Michigan Democrats are hoping to regain their slim majority in the state House of Representatives by winning two vacant seats in suburban Detroit on Tuesday. The chamber has been deadlocked at 54-54 since November, when two Democratic members won mayoral elections, resulting in the loss of full control of state government by the Democrats. The special elections in Districts 13 and 25 will be crucial in determining the balance of power in the state House.
In District 13, Democrat Mai Xiong, a member of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, is facing Republican Ronald Singer, a mechanical engineer who previously ran for this seat in the 2022 general election. Xiong has the endorsement of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and is the favored candidate in this contest. In District 25, Democrat Peter Herzberg, a member of the Westland City Council, is up against Republican Josh Powell. Herzberg won the Democratic primary, defeating another councilmember, and is also expected to come out on top in this race.
Turnout for the special elections is usually lower than in regularly scheduled elections, with only a fraction of the total votes cast in the 2022 general election. The winners of these special elections will serve for the remainder of the year, and the outcome will have implications for the balance of power in the state House. The Associated Press will provide coverage of the special elections in Districts 13 and 25, and will declare a winner only when it’s determined that the trailing candidates cannot close the gap.
The 2022 general election results provide a good indication of the challenge facing the Republican nominees in these special elections. In District 13, Singer received a significantly lower percentage of the vote in Wayne County compared to Macomb County. In District 25, the Republican nominee in 2022 also faced an uphill battle in Wayne County. The AP does not make projections and will only declare a winner once it’s clear that there is no scenario where the trailing candidates could catch up.
The vote-counting process is expected to be completed within a day of the polls closing, as was the case in the 2022 general election. The outcome of these special elections will affect the balance of power in the Michigan state House, with Democrats hoping to regain their slim majority. The results will be closely watched by both parties as they prepare for the November general election.
