Michigan 2022 Election Results

Michigan held its general election on November 8, 2022, deciding 148 legislative seats and 4 statewide offices led by the governorship. Control shifted: the Senate moved from a 22-16 Republican majority to a 20-18 Democratic majority; the House moved from a 57-53 Republican majority to a 56-54 Democratic majority.

Highlights

• With Gretchen Whitmer (D) re-elected and both legislative chambers flipped, Democrats head into 2023 with full control of state government, holding the legislature for the first time since 1984.
• It was the first election on maps drawn by the independent redistricting commission voters created in 2018. Michigan State political scientist Matt Grossmann called the new lines "a necessary but insufficient condition for Democrats to win," because they favored whichever party carried the statewide vote. The result surprised both parties. Senate Democrats chose Winnie Brinks as the chamber's first woman majority leader, and House Democrats picked Joe Tate as Michigan's first Black House Speaker.
• Atop the ticket, Whitmer, who made abortion rights a centerpiece of her campaign, beat Tudor Dixon (R) by more than 10 points; a state GOP memo blamed the loss on Dixon, concluding that "middle of the road voters simply didn't like what Tudor was selling." The two other Democratic statewide incumbents on the ballot also won comfortably. Jocelyn Benson (D) beat Kristina Karamo (R) by about 14 points; Karamo had claimed without evidence to have witnessed fraud in Detroit in 2020. Dana Nessel (D) beat Matthew DePerno (R), a Trump-endorsed political newcomer, by about 9 points.
• In all, 3 legislative seats changed party (judged against the old district lines), two toward Democrats and one toward Republicans, and each cost an incumbent their seat:
  • Veronica Klinefelt (D) unseated Michael MacDonald (R) in Senate District 11.
  • Betsy Coffia (D) edged Jack O'Malley (R) by about 770 votes in House District 103.
  • Jim DeSana (R) ousted Alex Garza (D) in House District 29.
  Beyond the flips, 5 races finished inside two points, including three Senate races in which a sitting state representative lost by fewer than 800 votes:
  • Mark Huizenga (R) held Senate District 30 by about 390 over Rep. David LaGrand (D).
  • Kevin Hertel (D) beat Rep. Pamela Hornberger (R) in Senate District 12 by about 400.
  • Michael Webber (R) beat Rep. Padma Kuppa (D) in Senate District 9 by just under 800.
• Voters approved all 3 constitutional amendments on the ballot. Proposal 3 wrote reproductive rights, including abortion, into the constitution and nullified the 1931 abortion ban; Proposal 2 added a package of voting and election policies; and Proposal 1 replaced legislative term limits with a 12-year cap on total legislative service, all of which can be served in one chamber, and required annual financial disclosure from legislators and statewide officials. A partial recount of Proposals 2 and 3 went forward in December, though state canvassers agreed it had no chance of reversing either result.

Legislature

• House (110 seats): 52 D, 58 R before the election, 56 D, 54 R after; control moved from Republicans to Democrats.
• Senate (38 seats): 16 D, 22 R before the election, 20 D, 18 R after; control moved from Republicans to Democrats.

Statewide races

Legislative races

Ballot measures