State Senator District 12
State Senate District 12; 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 256,306 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 ÷ 256,306) ÷ ln(50,000) = 66.97, 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
Eileen Tesch is a Republican candidate for the Michigan Senate in District 12, running in the August 2026 primary.
Republican · declared
John Goldwater is a Republican candidate for the Michigan Senate in District 12, running in the August 2026 primary.
Republican · declared
Joseph A. Backus is a Republican candidate for the Michigan Senate in District 12, running in the August 2026 primary.
Democratic · Incumbent · declared
Kevin Hertel was inspired by his family's legacy of public service: his grandfather Jack was a World War II veteran and public school teacher, and his father Curtis was a former Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives.
Records: Environment and Public Health 9 for, 1 against, Healthcare Affordability 9 for, Public Safety and Crime Control 9 for,
Republican · declared
Patrick Shawn Biange is a Republican candidate for the Michigan Senate in District 12, running in the August 2026 primary.
Republican · declared
Shelley Wright is a Republican candidate for the Michigan Senate in District 12, running in the August 2026 primary.
Source: mi-boe.entellitrak.com