As of midday Wednesday, Democrat Rebecca Bahar-Cook has just 4,083 more votes than Republican Julie Maday. 

Bahar-Cook has 2,426,090 votes, or 24.24%. Maday has 2,422,007 votes, or 24.2%. Democrat Thomas Stallworth has 2,261,940 votes, or 22.6%, according to unofficial Secretary of State results.  AP has not called the second seat and the votes have not been fully counted or certified by Michigan’s Board of Canvassers.

Maday admitted defeat in a campaign email Wednesday midday, congratulating Balow and Bahar-Cook and criticizing the state’s electoral process. 

“I'm thankful to all of my family, friends and supporters and wish Mike and Rebecca the best for the University that our family loves,” Maday wrote.

Maday led Bahar-Cook in the race for days after the election, until the Secretary of State corrected a clerical error that undercounted votes for Bahar-Cook.

Maday criticized the error in the counting process, calling Michigan’s system “clearly broken and inefficient.”

“To be clear, I am not implying there is anything mischievous,” Maday wrote. “However, we expect the ability to rely on data published by the SOS to be accurate.”

Counties had to canvass their results by midnight last night, but the Secretary of State Office is still putting all those votes on its website, spokesperson Angela Benander said.

Michigan’s Board of Canvassers will officially certify votes at a Friday morning meeting, Secretary of State spokesperson Cheri Hardmon 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.

Balow, a veteran and parent of an MSU alum, wants to ensure transparency and promote dialogue at the university. MSU’s self-described "ninth trustee," Balow is a constant presence at board meetings and has been a longtime advocate for bringing back MSU’s dissolved swim and dive team. He narrowly lost the race in 2022.

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.

If current results hold, Balow will replace Kelly as the board’s lone Republican.

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.

Bahar-Cook is not open to discussions of divestment, saying the university needs to support Israel as long as it’s an ally. She does support the unionization efforts on campus, and said she would voluntarily recognize the unions.

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.