Democrat Joseph McClusky declared victory Tuesday night over Republican incumbent Nancy DeBoer in the race for Michigan House District 86, a seat covering Holland and parts of Ottawa and Allegan counties that Republicans have controlled for decades. The win, if it holds, would mark a rare partisan flip in a district DeBoer carried comfortably just two years ago.
McClusky’s declaration came as vote totals shifted through the night and into the morning. According to Holland Sentinel, Democrat Joseph McClusky has declared victory in his race against Republican Nancy DeBoer for Michigan’s 86th House District. Michigan Public likewise reported that McClusky flipped the seat, defeating the incumbent in a region that has regularly elected Republican representatives for decades.
The numbers told a tight story overnight. At 4:35 a.m., McClusky had 22,737 votes to DeBoer’s 21,236, with 93% of precincts reporting, per Ottawa News Network, which also described McClusky as the first Democrat ever elected to represent the Holland area in the state House. As of 11 a.m. Wednesday, however, the same Holland Sentinel report noted that The New York Times showed McClusky leading DeBoer just 52% to 48%, with 93% of the vote counted, and had not yet declared a winner.
A District Long Held by the GOP
Michigan House District 86 represents the city of Holland, Park and Laketown townships, and portions of Holland Township, according to MLive.com, which also reported on the two-year term tied to the seat. DeBoer was first elected to represent the area in 2022, arriving in Lansing after a long local career that included 10 years on Holland City Council and two terms as mayor of Holland, per the same MLive account.
That 2022 win was not close. The Detroit News reported that DeBoer won the state House seat that features Holland by 12 points, 56%-44%, and that she won it by about the same margin again in 2024. Michigan Public separately noted that DeBoer beat her Democratic opponent by about 12 percentage points in the previous election, underscoring just how steep a climb McClusky faced heading into this cycle.
Latino Turnout and a Bilingual Campaign
Part of the shift may trace to the district’s demographics. Michigan Public reported that the 86th is home to one of the most concentrated Latino populations in the state, and quoted a Michigan State University political science professor who said that if a surge in turnout among that group materialized, it could make a big difference in the race. The outlet also reported that both DeBoer and McClusky were reaching voters in English and Spanish throughout the campaign.
McClusky framed his bid around kitchen-table concerns. “From day one, this campaign has been about making life more affordable, government more accountable, and bringing forward the Holland that we know to be true,” he wrote in a victory statement Tuesday, as reported by Holland Sentinel.
Other Races on the Same Ballot
McClusky’s declared win wasn’t the only closely watched result in West Michigan politics that night. Holland Sentinel reported that Democrat Carol Glanville was projected to beat Republican Mark Huizenga in Michigan’s 30th Senate District, leading 55% to 45% with more than 95% of votes counted as of 11 a.m. Wednesday. The same report noted Democrat Joey Andrews was poised to secure re-election in the 38th House District against Republican Mark Krieger, 57% to 42%.
As with any election-night tally, these numbers remain unofficial. The Michigan Secretary of State’s office notes that election-night results are unofficial until certified by the county and/or state board of canvassers, a process that had not been confirmed as complete for District 86 at the time of these reports.
