# Michigan's 16th Senate district

Michigan's 16th Senate district is one of 38 districts in the Michigan Senate. The 16th district was created by the 1850 Michigan Constitution, as the 1835 constitution only permitted a maximum of eight senate districts. It has been represented by Republican Joe Bellino since 2023, succeeding fellow Republican Mike Shirkey.

## Geography

District 16 encompasses parts of Hillsdale, Lenawee, and Monroe counties.

### 2011 Apportionment Plan

District 16, as dictated by the 2011 Apportionment Plan, covered Branch, Hillsdale, and Jackson Counties, including the communities of Jackson, Michigan Center, Vandercook Lake, Hillsdale, Jonesville, Coldwater, Bronson, Summit Township, Blackman Township, and Leoni Township.
The district was located entirely within Michigan's 7th congressional district, and overlapped with the 58th, 64th, and 65th districts of the Michigan House of Representatives. It bordered the states of Indiana and Ohio.

## List of senators

| Senator | Party | Dates | Residence | Notes |
| Joseph C. Leonard | Democratic | 1853–1854 | Union City | |
| Louis T. N. Wilson | Republican | 1855–1856 | Coldwater | |
| Frederick Shurtz | Republican | 1857–1858 | White Pigeon | |
| Comfort Tyler | Republican | 1859–1860 | St. Joseph County | |
| Joseph R. Williams | Republican | 1861 | Constantine | Died in office. |
| Henry H. Riley | Democratic | 1862 | Constantine | |
| Jonathan G. Wait | Republican | 1863–1866 | Sturgis | |
| Warren Chapman | Republican | 1867–1868 | St. Joseph | |
| Evan J. Bonine | Republican | 1869–1870 | Niles | |
| Lorenzo P. Alexander | Republican | 1871–1872 | Buchanan | |
| George M. Dewey | Republican | 1873–1874 | Hastings | |
| Asa K. Warren | Republican | 1875–1876 | Olivet | |
| Porter K. Perrin | Republican | 1877–1878 | St. Johns | |
| John S. Tooker | Republican | 1879–1882 | Lansing | |
| Joshua Manwaring | Democratic | 1883–1886 | Lapeer | |
| Jonathan W. Babcock | Republican | 1887–1888 | Lexington | |
| Robert L. Taylor | Republican | 1889–1892 | Lapeer | |
| Peter Doran | Democratic | 1893–1894 | Grand Rapids | |
| Julius M. Jamison | Republican | 1895–1896 | Grand Rapids | |
| Robert B. Loomis | Republican | 1897–1902 | Grand Rapids | |
| David E. Burns | Republican | 1903–1904 | Grand Rapids | |
| Andrew Fyfe | Republican | 1905–1908 | Grand Rapids | |
| Carl E. Mapes | Republican | 1909–1912 | Grand Rapids | |
| Leonard D. Verdier | Republican | 1913–1916 | Grand Rapids | |
| Harry C. White | Democratic | 1917–1918 | Grand Rapids | |
| Roy M. Watkins | Republican | 1919–1920 | Grand Rapids | |
| Eva McCall Hamilton | Republican | 1921–1922 | Grand Rapids | |
| Charles R. Sligh | Republican | 1923–1924 | Grand Rapids | |
| Howard F. Baxter | Republican | 1925–1928 | Grand Rapids | |
| Ernest T. Conlon | Republican | 1929–1932 | Grand Rapids | |
| Earl W. Munshaw | Republican | 1933–1944 | Grand Rapids | Died in office. |
| Perry W. Greene | Republican | 1945–1962 | Grand Rapids | |
| Milton Zaagman | Republican | 1963–1964 | Grand Rapids | |
| Robert J. Huber | Republican | 1965–1970 | Birmingham | |
| Donald E. Bishop | Republican | 1971–1974 | Rochester | |
| Bill Huffman | Democratic | 1975–1982 | Madison Heights | Resigned. |
| Dana F. Wilson | Democratic | 1982 | Hazel Park | |
| Doug Cruce | Republican | 1983–1991 | Troy | Resigned. |
| Michael J. Bouchard | Republican | 1991–1994 | Birmingham | |
| Mat J. Dunaskiss | Republican | 1995–2002 | Lake Orion | |
| Cameron S. Brown | Republican | 2003–2010 | Fawn River Township | |
| Bruce Caswell | Republican | 2011–2014 | Hillsdale | |
| Mike Shirkey | Republican | 2015–2022 | Clarklake | |
| Joe Bellino | Republican | 2023–present | Monroe | |

## Recent election results
### 2018

2018 Michigan Senate election, District 16 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mike Shirkey (incumbent) | 18,105 | 63.5 |
| | Republican | Matt Dame | 10,389 | 36.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 28,494 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Mike Shirkey (incumbent) | 56,980 | 62.7 |
| | Democratic | Val Cochran Toops | 31,129 | 34.3 |
| | Libertarian | Ronald Muszynski | 2,760 | 3.0 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 90,869 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014

2014 Michigan Senate election, District 16 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mike Shirkey | 41,667 | 60.8 |
| | Democratic | Kevin Commet | 26,823 | 39.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 68,490 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### Federal and statewide results

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2020 | President | Trump 62.9 – 35.3% |
| 2018 | Senate | James 58.7 – 38.9% |
| 2018 | Governor | Schuette 56.5 – 40.0% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 61.3 – 33.3% |
| 2014 | Senate | Land 50.5 – 45.0% |
| 2014 | Governor | Snyder 57.9 – 39.6% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 55.0 – 43.9% |
| 2012 | Senate | Stabenow 49.9 – 46.6% |

## Historical district boundaries

| Description | Apportionment Plan |
| Oakland County (part) Avon Township Birmingham Bloomfield Hills Bloomfield Township Clawson Pontiac Township Royal Oak Southfield Township Troy | 1964 Apportionment Plan |
| Oakland County (part) Berkley Clawson Ferndale Hazel Park Madison Heights Pleasant Ridge Royal Oak Royal Oak Township (part) Troy (part) | 1972 Apportionment Plan |
| Oakland County (part) Berkley Birmingham Clawson Hazel Park Madison Heights Pleasant Ridge Royal Oak Troy | 1982 Apportionment Plan |
| Oakland County (part) Addison Township Auburn Hills Independence Township Keego Harbor Lake Angelus Oakland Township Orchard Lake Village Orion Township Rochester Hills Springfield Township Sylvan Lake Waterford Township White Lake Township West Bloomfield Township (part) | 1992 Apportionment Plan |
| Branch County Hillsdale County Lenawee County St. Joseph County | 2001 Apportionment Plan |
| Branch County Hillsdale County Jackson County | 2011 Apportionment Plan |