Common Cause Michigan is calling on Governor Gretchen Whitmer to set a date for the special election for the vacant 35th Senate District seat after four months of delay.   
 
The 35th Michigan Senate District has been vacant since January 3, 2025, when Congresswoman Kristen McDonald Rivet resigned the seat after being sworn into Congress. That means the residents of the 35th District have lacked representation for nearly four full months and still don’t know when they’ll elect a new senator. 
 
It is the governor’s duty to set a special election primary and general election dates. She has done so in previous years without delay, but we have heard no explanation as to the reason for the delay this time. Due to the governor’s delays, the district will not elect a new senator in the upcoming May 6 election, and any further delays could also put the next election, scheduled for August 6, out of the question.  
 
“Michiganders don’t like it when their elected officials play partisan games. Governor Whitmer needs to rise above such tactics and set a date for the special election ASAP. The people of the 35th District deserve representation in Lansing. If the governor can’t put partisanship aside, the legislature needs to change the law to prevent long delays in holding special elections,” said Quentin Turner, Executive Director of Common Cause Michigan.