Currently, the Michigan House of Representatives holds a democratic-majority advantage with 56-54 seats. This provides Michigan with a situation in which legislative actions that reflect democratic goals, such as increased protections for populations at risk and an increased financial delegation to social supports, have an increased likelihood of being passed. Despite this unique opportunity, the position that Democrats hold may soon be at risk.
Both Rep. Kevin Coleman (D) and Rep. Lori Stone (D) have recently finished second in the primary mayoral race elections in Westland and Warren respectively, thus advancing to a general election being held on November 7th. If both representatives win their general elections and resign their positions within the House, it will create an equal split of Republicans v. Democrats 54-54. Joe Tate, the current speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives, would remain in a position of power for the time being, but it ultimately would open up the possibility that democrats will lose the majority by those who are elected to fill in the gaps. For the vacant positions to be filled, a special election will have to be called, but the timely manner in which this can be done is questionable. Rep. Kevin Coleman has stated, “the thing that I’ve reassured everybody is that I’m in a strong Dem seat [in Westland], so there’s no possibility of us losing it.” Despite this reassurance, the vulnerability that could soon become a reality drives the question of what actions can be taken to safeguard the democratic position.
The most significant action that individual constituents can do is exercise their right to vote. A significant voter turnout for the special election will aid in the assurance that the new electee will preserve the perspectives and values congruent to those of the majority, maintaining the steady drive of democratic advances within the Michigan legislature. We may also see an increased amount of legislative action being taken during these next few weeks before some of the election results surface.
Read more:
https://michiganadvance.com/2023/08/09/coleman-and-stone-advance-in-two-se-michigan-mayoral-races/
Written by: Hunter Young, BSW Candidate
