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Michigan Democrats lost their state government trifecta last year when Republicans took control of the state House. Now, the Democratic Senate majority could be in jeopardy with the departure of now-former Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet (D-Bay City) for the halls of Congress. The state Senate Democrats’ slim 19-18 majority could become a 19-19 tie (with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist in the wings as a tie-breaker) depending on the results of a special election to fill the swing seat.
It is up to Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to call the special primary and special general elections to fill that 35th Senate district vacancy. Whitmer has known since November she’d need to call special elections and since January since the seat has been vacant.
Whitmer has been elusive regarding her plans for scheduling dates for a primary and a special election to fill the seat and restore a voice in the Senate for voters in Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties.
“I’ll let you know when I’ve got something to announce,” Whitmer told Rick last week.
Unsurprisingly, Republicans aren’t happy.
“We know this is a competitive seat Republicans can win and the governor, for purely political reasons, is trying to prevent us from having representation in this district,” Senate Minority leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Porter Twp.) told WCMU reporter AJ Jones, who has been following the story all year.
AJ spoke with protesters who showed up at the Michigan Capitol prior to Whitmer’s State of the State address last month.
“A lot of big ticket Republicans spoke,” he told us this week on the podcast. “And I spoke to quite a few people from the area at that event. And they all told me that they felt that it wasn't really fair. They felt unrepresented.”
We should mention the district’s Senate office is still staffed and constituent services are still provided. But the district does not have a vote on the Senate floor nor representation on committees, where a lot of the policymaking and oversight work gets done.
“About 270,000 people live here…it's one of the state's larger metro areas,” AJ said. Business leaders “put out statements calling for a special election because back last month, there was a big debate about sick leave and minimum wage. And [they] wanted someone in the community in the state Senate to represent their interests.”
AJ noted that the Capitol news service MIRS did the math and, on average, Whitmer has previously called special elections within 17 days of a seat becoming vacant.
“This is the longest gap between a vacancy date and a special-election announcement date in Governor Whitmer's tenure. And this is kind of a sticking point for Republicans… because they're saying, ‘Well, when the Democratic House majority was at risk in two fairly safe Democratic strongholds, you called the elections really quick,’” AJ explained.
Governors typically like to align special elections with regular election dates. It’s less expensive for taxpayers. It’s easier on local clerks with time and resources already stretched thin. So, it’s possible Whitmer will wait to call the special elections for August and November. But that’s a long time to leave a seat empty with no word on when voters will be able to choose a new lawmaker.
Another twist, perhaps, is with Governor Whitmer's second term agenda on the line, fixing the roads, et cetera, calling special election dates could be a bargaining chip with legislative Republicans.
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Have questions about Michigan politics? Or, just want to let us know what you want more of (less of?) in the newsletter? We always want to hear from you! Shoot us an email at politics@michiganpublic.org!
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What we’re talking about at the dinner table
Distancing Duggan: Detroit Mayor and candidate for governor Mike Duggan continues to have strong words for his former party. Duggan shocked many last year when he announced he was quitting the Democratic Party to run for the state’s highest office as an independent. This week Duggan delivered his 12th - and final - State of the City address and Zoe spoke with him on Wednesday. When asked about how he sees Democrats’ current predicament, he didn’t mince words: “National polls show that 29% of Americans have a positive feeling about the party. And it's basically defined itself as not standing for much except attacking Republicans. And you're starting to see the problem when you don't actually stand for anything. You have a hard time figuring out what your message is.” But, Duggan wasn’t kind to Republicans, either, “and the Republicans on their side aren't a lot better. They basically define themselves as, you know, saying ‘Democrats are not real Americans and don't have your interests at heart.’” We wrote in a previous newsletter about the challenges a non-aligned Mike Duggan faces in his bid to be governor without party backing.
GOP lawmakers sue: A group of Republican state lawmakers is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to clear the way for them to challenge two voter-approved voting-rights amendments to the state Constitution. The underlying issue, as Rick reported this week, “is the fate of two ballot proposals adopted by voters in 2018 and 2022. The voting rights proposals include provisions that include making it easier to register to vote, to vote absentee and to use early voting options. The Republican lawmakers say those ballot questions usurp their constitutional authority of the Legislature to set ‘the time, place and manner’ of federal elections.” But, University of Michigan constitutional law professor Leah Litman told Rick that legislators can’t actually show individual harm that would give them standing to pursue a federal case.
That’s what they say: Can Rick register a grammar gripe? United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain says workers should be “held harmless” on the impact of Trump’s tariff policies. I’m not quibbling with the sentiment. But the phrase “held harmless” is political jargon that is supposed to mean “unharmed” and goes back at least to the 1994 Proposal A school funding overhaul. We mean “unharmed” and that’s what we should say. Class dismissed.
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Yours in political nerdiness,
Rick Pluta & Zoe Clark
Co-hosts, It’s Just Politics
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IJP ON THE ROAD:
We had a fabulous time seeing everyone last night at our first Issues & Ale of the new year! You came for analysis of the first three months of divided power in Lansing but you stayed for a ‘happy birthday’ sing-along for Rick’s big day!
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