Michigan Senate Democrats pick first female majority leader

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan’s Senate Democrats ushered in a new era of leadership Thursday, selecting Grand Rapids state Sen. Winnie Brinks as the chamber’s first female majority leader after midterm victories that are expected to give the party full control for the first time since 1983.

Democrats are likely to take full control of the state government starting in 2023 with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer being reelected Tuesday to a second four-year term and the new Senate majority. Democrats have claimed, and Republicans have conceded, that Democrats will flip the state House as well.

Brinks listed the economy, education and reproductive rights as some of the party’s top priorities going forward and didn’t rule out rolling back key measures passed under Republican leadership.

“We’ve got 40 years of pent up policy, if you will. There’s a lot of things that we’ve worked on over the last decade or so,” Brinks said. ”We’re going to talk to the the House, we’re going to talk to the governor’s office and we’re going to put together a list of things that puts the people of Michigan first.”

Democrats are expected to look at the state’s right-to-work law, which was passed in 2012 by the Republican Legislature and signed by former GOP Gov. Rick Snyder. Brinks didn’t rule out the possibility of working to repeal the law, which says workers can’t be forced to support a union to keep their job, adding that “all issues are on the table.”

Brinks, who was reelected Tuesday to her second four-year term in the state Senate, will join other Michigan women in key leadership posts including Whitmer as governor, Jocelyn Benson as secretary of state, and Dana Nessel as attorney general. All of them were reelected in Tuesday’s midterm.

“It’s been hundreds of years that men have been in charge and it’s high time that women have a seat at the table and in Michigan, women have lots of seats at the table,” Brinks said.

Democrats had resounding victories across the battleground state in Tuesday’s midterms as they also passed two ballot proposals that will allow for extended early voting and enshrine abortion rights in the state’s constitution.

Results from the election show that Democrats, to this point, control 19 seats in the state Senate and have a tie-breaking vote with Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II. In the state House, Democrats have only won 55 of the 56 seats needed to assure a House majority, with five still outstanding, according to race calls from The Associated Press.

In a statement, current Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey said that while Tuesday’s results were not what Republicans had hoped for, they would do their part to ensure “for a smooth transition.” Senate Republicans on Thursday selected Sen. Aric Nesbitt of Lawton to be their next leader.

Both Brinks and Whitmer have continued to emphasize their desire to work across the aisle even with full control. Whitmer said in her victory speech Wednesday that she would be a governor “for all of Michigan” and would work “with anyone that wants to get things done.”

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Joey Cappelletti is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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