# Michigan's 27th Senate district

Michigan's 27th Senate district is one of 38 districts in the Michigan Senate. The 27th 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 Democrat John Cherry III since 2023, succeeding fellow Democrat Jim Ananich.

## Geography

District 27 encompasses part of Genesee County.

### 2011 Apportionment Plan

District 27, as dictated by the 2011 Apportionment Plan, was based in Flint, also covering the surrounding Genesee County communities of Burton, Clio, Mount Morris, Swartz Creek, Flint Township, Mount Morris Township, Genesee Township, and Vienna Township.
The district was located entirely within Michigan's 5th congressional district, and overlapped with the 34th, 48th, 49th, and 50th districts of the Michigan House of Representatives.

## List of senators

| Senator | Party | Dates | Residence | Notes |
| William McCauley | Democratic | 1853–1854 | Brighton | |
| John Kenyon | Democratic | 1855–1856 | Tyrone | |
| John Merritt Lamb Sr. | Republican | 1857–1858 | Dryden | |
| William S. Mills | Republican | 1859–1860 | Lexington | |
| Daniel G. Wilder | Republican | 1861–1862 | Watrousville | |
| David H. Jerome | Republican | 1863–1866 | Saginaw | |
| Nathan B. Bradley | Republican | 1867–1868 | Bay City | |
| Charles Blunt Mills | Republican | 1869–1870 | Mayville | |
| Harrison H. Wheeler | Democratic | 1871–1872 | Wenona | |
| Henry H. Hinds | Republican | 1873–1874 | Stanton | |
| Allen B. Morse | Democratic | 1875–1876 | Ionia | |
| Marsden C. Burch | Republican | 1877–1878 | Hersey | |
| William E. Ambler | Republican | 1879–1882 | Pentwater | |
| Fitch Phelps | Republican | 1883–1886 | Big Rapids | |
| Ansel W. Westgate | Republican | 1887–1888 | Cheboygan | |
| John G. Berry | Republican | 1889–1890 | Otsego County | |
| James E. Holcomb | Democratic | 1891–1892 | Wolverine | |
| William J. Mears | Republican | 1893–1894 | Boyne Falls | |
| Clyde C. Chittenden | Republican | 1895–1896 | Cadillac | |
| George G. Covell | Republican | 1897–1898 | Traverse City | Resigned after appointed U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. |
| James W. Milliken | Republican | 1898–1900 | Traverse City | |
| Ambrose E. Palmer | Republican | 1901–1902 | Kalkaska | |
| Orlando C. Moffatt | Republican | 1903–1906 | Traverse City | |
| Fred C. Wetmore | Republican | 1907–1910 | Cadillac | |
| Robert E. Walter | Republican | 1911–1916 | Traverse City | |
| William W. Smith | Republican | 1917–1920 | Traverse City | |
| Albert J. Engel | Republican | 1921–1922 | Lake City | |
| William L. Case | Republican | 1923–1926 | Benzonia | |
| Albert J. Engel | Republican | 1927–1932 | Lake City | |
| Felix H. H. Flynn | Republican | 1933–1940 | Cadillac | |
| James T. Milliken | Republican | 1941–1950 | Traverse City | |
| Felix H. H. Flynn | Republican | 1951–1953 | Cadillac | Died in office. |
| John Minnema | Republican | 1954–1960 | Traverse City | |
| William G. Milliken | Republican | 1961–1964 | Traverse City | |
| William Romano | Democratic | 1965–1966 | Warren | Died in office. |
| James D. Gray | Democratic | 1967–1974 | Warren | |
| John T. Bowman | Democratic | 1975–1977 | Roseville | Resigned to become a lobbyist. |
| Art Miller Jr. | Democratic | 1977–1994 | Warren | |
| Dan DeGrow | Republican | 1995–2002 | Port Huron | |
| Robert L. Emerson | Democratic | 2003–2006 | Flint | |
| John J. Gleason | Democratic | 2007–2013 | Flushing | Resigned after elected Genesee County Clerk/Register of Deeds. |
| Jim Ananich | Democratic | 2013–2022 | Flint | |
| John Cherry III | Democratic | 2023–present | Flint | |

## Recent election results
### 2018

2018 Michigan Senate election, District 27 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jim Ananich (incumbent) | 59,108 | 71.2 |
| | Republican | Donna Kekesis | 23,942 | 28.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 83,050 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2014

2014 Michigan Senate election, District 27 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jim Ananich | 51,291 | 77.3 |
| | Republican | Brendt Gerics | 15,062 | 22.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 66,353 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2013 special

In January 2013, incumbent senator John J. Gleason assumed office as Clerk/Register of Deeds for Genesee County, triggering a special election that May.
2013 Michigan Senate special election, District 27 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Jim Ananich | 8,472 | 51.4 |
| | Democratic | Woodrow Stanley | 6,237 | 37.8 |
| | Democratic | Ted Henry | 1,409 | 8.5 |
| | Democratic | Chris Del Morone | 231 | 1.4 |
| | Democratic | Lawrence Woods | 148 | 0.9 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 16,497 | 100 |
| | Republican | Robert Daunt | 1,025 | 54.6 |
| | Republican | Adam Ford | 851 | 45.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 1,876 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Democratic | Jim Ananich | 8,728 | 75.3 |
| | Republican | Robert Daunt | 2,640 | 22.8 |
| | Libertarian | Robert Nicholls (write-in) | 143 | 1.2 |
| | Green | Bobby Jones | 80 | 0.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 11,591 | 100 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### Federal and statewide results

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2020 | President | Biden 62.3 – 36.2% |
| 2018 | Senate | Stabenow 66.2 – 31.3% |
| 2018 | Governor | Whitmer 68.3 – 28.7% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 62.2 – 33.5% |
| 2014 | Senate | Peters 75.6 – 20.9% |
| 2014 | Governor | Schauer 71.9 – 25.7% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 74.3 – 24.8% |
| 2012 | Senate | Stabenow 78.2 – 18.8% |

## Historical district boundaries

| Description | Apportionment Plan |
| Macomb County (part) Armada Township Bruce Township Center Line Clinton Township Lenox Township Macomb Township Memphis Mount Clemens Ray Township Richmond Township Shelby Township Sterling Township Utica Warren Washington Township St. Clair County (part) Memphis | 1964 Apportionment Plan |
| Macomb County (part) Clinton Township (part) Fraser Mount Clemens Roseville Warren (part) | 1972 Apportionment Plan |
| Macomb County (part) Center Line Fraser Roseville Warren | 1982 Apportionment Plan |
| Lapeer County Sanilac County St. Clair County | 1992 Apportionment Plan |
| Genesee County (part) Argentine Township Clayton Township Fenton Fenton Township Flint Flint Township Flushing Flushing Township Gaines Township Genesee Township Linden Montrose Montrose Township Mundy Township Swartz Creek | 2001 Apportionment Plan |
| Genesee County (part) Burton Clio Flint Flint Township Forest Township Genesee Township Mount Morris Mount Morris Township Richfield Township Swartz Creek Thetford Township Vienna Township | 2011 Apportionment Plan |