The table has been set for a high-stakes special election this coming May that could determine the balance of power in the state Senate.
Voters in Tuesday's special primary elections in the Saginaw Bay region nominated Democrat Chedrick Greene and Republican Jason Tunney. Unofficial results show each carried over 50% of the vote as of early Wednesday morning with 95% of precincts reporting in the 35th state Senate District (see detailed results below).
Democrats currently hold the state Senate by one seat at 19-18. During his victory speech at a union hall in Bay City Tuesday evening, Greene said maintaining the majority matters.
"Our only hope to protect and build on our working class to make life more affordable, safe and free in this great state... for all of us to do our part to win this seat and keep Republican extremists out of power," Greene said.
Greene is a political newcomer after spending 30 years in the Marine Corp. and is a captain in the Saginaw Fire Department. He credits the backing of several local unions for his victory over five other candidates in the Democratic primary. Greene said the choice is clear for voters come May.
"A leader grounded in working-class experience, who has put his life on the line for three decades defending our freedoms and protecting Michiganders," he said. "Or an out of touch Republican who is too MAGA to denounce this administration's violent violations of our constitutional rights."
Saginaw lawyer Jason Tunney, who is also a political newcomer, won a tight race over former Dow Corning executive Christian Velasquez. Tunney was the executive vice-president of Duro-Last, a national roofing firm.
Tunney told WCMU he is focused on issues relevant to the state. He said he would support local law enforcement, lowering taxes and work to improve the state's dismal education scores.
"How about the fact that under Governor Whitmer's leadership we're 44th amongst the 50 states in 4th grade reading," he said. "The flawed policies of the Democrats are not keeping pace with even our neighboring Midwestern states."
In response to Greene's victory speech, Tunney said that Greene wasn't talking about local problems.
"They're trying to run on federal issues because they know they can't run on the Democrats' record in the state of Michigan. It's flawed, it's wrong, and it's broken," Tunney said.
Greene and Tunney will appear on the May ballot along side Ali Sledz, who is running as a Libertarian.
Why the race matters
The Democratic Party currently holds a 19-18 majority in the state Senate. A win for the GOP would tie the chamber at 19 votes making Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist the tiebreaking vote for the remainder of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's term. She's not seeking re-election due to term limits.
In addition, the race acts as a potential temperature check on the statewide environment ahead of November's key elections for U.S. Senate, Governor, Attorney General and Secretary of State.
The 35th state Senate District is considered a toss up that voted for Democratic Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet and Republican President Donald Trump in November 2024. McDonald Rivet carried Saginaw County, while her Republican opponent Paul Junge carried the counties of Midland and Bay.
The region of over 270,000 residents has been without representation in the state Senate for over a year. Whitmer faced calls from both Democrats and Republicans to declare a special election to replace McDonald Rivet after she took her seat in Congress in early 2025. It took Whitmer 238 days to set special election dates.
A contentious primary
The primary elections were contentious. The state Democratic Party accused conservative ad groups of trying to interfere with their primary election with a series of ads boosting State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh.
In addition, the Pugh campaign says a PAC, Michigan Vindicated, sent out flyers attacking alleged campaign finance violations by Pugh. Her campaign characterizes those ads as racist, and said party leadership has not done enough to condemn them.
Meanwhile, Tunney filed a lawsuit accusing a Bay City man of creating AI generated ads implying Tunney was gay and endorsed by a non-existent LGBTQ+ conservative group. The Michigan State Police are probing the incident.
The general election will be held May 5. The winner will likely run again on the November midterm ballot to seek a full four-year term in the state Senate.
We want to hear from you. Tell us what issues matter most to you and your neighborhood with our 35th state Senate District election survey.
For more resources and information on voting visit 2026 WCMU's Special Election Dashboard.
WCMU's election results were pulled directly from data provided by the Midland, Bay and Saginaw county clerks.
District 35 Republican Primary
>95% Est. Vote Counted (unofficial results)
Jason Tunney
Total votes: 9,335
Percentage Votes: 51.2%
Christian Velasquez
Total votes: 7,733
Percentage Votes: 42.4%
Chadwick Twillman
Total votes: 689
Percentage Votes: 3.8%
Andrew Wendt
Total votes: 472
Percentage Votes: 2.6%
District 35 Democratic Primary
>95% Est. Vote Counted (unofficial results)
Chedrick Greene
Total votes: 16,081
Percentage: 60.4%
Pamela Pugh
Total votes: 7,371
Percentage: 27.7%
Martin Blank
Total votes: 1,178
Percentage: 4.5%
Serenity Salak
Total votes: 712
Percentage: 7.2%
William Morrone
Total votes: 674
Percentage: 2.5%
Brandell Adams
Total votes: 599
Percentage: 2.3%
WCMU's Brianna Edgar and Christin Coppess contributed to this report.
Copyright 2026 WCMU