Things weren’t looking good for the state House Republicans vying to keep their 58-52 majority over the Democrats.
But after Tuesday’s election, the GOP prevailed - the Republicans still have 58 representatives in the House and none of the party’s incumbents, who weren’t term-limited, lost.
Kendall Wingrove, press secretary for House Republican Communications, said winning the House majority has not been easy.
“We worked extremely hard for two years in preparation for this election,” Wingrove said. “You need 56 votes to pass most bills. It’s a good working majority.”
By being in control of the House, the Republicans will be able to set the agenda for the next two years. Wingrove said they will work for legislation to put families first, strengthen education and improve health care access for individuals.
“What they voted on here in Lansing is important,” Wingrove said. “But equally important was the attention to details in their own neighborhood.”
Republicans will also have more influence on the district lines that are redrawn every 10 years based on the census. Redrawing the district lines could help determine control of who will have power in the state House for the next decade.
Political science Professor Carol Weissert said the Republican majority will make it very difficult for the Democratic House members to have their policies taken seriously, and redistricting will make it even harder for Democrats to regain the majority.
“If you have a House and Senate that are controlled by the same party, you are likely to have more consensus on policies that are more Republican,” Weissert said. “In the meantime, the Legislature will be singing from the same hymn book as a Republican governor suggesting Republican ideas to them.”
However, maintaining the Republican majority came with a hefty price tag. The House Republican Committee and the Michigan Republican Party spent $2.18 million on state House races, plus some late contributions made in the final days in the campaign.
“I think they wanted to protect those seats because of redistricting,” Weissert said. “They knew the stakes could potentially mean a Republican House for the next 10 years.”
One of the most expensive state House campaigns, the race for the 70th District seat between Democrat Gretchen Whitmer and Republican Bill Hollister, ended in a victory for Whitmer.
“I think the Democratic agenda better reflects the values of people in our community, but I have worked hard my whole life to build relationships with people who disagree with my stand on issues,” Whitmer said.
The Republicans’ House majority win also makes a mark in history - these are the first consecutive wins for the party since 1960 and 1962.
House Speaker Chuck Perricone and House Minority Leader Michael Hanley, D-Saginaw, are both leaving office because of term limits.
