Michigan's House has changed hands three elections in a row. Democrats won it 56 to 54 in 2022, Bridge Michigan reported, then lost it two years later when Republicans took 58 seats. On Nov. 3, it swung back. By Thursday afternoon the AP had called 62 of 110 races for Democrats, Michigan Public reported, enough for a majority with seats still counting.
The Senate, where Democrats already held a 20 to 18 edge, widened to 23 to 15 in unofficial results. Democrat Jocelyn Benson won the governor's race. Put together, Democrats get back the full trifecta they held in 2023 and 2024.
The new gavels
House Democrats picked their leader, Rep. Ranjeev Puri of Canton, as speaker, according to Michigan Public. He would be the first person of South Asian heritage to lead either chamber. Senate Democrats chose Sen. Darrin Camilleri of Trenton as majority leader.
Both men talked big. Camilleri said he wants the "most productive session in our lifetimes" and "to make sure that we can do big, bold things in this new trifecta." Puri said the larger majority lets his party "dream bigger." He added: "I'm hoping that we can actually move the needle in talking about meaningful problems." Benson urged lawmakers toward a "bold new agenda."
The Republican reset
The more surprising leadership vote happened on the other side of the aisle. House Republicans removed Speaker Matt Hall as their caucus leader after two terms and replaced him with Rep. Tom Kunse of Clare, Michigan Public reported.
Michigan Public described Hall's tenure as defined in part by aggressive goals and an antagonistic relationship with Democrats. He drove a multibillion-dollar roads deal that delayed the state budget. Kunse praised Hall's work but said he is the right leader for this moment, and he promised a more collaborative tone. "Democrats are not the enemy," Kunse said. "Being 45th in education is the enemy." And: "Gas is expensive. Affordability is the issue."
In the Senate, Republicans chose Sen. Roger Hauck of Mt. Pleasant as minority leader. He was candid about what comes next: "There will be chaos with them. There will be chaos with us. Hopefully there will be more chaos with them than us."
The case for caution
Michigan is some of the best evidence in the country that a statehouse majority is a lease, not a deed. Democrats ran Lansing for two years, then lost the House in 2024. The swing back in 2026 was big, but so was the swing the other way.
That cuts two ways for the new majority. It argues for moving fast on what voters asked for. It also argues for building things the next majority will not want to tear down. Kunse's opening, built around schools and gas prices rather than grievance, is an invitation to test that.
What to watch
- January organization: Puri's formal election as speaker and the first rules package.
- The first budget: whether the trifecta avoids the late-budget fights of the Hall era.
- Kunse's caucus: whether House Republicans follow his collaborative line or pull back toward Hall's.
- Benson's first priorities: which of her "bold" items arrive as bills.
Michigan voters fired the last two House majorities they hired. The one they just hired knows it.
Results are unofficial until each state certifies them. This piece is part of The State's series on the 12 legislative chambers that changed party control on Nov. 3, all of them to Democrats, according to Ballotpedia. For the overview, read The Flip.