Democrat Chedrick Greene won a special state Senate election in Michigan on Tuesday.

“Greene, a Marine veteran and firefighter, defeated Republican Jason Tunney, a former prosecutor, in the special election to replace Democratic U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet, who resigned from the state Senate after she was elected to Congress in 2024,” NBC News reports.

According to the unofficial results, Greene defeated Tunney 58.9 percent to 39.4 percent to represent Michigan’s 35th Senate District, which covers communities in Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties.

Greene’s victory ensures Democrats retain control of the narrowly divided Michigan State Senate.

NBC News explained further:

And Greene continues a special election trend during President Donald Trump’s second term of Democrats outperforming former Vice President Kamala Harris’ showing in the 2024 presidential race.

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With 94% of the expected vote in, Greene led Tunney by more than 19 points in Michigan’s 35th Senate District, which is in the Saginaw Bay area. In 2024, Harris won the district by just over 1,000 votes, or 50.4% to President Donald Trump’s 49.6%.

Greene’s victory also means Democrats will hold a 20-18 majority in the Senate. Democrats also control the governorship in Michigan, a key battleground state, while Republicans have a 58-52 edge in the state House.

A resounding victory in this district is an especially welcome sign for Democrats ahead of November’s midterm elections, since this area of the state is at the heart of Trump’s blue-collar coalition.

The district includes parts of Saginaw, Midland and Bay Counties, which are largely white and working-class, though Saginaw City has a sizable Black population. Between one-fifth and one-third of adults in these counties have college degrees. The region also encompasses manufacturing and agricultural industries.

“We delivered this decisive victory by listening and speaking to the things keeping everyday people up at night — worries about affordability, safety, and freedom. I am honored to have earned the trust of so many voters across #SD35,” Greene said.

“And I am excited to go to Lansing to fight for every policy and dollar that helps hardworking men and women build better lives here in Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties and sets our kids up for brighter futures,” he added.

More from the Detroit Free Press:

“Chedrick Greene just rounded out our special election season with a decisive victory in one of the highest-stakes battleground districts in the country,” Heather Williams, president of the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, said in a statement.

Historic trends show the party in power in the White House typically fares poorly in midterm cycles, and Tuesday’s results likely set off a few warning signs for Michigan Republicans. President Donald Trump faces record-high disapproval ratings amid high fuel prices due to the ongoing U.S. war in Iran, as well as continued economic inflation, although there are still six months for those trends to turn around before November.

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