Special election today: Democrats' path back to majority runs through these 2 seats

Clara Hendrickson, Detroit Free Press
·2 min read
1

Voters in two metro Detroit state House districts head to the polls Tuesday to cast their ballots in special state House elections to fill a pair of empty seats that have left Democrats in the chamber without their majority for now.

Why are voters in two state House districts voting today?

Last fall, then-state representatives Kevin Coleman, D-Westland, and Lori Stone, D-Warren, won mayoral elections in their respective cities and vacated their seats. Shortly after they left the state Legislature, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called special elections to decide who will replace them.

The special primary elections in the 13th and 25th state House districts will winnow the field down to one Democrat and one Republican in each district to face off in the April 16 special general election.

Who's running?

The 13th House district includes parts of Detroit and Warren.

Three Democratic candidates are running in the 13th District's special primary election:

  • Former state Rep. LaMar D. Lemmons, D-Detroit

  • Warren Democrat Suzanne Ostosh

  • Macomb County Commissioner Mai Xiong

Three Republican candidates are running in the 13th District's special primary election:

  • Warren Republican Brandon Cumbee

  • Warren Republican Curtiss Ostosh

  • Warren Republican Ronald Singer

The 25th House District includes parts of Canton Township, Dearborn Heights and Westland along with all of Wayne.

Five Democratic candidates are running in the 25th District's special primary election:

  • Westland City Council Member Peter Herzberg

  • Wayne-Westland Community Schools' Board Secretary Melandie Yvonne Hines

  • Wayne Democrat Shannon Rochon

  • Westland City Council Member Andrea Rutkowski

  • U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib's, D-Detroit, program director Layla Taha

Only one Republican candidate is running in the 25th District's special primary election:

  • Westland Republican Josh Powell

Whitmer took the unusual step of weighing in on the contested Democratic primaries with endorsements for Xiong in the 13th and Rutkowski in the 25th.

2024 presidential election: UAW President Shawn Fain goes on Fox, lists 5 key reasons why Trump lost union endorsement

Why is Lansing watching this?

While Democrats still control the state House, they don't have a voting majority in the chamber which means any legislation that faces united GOP opposition will stall. House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, has expressed confidence that Democrats will fill the vacant seats, restoring the Democratic majority. Both seats lean heavily Democratic.

Contact Clara Hendrickson: chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743. Follow her on X, previously called Twitter, @clarajanehen.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan special primaries to narrow field of candidates