State Senator District 38
State Senate District 38; Michigan
My vote power
High
Election date
August 4, 2026 · Primary election
How do we calculate my vote power?
What goes into the rating: Representation: how much weight one vote carries here compared with a statewide vote — the smaller the district, the more each vote counts. Decisiveness: how likely this race is to be close, based on past results or current analyst ratings, plus the number of candidates.
Representation: High · 66 out of 100
This district is a small slice of its state, so each vote here carries much more weight than a vote in a statewide race. About 269,835 people live here.
Show the representation math
score = 50 + 50 × ln(state population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(50,000) = 50 + 50 × ln(10,077,761 ÷ 269,835) ÷ ln(50,000) = 66.73, measured against a statewide vote in MI (grades: 66+ high, 33+ normal, otherwise low; a statewide race is the 50 baseline)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No analyst ratings or past results for this contest yet.
High representation → My vote power: High.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
About this office
- Voting on how much you pay in state taxes
- Voting on how much money your local public schools get
- Voting on which roads and highways get built or repaired
Affects: AI Regulation, Healthcare Affordability, Environment and Public Health,
Candidates
Republican · declared
Beau Matthew LaFave is a Republican candidate for the Michigan Senate in District 38, an open Upper Peninsula seat. He previously served in the Michigan House through 2022.
Records: Public Safety and Crime Control 2 for, Civil Rights 1 for, Environment and Public Health 1 for,
Republican · declared
Prestin is a small-business owner and a volunteer paramedic and firefighter who served four years on the Menominee County Board of Commissioners. He is vice chair of the House Energy Committee.
Records: Environment and Public Health 2 for, 12 against, Government Efficiency 10 for, Civil Rights 8 against,
Democratic · declared
Van Ginhoven is vice chair of the Delta County Board of Commissioners and has served on the board since 2024. She puts affordable housing, school funding and mental health care first.
Records: Anti-Corruption 2 for, Government Efficiency 1 for, Public Infrastructure 1 for,
Source: mi-boe.entellitrak.com