Whitmer announces dates for special elections to fill open Michigan House seats

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has called for special elections to fill two seats in the Michigan House of Representatives vacated by Democratic lawmakers after the pair left Lansing to serve as mayors of Warren and Westland.

Primaries will take place on Jan. 30, 2024, and the general election on April 16, 2024, Whitmer announced Wednesday in a letter sent to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Candidates have until 4 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 27, to file affidavits announcing their intentions to run in the special elections.

Former state Reps. Lori Stone, D-Warren, and Kevin Coleman, D-Westland, were both recently sworn in as their city's mayors. Their new roles temporarily end Democrats' majority in the state House with 54 Democratic lawmakers and 54 GOP lawmakers left serving.

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"The Michigan Legislature had one of the most productive sessions in Michigan history thanks to Michiganders who elected leaders, like state representatives Coleman and Stone, to get things done on the issues that make a real difference in people’s lives," Whitmer said in a news release. "As we look ahead to 2024, these special elections will ensure that Michiganders in the 13th and 25th districts have representation in Lansing working for them as soon as possible. I look forward to working with the next representatives from these districts when voters elect them in the new year."

The two departing representatives leave behind safely Democratic districts — Coleman won his district with 63% of the vote while Stone won her district with 67% of the vote in the 2022 midterm election.

"I feel very confident that we'll be back to full strength after the special elections in our caucus," House Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, told the Free Press. Even with an even 54-54 partisan split, Democrats still maintain control of the gavel and legislative committees under House rules.

House Minority Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, had floated the idea of a shared-power agreement between the parties in the House, but Tate made it clear that won't be the case.

"We're not in shared power. Democrats still control the gavel," Tate said Nov. 9, when the House adopted its early adjournment resolution. Still, it's unclear what measures will be able to pass the chamber once it returns in January, since all bills will have to have bipartisan support to pass.

Under Michigan election law, it's up to the governor to decide the timing for a special election. After the primary, a special general election will be held to determine who will serve as Coleman and Stone's replacements in Lansing for the remainder of their terms expiring at the end of 2024.

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to reflect that the special election primary date is Jan. 30, 2024.

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: Whitmer calls for special election for open Michigan House seats