Lansing — A special election in Michigan’s 35th State Senate district will pit Democrat Chedrick Greene, a firefighter from Saginaw, against Republican Jason Tunney, a lawyer also from Saginaw, after both candidates secured their party’s nominations on Tuesday, . The outcome will determine whether Democrats maintain their narrow majority in the state Senate.
Chedrick Greene won the Democratic primary with 60% of the vote in unofficial tallies, defeating State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh of Saginaw, who received 28% of the vote. Other candidates accounted for the remaining 12% of ballots cast. Greene’s campaign benefited from the support of U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, the former state senator whose election to Congress triggered the special election, and key leaders within the Senate Democratic caucus.
The race wasn’t without outside influence. A political action committee linked to Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, contributed $24,500 to Greene’s campaign in January, according to campaign finance disclosures. Meanwhile, a group with ties to Republicans reportedly spent money on mailers and digital advertisements promoting Pugh as a “progressive champion,” suggesting an attempt to influence the Democratic primary.
On the Republican side, Jason Tunney secured the nomination with 51% of the vote, defeating businessman Christian Velasquez of Midland, who garnered 42%. Tunney reportedly loaned his campaign $100,000. His victory was conceded by Velasquez based on early numbers, and later confirmed by unofficial county clerk data.
The stakes are high. Currently, Democrats hold a one-vote majority in the Michigan Senate. If Greene wins in May, Democrats will strengthen their control of the chamber for the remainder of the current term. A victory for Tunney, however, would deadlock the Senate, potentially giving Republicans effective veto power over legislation, as Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II, a Democrat, would be needed to break ties.
The vacancy in the 35th District arose when Kristen McDonald Rivet was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in November 2024. Governor Gretchen Whitmer waited over 200 days before scheduling the special election last summer, ultimately calling for a primary election on and a special general election for .
Voters in the 35th District, encompassing Midland, Bay, and Saginaw counties, will actually vote four times this year on who will fill the seat: in the special election primary on , the special general election on , the general election primary on , and the general election on .
The winner of the May special election will serve the remaining seven months of McDonald Rivet’s four-year term and will then run as the incumbent in the regular August primary. McDonald Rivet herself won the seat in 2022 by a margin of 53% to 47% over Republican Annette Glenn.
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks expressed optimism based on Tuesday’s turnout numbers, noting that approximately 8,000 more Democratic ballots were cast than Republican ballots – roughly 26,600 Democratic votes compared to 18,200 Republican votes. Brinks attributed this to voter dissatisfaction with Republicans in Washington, D.C. And Lansing.
Tunney, in a statement, indicated his focus will be on public safety, stronger schools, lower taxes, and reducing regulations if elected. Greene, similarly, expressed his determination to deliver a victory that will maintain Democratic control of the Senate, emphasizing the importance of the moment for the state.
Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, congratulated Tunney on his primary win and stated that a Republican victory in May would “break the Democrat majority in the Senate.”
