Michigan Republicans have won the state House majority, according to unofficial results, ending two years of total Democratic control in Lansing.
“Our hard-fought victory reaffirms that the people of Michigan want leaders who put them first, uphold the rule of law, and advocate for accountability at every level of government,” House Minority Leader Matt Hall (R) said in a statement.
Democrats started Tuesday with a 56-54 advantage in the chamber. Three incumbents appear to have lost: Rep. Jaime Churches (D) in District 27 in Wayne County; Rep. Jim Haadsma (D) in District 44 around Battle Creek; and Rep. Jenn Hill (D) in District 109 in the Upper Peninsula.
Republicans are expected to win 58 seats and Democrats 52 once all race results become official.
“House Democrats left everything on the field over the past months to maintain the majority,” Speaker Joe Tate (D) said in a statement conceding that the chamber had flipped. “[T]heir efforts are not diminished by the results of this election.”
Tate said Democrats would look to work with the Republican majority, but would “fulfill our duty as the voice of reason.”
Tate told the Detroit News that he will not run for minority leader and that House Speaker Pro Tem Laurie Pohutsky (D) will seek the office.
A race for speaker is developing. Hall plans to throw his hat into the ring, as does Rep. Tom Kunse (R), the minority vice chair of the Ethics and Oversight Committee.
Michigan Democrats won their first state government trifecta in 40 years in 2022, flipping the House and Senate as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) was re-elected.
In that time, they implemented a series of progressive policies, including on abortion rights and climate change.
The Michigan Democrats also used their grip on power to roll back a decade of Republican accomplishments, including repealing a so-called right-to-work measure, which prevents workplaces from requiring employees to join a union.
The two parties narrowly split the top races on the ballot. President-elect Trump carried Michigan by 1.5 percentage points, while U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D) won the open Senate seat by less than a third of a point.