Michigan House flips to Republicans: Here’s how they did it

• Republicans will hold an outright majority in the Michigan House, flipping back the chamber Democrats won in 2022
• Democrats vastly outspent Republicans throughout the state, but lost key races in southeast Michigan and Upper Peninsula
• Vulnerable Republican incumbents kept hold of their seats, solidifying the party’s control

LANSING — Republicans won outright control of the Michigan House during Tuesday elections, ending the state’s Democratic trifecta after a costly, cutthroat battle over 110 seats.  

House Republican candidates were projected to win or lead in 58 of Michigan’s 110 state House races. 

In the roughly dozen state House seats that were considered competitive, Republican candidates performed well, knocking out several Democratic incumbents and holding onto vulnerable seats in Oakland and Jackson counties. 

“Our hard-fought victory reaffirms that the people of Michigan want leaders who put them first, uphold the rule of law, and advocate for accountability at every level of government,” House Republican Leader Matt Hall, R-Richland Township, said in a statement Wednesday morning. 

Democratic Speaker Joe Tate, D-Detroit, conceded the loss in a separate statement, saying Democrats “left everything on the field” in an effort to maintain the majority, adding that they’ll be back fighting to regain it in 2026. 

“Come January, we will look for every opportunity to work with our Republican colleagues in a bipartisan manner to put the people of Michigan first,” Tate said. “We will fulfill our duty as the voice of reason and do our best to make our mark on legislation that moves through the state legislature.”

Democrats wrested control of the House and Senate from Republicans two years ago, winning a 56-54 majority in a favorable environment that saw Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other Democratic candidates sweep statewide seats. 

With a close presidential race at the top of the ticket, Republicans were optimistic they could flip it back and end the Democrats’ political dominance in Lansing. 

Democrats outspent Republican rivals at a near four-to-one ratio. As of mid-October, Democratic state House candidates had pumped $5.9 million into advertising and other expenses, compared to less than $1.6 million for Republicans.

Thirteen state House races have surpassed $1 million in spending between candidate funding, caucus PACs and outside groups. Eight races have cost at least $2 million, and two are above $3 million, on track to smash previous spending records for state House candidates.

Several Democratic incumbents fall 

House Republican candidates unseated four Democratic incumbents Tuesday, more than enough to take back the majority in the chamber. 

Republicans had long considered Downriver’s 27th District and Macomb County’s 58th District — two areas where Donald Trump had performed well in 2016 and 2020 and where Democratic lawmakers had only barely eked out victories — as prime targets. 

Those assumptions proved correct, with Republican challengers unseating Reps. Nate Shannon, D-Sterling Heights, in the 58th District and Jaime Churches, D-Wyandotte, in the 27th. 

That would have been enough to give Republicans the majority, but they also made historic gains in other regions that have trended more conservative in recent election cycles.

In the Upper Peninsula, Rep. Jen Hill, D-Marquette, lost to Republican opponent Karl Bohnak, a longtime meteorologist. The Marquette-based district hasn’t been represented by a Republican in more than 70 years and was the last Democratic holdout in a region increasingly dominated by the GOP.

In southwest Michigan, Rep. Jim Haadsma, D-Battle Creek, also lost his re-election bid for Michigan’s 44th House District covering part of Calhoun County. 

Republican incumbents hang on 

Democrats had played offense in several seats held by Republican incumbents, but their candidates were unable to work up the votes needed to unseat them. 

Oakland County, a region that’s trended increasingly Democratic in recent election cycles, was the Democrats’ best chance at retaining the majority, and the caucus spent aggressively there in the hopes of flipping seats. 

Republicans have retained a foothold in northern reaches, however, and kept it Tuesday. The 54th and 55th Districts represented by Reps. Donni Steele, R-Orion Township, and Mark Tisdel, R-Rochester Hills, both defeated their Democratic opponents.

Rep. Kathy Schmaltz, R-Jackson, also won a tough re-election against Jackson Mayor Daniel Mahoney, a former county commissioner and the city’s first Black mayor, in the 46th District. 

On paper, the 46th District, which covers the city of Jackson and portions of Washtenaw County, is a near 50-50 draw for Democrats and Republicans. But Mahoney couldn’t overcome Trump’s commanding presence at the top of the ticket and Schmaltz’s incumbency advantage. 

Not all bad news for Democrats

House Republicans didn’t win every seat they went after, with several Democratic incumbents surviving competitive challenges — though some were closer than candidates expected. 

Incumbent Rep. Betsy Coffia, a Traverse City Democrat representing the 103rd District covering Leelanau County and portions of Grand Traverse and Benzie counties, won re-election in a region that’s been trending blue in recent election cycles.

In southeast Michigan, Democratic incumbent Reggie Miller, D-Van Buren Township, held her seat in the 31st District, and Rep. Denise Mentzer of Mount Clemens emerged victorious in Macomb County’s 61st District. Reps. Joey Andrews, D-St. Joseph, and John Fitzgerald, D-Wyoming, won re-election despite tough competition from Republicans in their West Michigan districts. 

Republicans had hoped to unseat Rep. Mai Xiong, D-Warren, in Macomb County, but the new lawmaker who first won a special election to replace former Rep. Lori Stone earlier this year prevailed. 

Here are results from some of the most competitive state House races: