Michigan Democrats hoping to maintain control in state House in this election
(CBS DETROIT) — Michigan Democrats claimed control of all chambers of state government ffor the first time in decades after the 2022 midterms. But Tuesday's election could potentially unravel the Democratic Party's trifecta.
With all of the state House seats up for election this year, Democrats are now at risk of losing their two-seat majority, potentially hampering Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's ability to enact even more items on her priority list during the final two years of her current term.
In November 2023, two seats were vacated after state Reps. Lori Stone and Kevin Coleman won mayoral races in their hometowns. The vacancies eliminated the Democratic majority in the state House and put the chamber in a 54-54 deadlock.
However, Democrats Mai Xiong and Peter Herzberg won the vacant seats in a special election earlier this year, allowing the party to maintain control until the November election.
Michigan is one of several states where the political balance of one or more chambers of the Legislature could flip. Arizona, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin are among the other targets for both parties.
Whitmer spent the first six years of her tenure working with a Republican-controlled Legislature, even clashing with lawmakers over her executive orders in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. But under the Democratic-controlled legislature over the last two years, key legislation has been passed, including expanding voting rights, improving gun safety and protecting LGBTQ+ residents.
Democrats focus on protecting reproductive rights as their pitch for keeping hold of all facets of state government even though abortion access is enshrined in the state's constitution. Meanwhile, Republicans are trying to convince voters that Democratic control at home and in Washington, D.C., has eroded their pocketbooks and public safety.
If Republicans take the Michigan House, Democrats will likely rush to pass a voting rights package and other legislation between election day and the new legislature's sworn-in.