LANSING — On Friday, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer sent a letter to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson calling for a special election to fill a vacant seat in the Michigan Senate. The vacancy resulted from the resignation of Kristen McDonald Rivet, who previously represented the 35th Senate District, following her election to the U.S. House of Representatives for the 8th Congressional District.

“Today, I am calling a special election for the 35th Senate District that represents parts of Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties,” said Governor Whitmer. “We have a lot of good work to get done before the end of next year. Michiganders want us to create jobs and grow the economy, invest in schools and boost literacy rates, and, of course, fix those damn roads. I look forward to working with the next state senator from this district to tackle these issues and more.”

The governor called for a special primary election to be held on February 3, 2026, and the general election to be held on May 5, 2026.