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Jason Tunney
Jason Tunney (Republican Party) is running in a special election to the Michigan State Senate to represent District 35. He is on the ballot in the special Republican primary on February 3, 2026.[source]
Tunney completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
Elections
2026
See also: Michigan state legislative special elections, 2026
General election
The primary will occur on February 3, 2026. The general election will occur on May 5, 2026. General election candidates will be added here following the primary.
Democratic primary election
Special Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 35
The following candidates are running in the special Democratic primary for Michigan State Senate District 35 on February 3, 2026.
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 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Republican primary election
Special Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 35
Jason Tunney, Chadwick Twillman, Christian Velasquez, and Andrew Wendt are running in the special Republican primary for Michigan State Senate District 35 on February 3, 2026.
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Endorsements
Ballotpedia is gathering information about candidate endorsements. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
2026
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Jason Tunney completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Tunney's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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- I'm a lifelong resident of Saginaw and a dedicated father, husband, and community advocate running for Michigan’s 35th State Senate District. As a practicing lawyer and former prosecutor in Saginaw County, I bring real-world legal experience and a deep understanding of public safety and justice. I also spent over 20 years working at Duro-Last, gaining firsthand insight into the challenges Michigan employers face. I'm not a career politician - I'm a small-business leader, local resident, and conservative fighter ready to bring fresh accountability, common-sense solutions, and a strong voice for Bay, Midland, and Saginaw families to Lansing.
- My education and professional experience prepared me to serve effectively in the Michigan Senate. I pursued a legal career because I believe in the rule of law, personal responsibility, and public service. As a prosecutor in Saginaw County, I handled serious felony cases and worked directly with law enforcement to keep our communities safe. Later, I brought that legal and analytical background into the private sector, working at Duro-Last and gaining hands-on experience with management, compliance, and workforce challenges. That combination of legal training and real-world business experience gives me a practical, no-nonsense approach to governing. I understand how policy decisions affect classrooms, courtrooms, and job creators alike.
- I am running to make Michigan more competitive and affordable for working families. Our state has lost jobs, talent, and opportunity because taxes are too high and government is too heavy-handed. I support lowering Michigan’s income tax from 4.25 percent to 4 percent and continuing to push it down so we can compete with neighboring states like Indiana. Families deserve to keep more of what they earn, and businesses need a climate that encourages growth instead of driving them away. By cutting taxes, reducing unnecessary regulation, and focusing on economic freedom, I will fight to lower the cost of living and make Michigan a place people want to stay, work, and raise a family.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
Campaign finance summary
Campaign finance information for this candidate is not yet available from OpenSecrets. That information will be published here once it is available.
See also
2026 Elections
External links
Footnotes
