# Michigan's 37th Senate district

Michigan's 37th Senate district is one of 38 districts in the Michigan Senate. The 37th district was created with the adoption of the 1963 Michigan Constitution, as the previous 1908 state constitution only permitted 34 senatorial districts. It has been represented by Republican John Damoose since 2023, succeeding fellow Republican Wayne Schmidt.

## Geography

District 38 encompasses the entirety of Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Leelanau, and Presque Isle counties as well as parts of Chippewa and Mackinac counties.

### 2011 Apportionment Plan

District 37, as dictated by the 2011 Apportionment Plan, covered the northernmost parts of the Lower Peninsula and the eastern end of the Upper Peninsula, including all of Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Luce, and Mackinac Counties. Communities in the district included Traverse City, Sault Ste. Marie, Petoskey, Cheboygan, Boyne City, St. Ignace, Kingsley, Elk Rapids, Charlevoix, East Jordan, Newberry, Garfield Township, East Bay Township, Blair Township, and Long Lake Township.
The district was located entirely within Michigan's 1st congressional district, and overlapped with the 104th, 105th, 106th, 107th, and 109th districts of the Michigan House of Representatives. The district bordered Canada, as well as three Great Lakes: Huron, Michigan, and Superior.

## List of senators

| Senator | Party | Dates | Residence |
| Thomas F. Schweigert | Republican | 1965–1970 | Petoskey |
| Robert William Davis | Republican | 1971–1978 | Gaylord |
| Mitch Irwin | Democratic | 1979–1990 | Sault Ste. Marie |
| George A. McManus Jr. | Republican | 1991–1994 | Traverse City |
| Walter H. North | Republican | 1995–2002 | St. Ignace |
| Jason Allen | Republican | 2003–2010 | Traverse City |
| Howard Walker | Republican | 2011–2014 | Traverse City |
| Wayne Schmidt | Republican | 2015–2022 | Traverse City |
| John Damoose | Republican | 2023–present | Harbor Springs |

## Recent election results
### 2018

2018 Michigan Senate election, District 37 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Wayne Schmidt (incumbent) | 27,693 | 80.0 |
| | Republican | Jim Gurr | 6,924 | 20.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 34,617 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Wayne Schmidt (incumbent) | 73,338 | 58.9 |
| | Democratic | Jim Page | 51,076 | 41.1 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 124,414 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014

2014 Michigan Senate election, District 37 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Wayne Schmidt | 19,107 | 55.5 |
| | Republican | Greg MacMaster | 15,312 | 44.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 34,419 | 100 |
| | Democratic | Phil Bellfy | 4,620 | 51.5 |
| | Democratic | Jimmy Schmidt | 4,346 | 48.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 8,966 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Wayne Schmidt | 54,981 | 61.1 |
| | Democratic | Phil Bellfy | 35,037 | 38.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 90,018 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### Federal and statewide results

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2020 | President | Trump 56.3 – 42.0% |
| 2018 | Senate | James 54.9 – 42.9% |
| 2018 | Governor | Schuette 53.1 – 43.8% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 57.7 – 36.7% |
| 2014 | Senate | Land 51.0 – 45.0% |
| 2014 | Governor | Snyder 57.7 – 39.5% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 56.2 – 42.7% |
| 2012 | Senate | Stabenow 48.5 – 48.1% |

## Historical district boundaries

| Description | Apportionment Plan |
| Alger County (part) Burt Township Grand Island Township Munising Munising Township Alpena County Antrim County (part) Banks Township Central Lake Township Chestonia Township Echo Township Forest Home Township Jordan Township Kearney Township Mancelona Township Star Township Torch Lake Township Warner Township Charlevoix County Cheboygan County Chippewa County Delta County Emmet County Luce County Mackinac County Montmorency County Otsego County Presque Isle County Schoolcraft County | 1964 Apportionment Plan |
| Alcona County Alger County (part) Au Train Township (part) Limestone Township Mathias Township Munising Township (part) Alpena County Antrim County (part) Excluding Custer Township Charlevoix County Cheboygan County Chippewa County Crawford County Delta County (part) Baldwin Township Bay de Noc Township Brampton Township Cornell Township Ensign Township Escanaba Township (part) Fairbanks Township Garden Township Maple Ridge Township Masonville Township Nahma Township Emmet County Iosco County (part) Alabaster Township Au Sable Township Baldwin Township East Tawas Grant Township Oscoda Township Sherman Township Tawas City Tawas Township Wilber Township Kalkaska County (part) Bear Lake Township Garfield Township Luce County Mackinac County Montmorency County Oscoda County Otsego County Presque Isle County Schoolcraft County (part) Excluding Seney Township | 1972 Apportionment Plan |
| Antrim County Charlevoix County Cheboygan County Chippewa County Delta County Emmet County Grand Traverse County Luce County Mackinac County Otsego County Schoolcraft County | 1982 Apportionment Plan |
| Alcona County Alger County Alpena County Charlevoix County Cheboygan County Chippewa County Emmet County Iosco County Luce County Mackinac County Montmorency County Oscoda County Presque Isle County Schoolcraft County | 1992 Apportionment Plan |
| Antrim County Charlevoix County Cheboygan County Chippewa County Emmet County Grand Traverse County Mackinac County Presque Isle County | 2001 Apportionment Plan |
| Antrim County Charlevoix County Cheboygan County Chippewa County Emmet County Grand Traverse County Luce County Mackinac County | 2011 Apportionment Plan |