Michigan Republicans look to keep big Senate majority; Democrats look for flips

or the past four years, the Republicans in the state Senate have enjoyed a veto-proof 27-11 majority that has ensured that few, if any, proposals from Democrats gain traction.

The Democrats' minority status shrunk even further to a tiny, 10-member caucus when state Sen. Bert Johnson resigned earlier this year after pleading guilty to putting a “ghost employee” on the state payroll to pay off a loan.

Democrats are tired of their minority status and hope that an energized Democratic base will help them pick up five or six seats, which is not enough to capture the majority but will level the playing field a bit more.

“We think we’re in a good spot to pick up four, five or even six seats,” said state Sen. David Knezek, D-Dearborn Heights. “This is a full-court press. It’s a once-in-a lifetime opportunity. We haven’t held the majority since before I was born.”

Democrats see possible flips in Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Macomb County, the Upper Peninsula and — if the blue tide is especially strong — Oakland County.

“Four years ago, we heard all these ideas that the Republicans had a 26-12 majority and that was such an artificially high water mark,” said former state Sen. Bill Ballenger, editor of the political newsletter the Ballenger Report. “Well guess what, the Republicans actually gained a seat in 2014. And now we’re hearing the same thing all over again.”

Ballenger said the 27-11 majority probably is the best Republicans can do and that Democrats could very well pick up a couple of seats this year, but “the Democrats have almost got tosweep the board and win all thesedistricts and I just don’t see that happening.”

The Senate Republican caucus has a big fundraising edge over the Democrats — $4.4 million to $1.9 million in cash available for the rest of the campaign season. But Democrats outraised the Republicans in the second quarter, bringing in $349,476 compared to $286,051 for the GOP.


https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2018/07/29/republicans-democrats-election-majority/852658002/