Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Incumbent

Sara Cambensy

About the District

Census Topic	Value
Population	84,119
Gender	51.4% Male 48.6% Female
Race	88.4% White 1.7% Black 0.5% Asian 2.9% Native American 0% Pacific Islander
Ethnicity	1.9% Hispanic
Median household income	$52,890
High school graduation rate	94%
College graduation rate	29.9%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 census and 2020 ACS data. Percentages are rounded to the nearest 0.1%.

Michigan House of Representatives District 109 is represented by Sara Cambensy (D).

As of the 2020 Census, Michigan state representatives represented an average of 91,612 residents. After the 2010 Census, each member represented 89,851 residents.

About the office[edit]

Members of the Michigan House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits.^[1] Michigan legislators assume office at noon on the first day of January.

Qualifications[edit]

See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

Section 7 of Article 4 of the Michigan Constitution states, "Each senator and representative must be a citizen of the United States, at least 21 years of age, and an elector of the district he represents. The removal of his domicile from the district shall be deemed a vacation of the office. No person who has been convicted of subversion or who has within the preceding 20 years been convicted of a felony involving a breach of public trust shall be eligible for either house of the legislature."^[2]

Salaries[edit]

See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries

Term limits[edit]

See also: State legislatures with term limits

The Michigan legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Michigan Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Michigan representatives are subject to term limits of no more than three two-year terms, or a total of six years.^[1]

The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2002.

Vacancies[edit]

See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

If there is a vacancy in the Michigan State Legislature, the governor must call for a special election to fill the vacancy.^[3][4]

When conducting a special election, the election should be held whenever the next general election is scheduled. If the vacancy happens after the statewide primary election, the leaders of the respective party organizations in the district can submit a list of nominees to be voted on by party leadership. The nominee must be voted on no later than 21 days after the vacancy occurred.^[5]

See sources: Michigan Const. Art. 5, § 13

District map[edit]

Redistricting[edit]

2020-2022[edit]

See also: Redistricting in Michigan after the 2020 census

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission (MICRC) approved new district boundaries for both the state Senate and state House of Representatives on December 28, 2021. The commission approved what was known as the "Linden" map for state Senate districts by a vote of 9-4 with two Democrats, two Republicans, and all five nonpartisan members supporting the proposal. The commission adopted what was known as the "Hickory" map for state House of Representatives districts by a vote of 11-2 with four Democrats, two Republicans, and all five nonpartisan members supporting it.^[6][7] As required, the adopted map was approved by "at least two commissioners who affiliate with each major party, and at least two commissioners who do not affiliate with either major party."^[8] The maps became law on March 26, 2022—60 days after the MICRC published a report on the redistricting plans with the secretary of state.^[9]

According to The Detroit News, The Linden Senate map...is expected to create districts that could yield 20 Democratic seats and 18 Republican seats. Senate Republicans currently have a 22-16 majority."^[6] Clara Hendrickson of the Detroit Free Press wrote that, "The map appears to create 19 solidly Democratic districts, 16 solidly Republican districts, one Republican-leaning district and two toss-up districts, according to election results from the past decade."^[10]

Beth LeBlanc of The Detroit News wrote that, "The Hickory House map...is expected to create districts that could produce 57 Democratic seats and 53 Republican seats. After the 2020 election, Michigan House Republicans had a 58-52 majority in the House."^[6] Hendrickson wrote that, "The new map appears to create 41 solidly Democratic districts, 46 solidly Republican districts, nine Democratic-leaning districts, two Republican-leaning districts and 12 toss-up districts."^[10] She also wrote, "Unlike the current map, there is no majority-Black district in the state Senate map adopted by the commission, while the state House map reduces the number of majority-Black districts in place today. Current and former state lawmakers from Detroit and civil rights leaders are vehemently opposed to how the new district lines reduce the share of Black voters. They argue that the elimination of majority-Black districts disenfranchises Black voters."^[10] These maps took effect for Michigan’s 2022 legislative elections.

How does redistricting in Michigan work? In Michigan, a non-politician commission is responsible for drawing both congressional and state legislative district plans. The commission comprises 13 members, including four Democrats, four Republicans, and five unaffiliated voters or members of minor parties. In order for a map to be enacted, at least seven members must vote for it, including at least two Democrats, two Republicans, and two members not affiliated with either major party.^[11]

The Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission prepared this document specifically explaining the redistricting process after the 2020 census.

