Michigan’s Whitmer Sued for Not Calling State Senate Election

Seven Michigan residents in a state Senate district with no representation since the beginning of the year want a judge to force Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D) to call a special election.

The lawsuit, filed Sunday in the Michigan Court of Claims, notes that the state constitution says the governor “shall issue writs of election” to fill vacancies in the Legislature and leaves “no room for discretion.” However, Whitmer hasn’t yet called a special election for the 35th District of the state Senate, where Democrats hold a slim majority.

The residents seek their desired outcome through a writ of mandamus, a ...