Democrat Rashida Harrison won Michigan’s open Senate District 28 seat, defeating Republican Julie L. DeRose, according to The Associated Press.

AP called the race at 2:38 a.m. EST Wednesday, Nov. 4. Harrison will succeed Democratic Sen. Sam Singh, who did not seek reelection.

As of the state’s 7 a.m. EST update Nov. 4, Harrison had 71,686 votes, or 56.84%, compared with DeRose’s 51,056 votes, or 40.48%, according to Michigan’s unofficial election results.

AP has declared Harrison the winner. Vote totals remain unofficial and may change as additional ballots are counted.

Michigan Senate District 28 results

The following figures appeared in the state’s report updated at 7:00:48 a.m. EST Nov. 4:

Candidate

Party

Votes

Percentage

Rashida Harrison

Democratic

71,686

56.84%

Julie L. DeRose

Republican

51,056

40.48%

Wes Peterson

Working Class

1,878

1.49%

Brandon Crabill

Libertarian

1,501

1.19%

Total


126,121

100.00%

Harrison led DeRose by 20,630 votes in that update.

The state listed 81 of 83 counties as reporting statewide. That figure does not establish how much of District 28’s vote had been counted.

The district covers part of Lansing, East Lansing and surrounding communities. It spans parts of Ingham, Clinton and Shiawassee counties, including part of Grand Ledge, Okemos, St. Johns and DeWitt, according to Singh’s district page and the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce.

What’s at stake

Harrison’s victory keeps Singh’s seat in Democratic hands. Singh announced he would not seek reelection, Michigan Advance reported.

All 38 state Senate seats were on the ballot. Democrats entered the election with a 20-18 advantage in the chamber, according to 270toWin.

Since 2025, Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has worked with a Democratic-led Senate and Republican-led House, according to the Lansing State Journal’s October report.

The candidates

Harrison has taught at Michigan State University, according to her candidate questionnaire. She won the Aug. 4 Democratic primary with about 42% of the vote. Mark Polsdofer, an Ingham County commissioner, finished second with about 38%. DeRose ran unopposed on the Republican ticket.

Harrison’s platform focused on economic equality, workers’ rights, raising wages, expanding affordable child care and investing in public education and clean energy, according to The State News.

DeRose emphasized helping small businesses expand, preparing people for employment and making government spending more accountable, according to her campaign website.

Crabill supported lower taxes, limited government and reducing regulations on businesses. Peterson focused on workers’ rights and reducing corporate influence, The State News reported.

How to track results

Readers can follow additional returns through the Michigan Secretary of State’s results page.

AP’s race call is separate from the official canvassing and certification process. Vote totals remain unofficial until that process is complete. This article will be updated as additional totals become available.