Governor Gretchen Whitmer today sent a letter to Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson calling for a special election to fill three vacant seats in the Michigan House of Representatives.
These vacancies are caused by the election of Representatives Douglas Wozniak and Mark Huizenga, who previously represented the 36th and 74th Districts, to the Michigan State Senate and the passing of Representative Andrea Schroeder, who represented the 43rd District.
“As a state, it is critical that we take the appropriate steps to ensure that all Michiganders are fairly, justly, and equitably represented at all levels of government,” said Governor Whitmer. “By calling a special election, we can ensure that those vacant seats are filled and that the constituents of 36th, 43rd, and 74th districts have a democratically elected representative working for their best interests in Lansing.”
“The Department of State stands ready to work with local and county election officials to implement the special elections this Spring,” said Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. “Filling these partial terms before districts change will assist election officials in an orderly redistricting process and 2022 election cycle.”
The governor calls for a special primary election to fill the vacancies to be held on March 1, 2022, and the general election to be held on May 3, 2022.
The governor’s letter does not address the expected vacancy in the 15th District of the Michigan House due to Representative Abdullah Hammoud’s election as mayor of Dearborn. Once Representative Hammoud resigns from his current position, the governor anticipates issuing a separate call for a special election with this same timeline to fill that vacancy.
For information about elections in Michigan, visit here.
View the letter here:
Gov. Whitmer letter to Sec. Benson, Call for Special Elections (12.14.21).pdf
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