State Senator District 17
August 4, 2026 · State Senate District 17; Michigan · State senate district · primary
How do we calculate vote impact?
Vote impact = representation (how much weight one vote carries here, the smaller the district's population, the higher the representation) + decisiveness (how likely this race is to be close, based on past results and number of candidates).
Representation: Low · 17 out of 100
This district is large for its type, so each vote is a smaller slice of the outcome. About 270,347 people live here.
score = 100 × ln(largest population ÷ this district's) ÷ ln(largest ÷ smallest), rounded to 2 decimals = 100 × ln(274,056 ÷ 270,347) ÷ ln(274,056 ÷ 253,220) = 17.23, comparing state senate districts in MI (grades: 66+ high, 33+ average, otherwise low)
Decisiveness: Unknown
No past results for this contest yet.
Low representation + unknown decisiveness → Below average vote impact.
Some data is missing, so this rating is based on partial information and capped at "High".
State Senator is responsible for:
- Voting on state laws and the state budget
- Representing their district in the state senate
- Confirming certain governor appointments in many states
- Helping district residents deal with state agencies
Affected Areas: Environment and Public Health, Reduce Wealth Gap, Anti-Corruption, Government Efficiency, Healthcare Affordability, Government Spending Reduction, Public Safety and Crime Control, Housing Affordability, Social Programs and Welfare, Public Education Quality, Gun Control, Women's Reproductive Rights, Election Integrity, Personal Income Tax Reduction, Data Privacy, Civil Rights, Corporate Accountability, Public Infrastructure
Candidates
Ashleigh Baker
Democratic · declared
Ashleigh Baker is a Democratic candidate for the Michigan Senate in District 17 (Branch, Cass, St. Joseph, and neighboring counties), running in the August 2026 primary.
Brett Muchow
Democratic · declared
Brett Muchow is a Democratic candidate for the Michigan Senate in District 17 (south-central and southwest Michigan), running in the August 2026 primary.
Jonathan Lindsey
Republican · Incumbent · declared
Jonathan Lindsey is a Republican member of the Michigan Senate representing District 17 (Branch, Cass, St. Joseph, and parts of Berrien, Calhoun, Hillsdale, and Jackson counties) since 2023. He is seeking re-election.
Records: Civil Rights 1 against, Corporate Accountability 1 against, Election Integrity 1 for, 1 against, Environment and Public Health 1 for, 1 against, Government Spending Reduction 2 for, Gun Control 3 against, Public Infrastructure 1 for, Reduce Wealth Gap 1 against, Women's Reproductive Rights 1 against
Mike D. Jones
Democratic · declared
Mike D. Jones is a Democratic candidate for the Michigan Senate in District 17 (south-central and southwest Michigan), running in the August 2026 primary.
Election sources
Source: mi-boe.entellitrak.com