In '22, Democrats won state House control. In '24, Downriver could decide if they keep it.

Downriver — the purple southeast corner of bright blue Wayne County — was home to some of Michigan's closest races two years ago and helped deliver a razor-thin House majority and full control of state government to Democrats for the first time in 40 years. This year, Downriver voters could decide whether the party will hold on to it.

In an election where only a handful of races could flip control of the state House, Downriver contests could provide Democrats pickup opportunities or help Republicans win back control. In 2022, Downriver elected to the state House by some of the tightest margins that year Democrat Jaime Churches, of Wyandotte, Republican Jamie Thompson, of Brownstown Township, and Republican James DeSana, of Carleton.

Downriver encompasses the Wayne County communities along and near the Detroit River south of the Motor City. The area is home to auto plants, former industrial sites, quaint downtown corridors and strip malls. Local political leaders describe it as a working-class area home to independent-minded voters.

With less than a month until the election, political lawn signs dot the Halloween kitsch outside homes across Downriver. It's easy to find blocks where residents have staked into the ground an uninterrupted line of signs for former President Donald Trump and around the corner stumble across neighbors at political odds.


https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/13/downriver-michigan-house-race-candidates-control/75466423007/