Control of Michigan state House at stake in a pair of special elections

Voters in Michigan will head to the polls Tuesday for a pair of state House special elections that will determine partisan control of the chamber.

In the race for the open seat in the 13th state House District — which encompasses a large part of the city of Warren, within purple Macomb County — Democrat Mai Xiong, a member of the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, is running against Republican Ronald Singer, who ran for the seat unsuccessfully in 2022. The seat, which leans Democratic, became vacant last fall when the incumbent Democrat, Lori Stone, resigned after she won an election to be the mayor of Warren.

In the race for the open seat in the 25th state House District — which includes, within Wayne County, some of the western suburbs of Detroit, like Westland and Sheldon — Democrat Peter Herzberg, a Westland City council member, is running against Republican Josh Powell, a U.S. Army veteran. The seat, which also leans Democratic, became vacant last fall when the incumbent Democrat, Kevin Coleman, resigned after winning an election to be the mayor of Westland.

The winner of each race will only serve the remainder of their predecessors’ two-year terms through the end of 2024.

Prior to the two lawmakers' resignations, Democrats had held a two-seat advantage in the state House. Their departures created a 54-54 tie in the chamber. Democrats also hold the governorship and the state Senate in Michigan, meaning that a pair of victories would again provide the party with a trifecta in state government.

Both districts heavily lean Democratic: In 2022, Stone won her seat with 67% support, while Coleman received 63% of the vote. But the races could still serve as a referendum on the Democratic trifecta — and on the long list