230 Days of Silence for the Great Lakes Bay Region

Lansing, MI - Today marks 230 days since Kristen McDonald Rivet vacated her state senate seat, leaving 270,000 Michiganders without representation. Simultaneously, Governor Gretchen Whitmer has refused to call a special election for the 35th state senate district, frustrating residents to the point that they have sued Whitmer.

Whitmer’s refusal to call an election in the Great Lakes Bay region sends a clear message: partisan politics and power matter more to her than giving voters a voice in Lansing.

“Governor Whitmer’s refusal to act has silenced an entire senate district. Families in the Great Lakes Bay region deserve representation in Lansing, and they’ve waited far too long,” said Mary Drabik, a spokesperson for Michigan Forward Network. “This seat has now been vacant for 230 days, and the only reason is because Whitmer does not want to risk the political consequences. She is scared that she might not like what the voters have to say.”