Lansing-area residents will pick new state legislators and community college trustees Nov. 3, with two open seats and a split Legislature on the ballot.
Republicans hold a 58-52 majority in the Michigan House. Democrats hold a 20-18 edge in the Senate. Both chambers are rated as toss-ups this election cycle, according to MultiState’s election tracker.
28th Senate District: Four candidates
The local race is for the 28th Senate District seat being vacated by state Sen. Sam Singh, D-East Lansing, who announced in March he would not seek re-election.
Rashida Harrison, 47, a Lansing Democrat who has taught at MSU’s James Madison College, won the Democratic primary Aug. 4 with 41.8% of the vote, according to The State News. She defeated Ingham County Commissioner Mark Polsdofer.
Harrison told The State News at a Sept. 1 MSU College Democrats event that the national political climate motivated her to run. "Part of the reason why I decided to run is because there's so much noise in the larger national political landscape," she said.
Julie DeRose, 65, a DeWitt Republican, small business owner and former state government professional, ran uncontested in her primary. She holds a master's degree in public administration and has lived in DeWitt for more than 25 years, according to Lansing City Pulse. The district spans portions of Ingham, Clinton and Shiawassee counties.
Also running are Libertarian Brandon Crabill, a Lansing small business owner, and Working Class Party candidate Wes Peterson, a Lansing software engineer.
74th House District: Pope vs. Tarver
State Rep. Kara Hope, D-Holt, is not seeking re-election, opening the 74th House District seat.
Harold Pope, 66, a Democrat and former president of the Lansing branch of the NAACP, is a retired auto industry professional who earned his bachelor's degree and military commission at the University of Dayton, according to City Pulse. He faces Clinton Tarver, 76, a Lansing Republican known locally as "the hot dog guy" for running a hot dog stand outside Lansing City Hall for years.
The district leans heavily Democratic.
The Republican candidate received 35% of the vote there in 2024, according to City Pulse.
75th House District: Tsernoglou vs. Lambert
State Rep. Penelope Tsernoglou, 47, D-East Lansing, is seeking a third term. A former 12-year Ingham County commissioner, Tsernoglou won East Lansing with nearly 78% of the vote in 2024, according to City Pulse.
She faces Frank Lambert, 60, a Haslett Republican who has worked at General Motors and as a part-time paralegal. Lambert has run for the state House at least six times before, City Pulse reported.
LCC Board of Trustees
Three candidates are competing for two seats on the Lansing Community College Board of Trustees: incumbents Hope Lovell and LaShunda Thomas, and challenger Dominica Palacio. The race appears on ballots within LCC’s voting district in Ingham County and parts of Clinton, Eaton and Livingston counties, according to WKAR.
How to vote
Eligible Michigan residents have until Oct. 19 to register online for the Nov. 3 election. Mailed applications must be postmarked by Oct. 19.
From Oct. 20 through Election Day, residents must register in person at their local clerk’s office or a designated satellite office and provide proof of residency.
The required early voting period runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1, though communities may offer additional days. Election Day polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.