Elections[edit]

2022[edit]

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2022

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Jenn Hill defeated Melody Wagner in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jenn Hill (D)	53.0	21,899
		Melody Wagner (R)	47.0	19,438

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source	Total votes: 41,337
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Jenn Hill defeated Joe Boogren in the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Jenn Hill	55.4	5,862
		Joe Boogren	44.6	4,722

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 10,584
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Melody Wagner defeated Ron Gray in the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melody Wagner	53.4	4,355
		Ron Gray	46.6	3,801

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 8,156
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jeff Green (R)

2020[edit]

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2020

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Incumbent Sara Cambensy defeated Melody Wagner, Jim Hafeman, and Deborah LaFaive in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sara Cambensy (D)	56.6	26,419
		Melody Wagner (R)	42.1	19,643
		Jim Hafeman (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan)	1.4	644
		Deborah LaFaive (Independent) (Write-in)		0

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 46,706
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Incumbent Sara Cambensy advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sara Cambensy	100.0	12,935

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 12,935
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Melody Wagner defeated Matthew Goss in the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melody Wagner	52.2	3,278
		Matthew Goss	47.8	3,004

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 6,282
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Jim Hafeman advanced from the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan convention for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 on July 25, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Jim Hafeman (U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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2018[edit]

General election for Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Incumbent Sara Cambensy defeated Melody Wagner in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sara Cambensy (D)	58.1	21,669
		Melody Wagner (R)	41.9	15,631

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 37,300 (100.00% precincts reporting)
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Incumbent Sara Cambensy advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Sara Cambensy	100.0	9,987

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 9,987
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109

Melody Wagner advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Melody Wagner	100.0	5,961

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,961
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2017[edit]

See also: Michigan state legislative special elections, 2017

A special election for the position of Michigan House of Representatives District 109 took place on November 7, 2017. A primary election took place on August 8, 2017. The filing deadline was June 6, 2017.^[12]

The seat became vacant on May 9, 2017, when John Kivela (D) committed suicide following his second drunk driving incident.^[13]

Sara Cambensy defeated Tom Curry, Joe Derocha, and Jeremy Hosking in the Democratic primary. Rich Rossway was unopposed in the Republican primary.^[14] Cambensy defeated Rossway and Wade Roberts (Green Party) in the special election.^[15][16]

Michigan House of Representatives, District 109, Special Election, 2017
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Sara Cambensy	56.7%	11,721
	Republican	Rich Rossway	42%	8,690
	Green	Wade Roberts	1.3%	276
Total Votes				20,687
Source: Michigan Department of State

Michigan House of Representatives, District 109 Democratic Primary, 2017
Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Sara Cambensy	36.1%	3,477
Jeremy Hosking	34.7%	3,344
Joe Derocha	25.3%	2,435
Tom Curry	4%	386
Total Votes		9,642
Source: Michigan Department of State

2016[edit]

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2016

Elections for the Michigan House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on August 2, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 19, 2016.

Incumbent John Kivela defeated Kevin Pfister and Wade Roberts in the Michigan House of Representatives District 109 general election.^[17]

Michigan House of Representatives, District 109 General Election, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Kivela Incumbent	62.31%	25,380
	Republican	Kevin Pfister	34.11%	13,892
	Green	Wade Roberts	3.58%	1,457
Total Votes				40,729
Source: Michigan Secretary of State

Incumbent John Kivela defeated Sara Cambensy in the Michigan House of Representatives District 109 Democratic primary.^[18][19]

Michigan House of Representatives, District 109 Democratic Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Kivela Incumbent	63.64%	7,168
	Democratic	Sara Cambensy	36.36%	4,095
Total Votes				11,263

Kevin Pfister defeated Melody Wagner Patterson in the Michigan House of Representatives District 109 Republican primary.^[18][19]

Michigan House of Representatives, District 109 Republican Primary, 2016
Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Kevin Pfister	58.01%	2,600
	Republican	Melody Wagner Patterson	41.99%	1,882
Total Votes				4,482

2014[edit]

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2014

Elections for the Michigan House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 5, 2014, and a general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 22, 2014. Incumbent John Kivela was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Pete Mackin was unopposed in the Republican primary. Kivela then defeated Mackin in the general election.^{[20][21][22][23][24]}

Michigan House of Representatives, District 109 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Kivela Incumbent	65.7%	18,373
	Republican	Pete Mackin	34.3%	9,606
Total Votes				27,979

2012[edit]

See also: Michigan House of Representatives elections, 2012

Elections for the office of Michigan House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 7, 2012 and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature filing deadline for major party candidates wishing to run in this election was May 15, 2012. The deadline for independent candidates was July 19, 2012. The deadline for write-in candidates was July 27, 2012.^[25] John Kivela (D) defeated Jack Hubbard (R) in the general election. Kivela defeated Tony Retaskie in the Democratic primary. Hubbard defeated Jim Hafeman (D) in the Republican primary.^[26][27]

Michigan House of Representatives, District 109, General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	John Kivela	58.3%	23,250
	Republican	Jack Hubbard	41.7%	16,655
Total Votes				39,905

Michigan House of Representatives, District 109 Democratic Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
John Kivela	51.1%	4,512
Tony Retaskie	48.9%	4,316
Total Votes		8,828

Michigan House of Representatives, District 109 Republican Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jack Hubbard	72.1%	3,365
Jim Hafeman	27.9%	1,299
Total Votes		4,664

Campaign contributions[edit]

From 2000 to 2018, candidates for Michigan House of Representatives District 109 raised a total of $739,449. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $25,498 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money

See also[edit]

Suggest a link

• Michigan State Legislature
• Michigan House of Representatives
• Michigan State Senate

External links[edit]

• Michigan Legislature

Footnotes[edit]

	v • e State of Michigan Lansing (capital)
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