House Republicans predicted they would maintain their majority control of the Michigan House of Representatives Wednesday morning.
The House Republican Campaign Committee declared victory in the quest for majority control at 6 a.m. Wednesday, crediting the win to a robust statewide campaign, strong candidates and the House’s legislative track record.
“The people of Michigan have spoken loud and clear – they want two more years of House Republican leadership at their state Capitol,” House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, said in a statement. Republicans’ message “struck a chord with voters looking for real answers,” he added.
Several competitive state House districts had not yet been called by The Associated Press as of 10:30 a.m. Wednesday, and House Democrats have not yet conceded the majority. But with Republican candidates successfully flipping at least one vulnerable Democratic incumbent and performing well in other competitive races, the path to a Democratic majority appears slim.
In the 96th state House district — which encompasses Bay City and other parts of Bay County — Republican Tim Beson won 57.4% of the vote to incumbent state Rep. Brian Elder’s 42.6% with all precincts reporting. The race was called in Beson’s favor by the Associated Press early Wednesday.
Republicans are also claiming victory in the 48th District, currently held by incumbent Democratic state Rep. Sheryl Kennedy of Davison, although that race hasn’t yet been called by the Associated Press and the margins are close. With 61.9% of precincts reporting, Republican David Martin holds a slim lead with 50.48% of the vote over Kennedy’s 49.52%.
Republicans Beson, Glenn leading in Bay County state House races
Republican David Martin holds slim lead in 48th District state House race
Incumbent Rep. Ryan Berman, R-Commerce Township, is ahead of Democratic challenger Julia Pulver in the state’s 39th House District, where he holds 51.91% of votes to Pulver’s 46.52% based on the latest tabulations. Republican John Roth has also declared victory in the open 104th District in Grand Traverse County. His opponent, Democrat Dan O’Neil, conceded the race Wednesday morning.
In a statement, House Democratic Leader Christine Greig, D-Farmington Hills, suggested all of Michigan’s votes should be counted before jumping to conclusions.
“Only election administrators can officially determine the winners after the ballots are counted accurately,” she said. “Michiganders made an extraordinary effort to vote and deserve to have each and every one of their ballots counted.”
In an interview with MLive, Michigan Democratic Party Chair Lavora Barnes echoed that sentiment, also pointing to projected wins in statewide races like the Michigan Supreme Court.
“I think it’s important that we allow these voters to have their voices heard before we go around declaring anything,” she said. “We’ve got some state House seats still out there. We’re still waiting for votes to come in… I want everybody’s vote to be counted, and I feel strongly that the team of volunteers and clerks’ staff that are still working hard deserve our respect while they continue to do their work.”
See all the latest live results for Michigan’s 110 state House races here.
The party with the most seats in the state House has a critical advantage when it comes to setting the chamber’s agenda, policy priorities and top leadership positions.
Democrats had been hoping to retain gains made in the 2018 election cycle and pick up an additional four seats, investing heavily in a handful of districts deemed competitive in suburban Southeast Michigan and other areas of the state.
There were some bright spots for Democrats as of Wednesday morning, including in West Michigan’s 61st House District, where Democrat Christine Morse is expected to flip an open seat previously held by Republicans. With 100% of precincts reporting, Morse earned 54.07% of the vote to Republican Bronwyn Haltom’s 45.93%.
Across the state in the 38th District, Democrat Kelly Breen holds a lead against Republican Chase Turner, with 51.62% of the vote to Turner’s 48.38%.
House Republicans are planning to meet Thursday to elect new caucus leadership. Chatfield, currently serving his third term, is term-limited out of office at the end of the year.
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Live results: Michigan State House of Representatives
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