Michigan special election results: Firefighter's win seals blue state Senate

A special election for an open Michigan state Senate seat on Tuesday, May 5, went to Democrat Chedrick Greene, holding the chamber's narrow majority for his party in a key battleground state.

The win comes amid heightened focus on local elections as Democrats and Republicans vie for influence across the country ahead of November's midterm races.

"In Michigan, the special election had the potential to deadlock the state Senate," Charles Stewart III, professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology told USA TODAY on May 6. Greene's win gives Democrats a 20-18 majority in the state Senate, meaning Republican lawmakers can't stall legislation through abstention.

Here's more about Greene's win and what it means from a national point of view.

Democrats hold Senate in battleground state

Greene, a U.S. Marine veteran and a firefighter in Saginaw, Michigan, won his race in the 35th Senate District by 58.9%, according to CNN and the Associated Press. The seat became available when now-U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet was elected to Congress and sworn into office in early 2025.

"We delivered this decisive victory by listening and speaking to the things keeping everyday people up at night − worries about affordability, safety, and freedom," Greene said on social media.

Greene defeated Republican Jason Tunney, an attorney operating a private practice, who earned 39.4% of the vote.

The seat will be up for grabs again in November, a fact Tunney noted in his concession remarks, according to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network.

"This is only the halfway point," Tunney said. "As we head into November, the contrast between Chedrick and myself will only become clearer to more and more voters. I’m excited about what lies ahead, and I’m not going anywhere."

What Greene's win means

Tuesday's special election was the first midterm-year test for Michigan, a battleground state President Donald Trump won by 49.7% in 2024, according to Ballotpedia. The race also comes as the president's allies show a willingness to invest in local races in states like Indiana that can make the difference more broadly.

Greene's win is part of a national trend of Democrats winning special elections since Trump took office, according to Jared McDonald, assistant professor in political science at the University of Mary Washington.

"Democrats are benefitting from a combination of voter enthusiasm, or more likely anger, along with the Democratic coalition now containing a greater share of high-propensity voters who will show up during off-cycle elections," he told USA TODAY on May 6. "These dynamics lead to Democrats putting up numbers."

Democrats hold control of the state Senate and governorship as legislators take up a proposed budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the Detroit Free Press reports. While Republicans hold the state House, Democrats have locked in negotiating power for spending plans.

Contributing: The Detroit Free Press