Michigan Democrats reclaim House and full control of state government

Michigan Democrats secured a majority in both chambers of the state Legislature in Tuesday’s election.

Democrats flipped at least five Republican-held House seats. Democrats also flipped at least two seats in the Senate, increasing their majority in the upper chamber. As of 10:45 a.m. EST on Wednesday, two Senate seats have not been called and 10 House seats have not been called, according to The Associated Press.

Michigan House Democrats said they expected a 63–47 majority following Tuesday’s election, while projections showed Democrats expanding their state Senate majority to 23–15.

The Michigan Legislature has 110 House seats and 38 Senate seats. Every seat in both chambers was up for election this year.

In 2022, Democrats won both chambers at once. But they lost their majority in the House in 2024. Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan political analysis project at the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, rated both chambers among the 15 most competitive legislative chambers in the country. 

Campaigns for the state legislature focused on energy costs, tariffs, gas prices, education, and data centers. Michigan is currently ranked 45th in the country for education, according to U.S. News & World Report. Tariffs have hit the state and its relationship with Canada hard, while soaring energy costs and a surge in data center development have residents worried about paying their bills. 

With Jocelyn Benson winning the governor’s race, Garlin Gilchrist the secretary of state’s race and Eli Savit the attorney general’s race, Michigan will regain a Democratic trifecta and continue its Democratic triplex.