Voters around Saginaw Bay head back to the polls tomorrow for a special election that could throw the Michigan Senate into a 19-19 deadlock. Democrats are hanging on to a slim 19–18 majority, and a Republican victory in the 35th District would effectively stall the chamber, forcing Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II to serve as a frequent tiebreaker and tightening the screws on what the current majority can realistically pass.
Who’s on the ballot
The three candidates Michigan voters will see tomorrow are Democrat Chedrick Greene, Republican Jason Tunney, and Libertarian Ali Sledz. Greene is a Saginaw firefighter and former staffer for Kristen McDonald Rivet, while Tunney is an attorney and former executive at his family’s roofing company. Sledz was selected by the Libertarian Party at its January convention, according to the Libertarian Party of Michigan.
How the night could unfold
With the Senate sitting at a 19–18 Democratic edge, this one race could determine which party effectively controls the chamber. Polls in Senate District 35 close at 8 p.m. ET, and each county clerk will release results on their own schedule, which means any early lead could flip once more votes roll in.
In the February special primaries, absentee and early ballots accounted for about 43% of the Democratic primary turnout and roughly 29% of the Republican vote. As of Friday, about 32,000 ballots had already been cast in the special general election.
There are a few rules that could shape how long this goes on. Write-in votes are not allowed in this contest, and Michigan’s automatic recount rules do not apply to state Senate races. Candidates can still request a recount, but they have to pay for it. The Associated Press has said it will only call the race once it determines there is no realistic way for the trailing candidate to catch up.
Why Lansing is watching
The 35th District seat opened when Kristen McDonald Rivet left the Senate in January 2025 to join Congress, leaving the region without representation in the upper chamber for months before Gov. Gretchen Whitmer set the special primary and general election dates. Control of this district is expected to shape negotiations in Lansing for the rest of the year and could be felt in budget fights and other high-profile priorities, as noted by Bridge Michigan.
Where to follow results
Official tallies will be posted by county clerks in Bay, Midland, and Saginaw on their respective websites. The Michigan Secretary of State will also maintain a statewide results dashboard for the special election.
For a refresher on how the February primary played out and how Greene and Tunney got here, check out Hoodline’s earlier coverage of Greene and Tunney’s primary face-off, and follow the statewide election updates at Michigan.gov.
