Michigan SD 35
Battleground State
Michigan
Senate: Democratic Majority
20D
18R
House: GOP Majority
52D
58R
Michigan is a top DLCC Battleground State in 2026.
2026 is a historic opportunity to win back full control of the Michigan legislature and deliver a Democratic trifecta in this ultracompetitive battleground state. Protecting the one-seat majority in the Senate is a top DLCC priority, and that will start with a majority-deciding special election on May 5th.
Democrats flipped the legislature in 2022 and made historic progress, passing free school meals legislation, expanding gun safety laws, and repealing anti-worker legislation before a tough election year in 2024. Putting Democrats back in full control of the legislature will provide a bulwark against the chaos of the Trump administration and make progress toward lower costs and expanded economic opportunities for Michiganders.
The DLCC will be targeting competitive races across the state and sharing more info on DLCC Target Races in Michigan soon.
DLCC Target Races
Leader Winnie Brinks Speaks At The 2025 DLCC Downballot Defenders Summit
2024 Target Race Victories In Michigan
Michigan HD-13
Mai Xiong
Michigan HD-38
Joey Andrews
Michigan HD-61
Denise Mentzer
Michigan HD-22
Matt Koleszar
DLCC Board Member
Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks
Over a decade ago, fed up with the lack of transparency in politics, Leader Winnie Brinks launched a gutsy write-in campaign to challenge the status quo. A few years later, she made history as the first woman majority leader in the Michigan Senate and continues to make headlines as she leads the upper chamber in one of the nation’s toughest battlegrounds. The daughter of immigrants, Brinks brings grit, resilience, and a relentless work ethic to every fight. She’s delivered for the people with wins for cleaner drinking water, expanded access to high-quality health care, and helping small businesses. While Republicans fight to make devastating cuts to health care, Leader Brinks has protected Michiganders, delivering legislation that established Michigan as one of the nation’s strongest states on sick leave.
Leader Brinks was first elected to the DLCC Board in 2025.
News in Michigan
Blog |
State Democrats' Top Ten Victories of 2023As the year comes to an end, we’re highlighting the top ten victories that Democrats achieved in state legislatures across the nation. From hard-fought election wins to the movement for reproductive freedom, 2023 was filled with historic moments worthy of celebration
Blog |
How We Won VirginiaThe DLCC just won the most critical election of the year. Here is how we led Democrats to victory in Virginia.