Bay City — In the heart of Michigan’s 35th Senate District, nearly 270,000 residents are paying full taxes this summer without a single representative in Lansing to vote on how those dollars are spent. The seat has been vacant since January 3, when Kristen McDonald Rivet resigned following her swearing-in to Congress. And six months later, the silence from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s office is beginning to sound like strategy.
Under Michigan law, Whitmer can call a special election at any time—but critics argue her calendar tells a story of political timing. She’s previously acted within about 17 days for similar vacancies. Yet this vacancy has stretched past 200 days.
While the district remained unrepresented, Whitmer made multiple high-profile appearances outside the state and country. In February, she traveled to the Middle East on a clean energy and manufacturing mission.
A follow-up Europe trip in late March included stops in the UK and Ireland. These trips, while strategic for statewide economic interests, did little to reassure residents in the 35th District that their representation was a priority.
Critics argue these missions—laudable or not—highlight the disconnect between the governor’s national and international focus and the pressing constitutional obligation to ensure full legislative representation at home.
Bay City Mayor Christopher Girard said the absence is already being felt locally.
“We don’t have someone on the senate level advocating for resources to our community,” Girard told Michigan Enjoyer. “We do have representation that gets funneled through our state representatives that cover the area, but in terms of an actual person that’s advocating day to day in the Senate, we’re missing that voice.”
Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson has also drawn fire—not just for controversies, but for her silence and inaction on the 35th District vacancy. As the state’s top election official, Benson has not publicly pressed Whitmer to call the special election, despite overseeing the office responsible for administering it.
Her decision to remain silent has made her complicit in prolonging the district’s lack of representation, leaving nearly 270,000 residents wondering why a leader who routinely champions voter access is not advocating for their right to a voice in Lansing.
That silence has extended to Bay City leadership as well.
“I have not received any kind of communication at all,” said Girard. “I did call within the first month—myself, publicly—called for a special election.”
When asked whether the city ever received a response, Girard replied simply, with a short, awkward laugh: “Uh… no.”
A vague statement from Lansing later promised that the election was “coming,” but Girard said there’s no timeline and a lot of uncertainty.
Benson’s credibility has also been undermined by a string of missteps. In January, she launched her exploratory gubernatorial campaign in a state-owned building, a move that Attorney General Dana Nessel’s office ruled was a violation of the Michigan Campaign Finance Act, though only a warning was issued.
In June, she defended her office during a Michigan House Oversight Committee hearing, as the Michigan Transparency Network rollout faced major glitches. Payments to the vendor were paused, and data integrity remains under review.
Benson has also clashed with House Republicans over withheld election-training materials, leading to a lawsuit and introducing articles of impeachment and accusations of contempt.
Attorney General Dana Nessel, like Gov. Whitmer, has spent recent months directing her energy outward—focusing on national issues while sidestepping her own state. While the 35th District goes unrepresented, Nessel has prioritized federal lawsuits and Beltway politics.
In July, she joined a 22-state coalition to sue the Trump administration over a $6.8 billion freeze in education funding.
A day later, Nessel announced another coalition—this time pushing Congress to rein in federal immigration enforcement. Her office issued a forceful call for ICE agents to be required to identify themselves when operating in civilian clothes.
The irony, of course, is staggering: Nearly 270,000 Michiganders are currently paying taxes without representation in their own state government—a hallmark of unstable regimes politicians like Nessel condemn abroad.
Together, these moves highlight a troubling trend: Michigan’s top officials are increasingly absorbed in federal fights while local accountability suffers. Whitmer is photographed with presidents overseas. Nessel is filing lawsuits in D.C. Meanwhile, the 35th district sits in democratic limbo.
When asked if Whitmer would be delaying this long if larger cities like Detroit and Grand Rapids were without representation, Girard said, “Probably not.”
The mayor said there is a growing sense of exclusion in his community, which is often left out of the discussions on Lansing.
Six months without a state senator. Six months of legislative silence. Six months of taxes paid by the nearly 270,000 people of Bay, Midland, and Saginaw counties. And that failure isn’t lost on the local officials.
“I understand the frustration. I’m with you,” said Mayor Girard. “Hopefully the message will get across that we need representation.”
With budget season underway, and the Senate still negotiating major spending bills, the cost of silence isn’t just political—it’s personal.
We are tired of waiting.
We see you globetrotting on camera, while our district is treated like a political inconvenience. Call the election. Stop dodging.
We’re still paying our full share of taxes—every cent—despite being cut out of Lansing’s decision-making in the Senate. No discounts. No pauses. Just the bill. Some residents are half-joking that if Lansing will only provide partial representation, maybe they should only partially pay their taxes.
Mayor Girard responded to me on Facebook in under an hour and made time to meet in person. That’s accessibility. That’s leadership. That’s the kind of responsiveness this district deserves.
No taxation without representation—not in 1776, and not now.
Landen Taylor is a musician and explorer living in Bay City. Follow him on Instagram @landoisliving.
