The two major party candidates running for the open state Senate seat in the Saginaw Bay region made their pitch to Midland voters on Wednesday.
The May 5 special election between Democrat Chedrick Greene and Republican Jason Tunney, who are both running to represent the 35th state Senate District seat, which includes portions of Midland, Bay and Saginaw counties, may determine the balance of power in the state Senate for the rest of 2026. Democrats only hold a one seat majority at 19-18.
At the Mi Element coffee shop, Greene touted his experience as a Saginaw fire captain and Retired Sergeant Major in the Marines. Greene said he would support infrastructure spending and farmers hurt by tariffs if elected to the Senate.
“Making sure that our public schools are fully funded and we have some of the best teachers,” Greene said. “Making sure that we are bringing manufacturing jobs back.”
He was joined by former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. Buttigieg, who served in the Navy Reserve in Afghanistan, touted Greene’s record and criticized the war in Iran.
“I think this is putting so much pressure on active-duty troops,” Buttigieg told the press after the event. “Everybody’s going to be paying the cost for a war with an unclear mission and an undefined end game.”
Erin O'Driscoll attended the event and said she's motivated to vote for Greene because of the direction of the country at large.
"Because it's my race, it's local to me and it's important to me that I have a say in what happens to my local race," O'Driscoll said.
At Venue 63, Tunney spoke with voters along side state Representative Bill G Schuette, R-Midland, and former Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.
"I got to tell you folks, I need some help," Bill G. Schutte said, referring to the 35th District's vacancy that has spanned more than a year. "Knock on those doors, this is an election in May folks... so many people don't know that the election is going on."
Tunney says he supports tax cuts and called for a more deregulated energy sector, citing cheaper costs in neighboring states. He criticized some of the members of the state's utility regulating board over rising energy costs, calling some of them unqualified.
He also called for a more transparent state process on data center development, arguing that local communities should have more of say and that non-disclosure agreements should be omitted from the process.
“You better sell it to the county commissioners, you better sell it to the citizens,” he told WCMU in an interview. “Go in there and convince the people why that data center is good for their community.”
Dennis Quehl is a 70-year-old retiree from Midland who attended the event and said he's supporting Tunney and his effort to rein in state spending.
“I think there's a lot of wasteful spending going on," Quehl said. "I'd like to see more money going for more core things,” he said. “I believe that people will see that they’re better off financially with Jason in office.”
Republicans in the Saginaw Bay area anticipate the race is going to be a squeaker. According to internal GOP data obtained by WCMU containing voter turnout goals based on the projected turnout, Republicans are looking for a pathway to victory by less than 500 votes, if they meet all their turnout goals.
The data shows they expect turnout for the special election on May 5 to be just under 59,500 total voters across a combined 27 townships and cities in the 35th District.
Tunney expressed optimism for his campaign. "I will not be outworked. I've knocked on over 8,500 doors already since the start of this campaign," he said.
In the Feb. 3 primary elections, Republicans were able to mobilize just over 18,000 voters to the polls for an election that only had one item on the ballot, while the Democrats turned out around 26,000 voters, a difference of roughly 8,400 people.
For comparison, in 2022, the last time elections were held for this seat, the primary election brought over 53,000 people to the polls, while the general election garnered about 116,000. For most of the district, this election will be the only item on the ballot on May 5. Libertarian Ali Sledz will also appear on the ballot.
Greene and Tunney will both participate in a candidate forum at Saginaw Valley State University on March 24. Attendance is free, but tickets must be reserved ahead of time. More information on the forum can be found on SVSU's website. Sledz did not qualify to make it on the stage for the forum.
