assistant equips him to effectively act on public concerns. He said, "Working as a district assistant in this office allowed me to hear a lot of what people have on the ground, so running for this elected leader seat here allows me to put those things in action.” Tunney also stressed a willingness to bridge partisan divides, telling WNEM, "When it’s 19-19, when we’re bringing legislations to the floor that’s got to be bipartisan legislation, that means democrats and republicans have to work together."
The primary results, while still unofficial, suggest a more robust Democratic turnout, a pattern recognized by Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel. "Across the district, Democratic turnout exceeded that of Republicans as voters came out to make their voices heard," Hertel said, in a statement referenced by Michigan Advance. The election tantalizingly teeters on a balance with the current 19-18 Democratic majority in the Michigan Senate. A Republican victory in May could dissolve this narrow margin, adding pressure for Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist to potentially cast tie-breaking votes under specific conditions.
