It’s unclear which of the remaining candidates will join him. Democrat Rebecca Bahar-Cook received 2,407,544 votes, or 24.2%. She's narrowly leading Republican contender Julie Maday by just 3,459 votes.

Bahar-Cook's lead is a new development as of Thursday afternoon. Previously, Maday had been consistently ahead of Bahar-Cook since votes started being tallied on election night. Michigan's Secretary of State had mistakenly undercounted Bahar-Cook's votes in Allegan county by around 20,000 on their website, MIRS reported. Now, an estimated 99% of votes have been counted, according to the Associated Press.

Democrat Thomas Stallworth received 2,244,679 votes, or 22.6%. 

In Ingham County, where MSU’s East Lansing campus is located and one of the last counties to report its votes, Democrats hold a stronger lead. Bahar-Cook and Stallworth hold 31.7% and 29.4% in the county, respectively, while Balow and Maday hold 17.4% and 16.8%. 

The trustees-elect will replace Trustee Dianne Byrum and Board Chair Dan Kelly, whose terms end Jan. 1, 2025. If current results hold, Balow will replace Kelly as the board’s sole Republican. 

Balow, who narrowly lost the race in 2022 and has campaigned relentlessly since, said he was humbled by the voter support.

"I promise I won’t let them down," Balow said. 

A veteran and parent of an MSU alum, Balow wants to ensure transparency and promote dialogue at the university. MSU’s self-described "ninth trustee," he’s a constant presence at board meetings and has been a longtime advocate for bringing back MSU’s dissolved swim and dive team.  

Balow intends to have university staff reach out to everyone who signs up for public comment at board meetings to see whether MSU leaders can personally address their issues. He thinks trustees should be less secretive and hold meetings more often.

Bahar-Cook, CEO of a Lansing consulting firm, says she wants to bring the board together, increase student enrollment and lower tuition rates.

The former Ingham County commissioner and MSU alum says she’ll use her political experience to encourage collaboration.

Maday, a former Novi City Council member and parent of an MSU alum, says she would offer stability and promote collaboration to the board. To ensure the university’s affordability, she wants to prevent "wasting" money on avoidable lawsuits.

Stallworth, a longtime Detroit lawmaker, wants to make MSU more affordable and safe. An MSU alum, Stallworth says he would campaign the state government for more funding for higher education and ensure that MSU is continuing to follow recommendations for improving campus safety after the February 2023 campus shooting. 

Balow on the issues

The election comes at a tense time in board history. 

Faced with relentless protests by students demanding divestment from Israel, scrutiny over its role in the Mel Tucker scandal, the lasting effects of disgraced ex-MSU doctor Larry Nassar’s abuse and internal dysfunction, the board has often been embroiled in controversy.

In March, the board voted to ask the governor to consider removing two of its own members for violating university policies. 

The decision came after an outside investigation found that Trustees Rema Vassar and Dennis Denno interfered in university investigations and lawsuits, accepted gifts from donors and encouraged students to embarrass and attack their colleagues, among other things.

Balow believes Gov. Gretchen Whitmer shouldn’t remove Vassar and Denno, because the two officials didn’t engage in criminal activity.

While he says Vassar and Denno could have handled their interactions with students better, he sees many of the firm’s other findings — that trustees took gifts from donors, tried to visit victims of a campus mass shooting being held in family-only areas of a local hospital, and unsuccessfully tried to coordinate the release of thousands of documents detailing MSU’s handling of Larry Nassar — as justifiable.

"I can't fault someone for doing something that they think is right," Balow said at the time. "Even if it doesn't turn out exactly like they planned."

Balow says he empathizes with those affected by Israel’s war on Gaza and wants to encourage further dialogue, but isn’t sure whether MSU divesting from Israel will help "move the needle."

The university’s efforts would be more effective if they brought groups together to "find out how we could make a difference," he said. Petitioning legislators could be one option, he said.

MSU’s board is tasked with overseeing the president and making big-picture decisions about the university’s finances and operations. Their terms last eight years, with two seats opening up every two years. The trustees are elected in statewide partisan races, and occasionally appointed by the governor if a trustees' resignation or other circumstances result in a vacated seat during a term.