# Michigan's 35th Senate district

Michigan's 35th Senate district is one of 38 districts in the Michigan Senate. The 35th district was created with the adoption of the 1963 Michigan Constitution, as the previous 1908 state constitution only permitted 34 senatorial districts. It was represented by Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet until 2025, following her election to Michigan’s 8th Congressional District. She succeeded Republican Curt VanderWall.

## Geography

District 35 encompasses parts of Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties.

### 2011 Apportionment Plan

District 35, as dictated by the 2011 Apportionment Plan, covered a large swath of Northern Michigan, which included all of Benzie, Crawford, Kalkaska, Lake, Leelanau, Manistee, Mason, Missaukee, Ogemaw, Osceola, Roscommon, and Wexford Counties. Communities within the district included Cadillac, Ludington, Manistee, Frankfort, Grayling, Kalkaska, Baldwin, Greilickville, Scottville, Lake City, West Branch, Reed City, Evart, Houghton Lake, St. Helen, and Roscommon.
The district overlapped with Michigan's 1st, 2nd, and 4th congressional districts, and with the 97th, 100th, 101st, 102nd, and 103rd districts of the Michigan House of Representatives.

## List of senators

| Senator | Party | Dates | Residence |
| Robert L. Richardson Jr. | Republican | 1965–1974 | Saginaw |
| Robert D. Young | Republican | 1975–1982 | Saginaw |
| John Engler | Republican | 1983–1990 | Mount Pleasant |
| Joanne G. Emmons | Republican | 1991–1994 | Big Rapids |
| Bill Schuette | Republican | 1995–2002 | Midland |
| Michelle McManus | Republican | 2003–2010 | Lake Leelanau |
| Darwin L. Booher | Republican | 2011–2018 | Evart |
| Curt VanderWall | Republican | 2019–2022 | Ludington |
| Kristen McDonald Rivet | Democratic | 2023–2025 | Bay City |

## Recent election results
### 2018

2018 Michigan Senate election, District 35 :
| Primary election |||||
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Curt VanderWall | 19,713 | 48.9 |
| | Republican | Bruce Rendon | 9,832 | 24.4 |
| | Republican | Ray Franz | 9,424 | 23.4 |
| | Republican | Cary Urka | 1,307 | 3.2 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 40,276 | 100 |
| General election |||||
| | Republican | Curt VanderWall | 73,688 | 63.2 |
| | Democratic | Mike Taillard | 39,923 | 34.2 |
| | Libertarian | Timothy Coon | 3,031 | 2.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 116,642 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014

2014 Michigan Senate election, District 35 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Darwin Booher (incumbent) | 51,299 | 59.5 |
| | Democratic | Glenn Lottie | 34,872 | 40.5 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 86,171 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### Federal and statewide results

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2020 | President | Trump 62.5 – 36.0% |
| 2018 | Senate | James 58.1 – 39.4% |
| 2018 | Governor | Schuette 56.7 – 39.9% |
| 2016 | President | Trump 61.3 – 33.5% |
| 2014 | Senate | Land 48.7 – 46.5% |
| 2014 | Governor | Snyder 55.0 – 42.0% |
| 2012 | President | Romney 53.9 – 45.0% |
| 2012 | Senate | Stabenow 51.6 – 44.9% |

## Historical district boundaries

| Description | Apportionment Plan |
| Alcona County Arenac County Bay County (part) Auburn Beaver Township Fraser Township Garfield Township Gibson Township Kawkawlin Township Merritt Township Mount Forest Township Pinconning Pinconning Township Williams Township Gladwin County Iosco County Midland County Ogemaw County Oscoda County Saginaw County (part) Albee Township Birch Run Township Blumfield Township Brady Township Brant Township Bridgeport Township Chapin Township Chesaning Township Frankenmuth Frankenmuth Township Fremont Township James Township Jonesfield Township Lakefield Township Maple Grove Township Marion Township Richland Township Saginaw Township St. Charles Township Spaulding Township Swan Creek Township Taymouth Township Thomas Township Tittabawassee Township Tuscola County (part) Arbela Township Denmark Township Tuscola Township | 1964 Apportionment Plan |
| Arenac County Bay County (part) Midland Gladwin County Gratiot County (part) Acarda Township Bethany Township Emerson Township Hamilton Township Ithaca Lafayette Township North Star Township St. Louis Wheeler Township Iosco County (part) Burleigh Township Plainfield Township Reno Township Whittemore Midland County Ogemaw County Roscommon County Saginaw County (part) Albee Township Birch Run Township Blumfield Township Brady Township Brant Township Bridgeport Township Chapin Township Chesaning Township Frankenmuth Frankenmuth Township Fremont Township James Township Jonesfield Township Lakefield Township Maple Grove Township Marion Township Richland Township Saginaw (part) Saginaw Township St. Charles Township Spaulding Township Swan Creek Township Taymouth Township Thomas Township Tittabawassee Township | 1972 Apportionment Plan |
| Clare County Gratiot County Isabella County Mecosta County Midland County Osceola County | 1982 Apportionment Plan |
| Clare County Gladwin County Lake County Mason County Midland County Newaygo County Oceana County Osceola County | 1992 Apportionment Plan |
| Benzie County Clare County Kalkaska County Lake County Leelanau County Manistee County Mecosta County Missaukee County Osceola County Roscommon County Wexford County | 2001 Apportionment Plan |
| Benzie County Crawford County Kalkaska County Lake County Leelanau County Manistee County Mason County Missaukee County Ogemaw County Osceola County Roscommon County Wexford County | 2011 Apportionment Plan |