Special election slated for 2026 to fill vacant Michigan Senate seat
A special election will be held in early 2026 to fill a Michigan Senate seat that became vacant after Kristen McDonald Rivet was elected to the U.S. Congress in November.
McDonald Rivet, a Democrat, was a first-term state senator during the 2024 election cycle. She ran for Michigan's 8th Congressional District, which had just opened up, and won in November.
Because of that election, the 35th Senate District — which includes parts of Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties — has been open for months.
The authority to call a special election to fill the state senate vacancy falls to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. She did so Friday with a formal letter to Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
The special primary election will take place Feb. 3, and the general election will take place May 5, the letter states. The deadline for Democratic and Republican party candidates to file their nominating petitions and accompanying paperwork is 4 p.m. Sept. 30.
For information about elections in Michigan, go to the Michigan Secretary of State's website.