Voters across the Ann Arbor area will choose a new state senator on Tuesday, Nov. 3, in a race that could help decide which party controls the Michigan Senate.

Election results are pending. This article will be updated as election officials release vote totals.

Democrat Felicia Brabec and Republican Jason Rogers are competing for the District 15 seat being vacated by state Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, who is term-limited, according to the Eastern Echo. The winner will serve a four-year term, according to the county’s official candidate list.

District 15 includes portions of Washtenaw, Lenawee and Monroe counties, including parts of Ann Arbor and communities such as Ypsilanti, Ypsilanti Township, Pittsfield Township, Saline and Superior Township, according to Brabec’s campaign website.

The candidates

Brabec, of Pittsfield Township, is a clinical psychologist and lecturer at the University of Michigan School of Social Work. She served two terms in the state House of Representatives from 2021 to 2024 and previously served as a Washtenaw County commissioner, according to her campaign biography. The university’s directory confirms her lecturer position.

Her campaign focuses on mental health care, gun violence prevention, education, cost of living and environmental issues, according to her campaign priorities page. She won the Aug. 4 Democratic primary with about 77% of the vote, defeating Michael White, according to Ballotpedia’s primary results.

Rogers, a software engineer from Saline, chairs the Washtenaw County Republican Party. He ran unopposed in the Republican primary, according to Ballotpedia. His campaign promotes election integrity, “traditional family values,” Second Amendment rights and economic policies including eliminating property taxes and reducing income tax, according to his campaign website. He also served as a precinct delegate for four years and was an alternate delegate to the 2024 Republican National Convention, according to his campaign biography on the same site.

What’s at stake

The District 15 race is one piece of a statewide battle for the Legislature. Democrats hold a 20-18 advantage in the state Senate, while Republicans have a 58-52 edge in the House, according to 270toWin. Every seat in both chambers is on the ballot.

Bridge Michigan identified five Senate seats that both party leaders view as crucial to winning a majority. District 15 was not among them, though the open seat adds to the broader map both parties are contesting.

How to vote

Polls are open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time on Tuesday. Voters in line by 8 p.m. can still cast a ballot, according to the Michigan Secretary of State.

Voters can find their polling location and sample ballot at Michigan.gov/vote.

Where to find results

Voters can follow returns after polls close through the Michigan Secretary of State’s election results page. Election-night totals are unofficial until canvassing and certification are complete.