Trump-backed Indiana Senate candidate wins primary
President Donald Trump continued to exert influence in Indiana’s Republican primary. At least five of the seven Republican senators he opposed lost the nomination.
Democrat Chedrick Green won the special election for the open Michigan Senate seat held on Tuesday, May 5, giving his party a narrow majority in the key battleground state.
The victory comes as local elections receive increased attention as Democrats and Republicans vie for influence across the country ahead of November’s midterm elections.
Charles Stewart III, a political science professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, told USA TODAY on May 6, “Michigan could have had a special election that could have resulted in a deadlock in the state Senate.” Greene’s victory gives Democrats a 20-18 majority in the state Senate, meaning Republicans cannot delay the bill’s passage by abstaining.
Here’s a closer look at Green’s win and what it means from a national perspective.
Democrats control the Senate in battleground states
Greene, a retired military officer and firefighter from Saginaw, Michigan, won the 35th Senate District by a margin of 58.9%, according to CNN and the Associated Press. The seat became vacant when current U.S. Representative Kristen McDonald Rivette was elected to the House of Representatives and sworn into office in early 2025.
“We achieved this decisive victory by listening and speaking about the things that keep everyday people up at night: concerns about affordability, safety, and freedom,” Greene said on social media.
Greene defeated Republican Jason Tunney, a lawyer in private practice, with 39.4% of the vote.
According to the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, the seat will be up for reconsideration in November, a fact that Taney noted in his concession remarks.
“This is only the halfway point,” Tunney said. “As we move into November, the contrast between Chedrick and me will become clear to more and more voters. I’m excited to see what’s to come, and I don’t plan on going anywhere.”
What Green’s victory means
Tuesday’s special election was the first midterm test for Michigan, a battleground state that President Donald Trump won with 49.7% in 2024, according to Ballotpedia. The race also comes as the president’s allies have signaled a willingness to invest in local races such as Indiana, where they can further widen the lead.
Jared McDonald, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Mary Washington, said Greene’s victory is part of a national trend of Democratic wins in special elections since Trump took office.
“Democrats are benefiting from a combination of voter enthusiasm, or perhaps anger, and the Democratic coalition includes more voters who are more likely to participate during off-cycle elections,” he told USA TODAY on May 6. “These dynamics are leading to Democratic numbers being released.”
Democrats control the state Senate and the gubernatorial majority as lawmakers consider a budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year, the Detroit Free Press reports. While Republicans control the state Legislature, Democrats retain negotiating power over spending plans.
Contributed by: Detroit Free Press
