State Representative Bill G. Schuette (R-Midland) said in a social media post Friday afternoon that he will not run in the upcoming state Senate special election. He will, instead, run for reelection in the state House in 2026.
Schuette was reported to be a contender for the 35th district seat, which represents the cities of Midland, Bay City, Saginaw and parts of the Saginaw Bay area.
“Public service is not about titles or job climbing, it is about working to make your home, state and nation a better place,” Schuette wrote in a statement. “The people of mid-Michigan deserve a state representative who will work hard for them full term, not create another open legislative seat which the governor can play politics.”
The 35th district has been without representation in the state Senate since Jan. 3 after U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald (D-Bay City) resigned to take her seat in Congress.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer waited 238 days to call the special election on Aug. 29, the longest time frame during her time as governor to call such an election. The Michigan Constitution gives the governor broad power to decide when special elections to fill vacancies in the state legislature will occur.
For those 238 days, Whitmer faced backlash from both sides of the political aisle and was accused by Republicans for playing politics with the vacancy in the state Senate. Democrats hold a one seat majority in the Senate at 19-18. In August, the Whitmer administration also faced a lawsuit that sought to compel the Democratic governor to call an election.
Schuette was among Whitmer’s toughest critics as she waited to call the election. Back in June, Schuette introduced a bill in the state House that proposed to revise how long the governor could wait to fill a vacancy in the legislature. Schuette’s bill, which was referred to the committee on Election Integrity, never received a hearing.
Candidates have until the end of the month to file to run for the 35th district special election.
So far, on the Republican side, Saginaw businessman Chadwick Twillman has thrown his hat into the ring. It’s also been reported that state Representative Timmy Beson (R-Bangor Township) is considering a run on the GOP ticket.
“2026 will be a change election across Michigan and America and I intend to help get Michigan back on track,” Schuette said.
State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh, a Democrat, and Chair of the Saginaw County Democrats Brandell Adams have officially launched their campaigns for the special election. Saginaw Fire Captain and veteran Chedrick Greene plans to launch his campaign on Sept. 24 in Saginaw.
Primary elections will be held on Feb. 3, 2026, followed by a general election on May 5.
