The Latest: Democratic state House leader steps down
DETROIT – The Latest on the Michigan election (all times local):
2:55 p.m.
The Democratic leader of the Michigan House will not seek another term in leadership.
Rep. Tim Greimel of Auburn Hills emailed fellow Democrats Wednesday to announce his decision. Democrats had appeared poised to bolster their ranks in the Republican-controlled House in Tuesday’s election, but the GOP kept its 63-47 edge.
Republicans ended up winning toss-up districts easily, aided at least partly by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s strong performance in Michigan.
Greimel, who has been minority leader since 2013, says the election results are “disappointing” but Democrats will work together on a “constructive transition” to a new caucus leadership team. No date has been set for when Democrats will choose a new leader.
Republicans have controlled the Legislature for nearly six years.
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2:15 p.m.
Unofficial returns from the Michigan secretary of state’s office show Republican Donald Trump narrowly leading Hillary Clinton in the once-reliably Democratic state.
The Associated Press is not naming a winner because the unofficial election night vote count almost always is slightly different than the final, certified count, which will come later this month.
David Pace, the AP’s news editor for elections and special projects, said Wednesday the AP always waits for the official count “in races this close.”
With 100 per cent of precincts reporting, Trump led by about 12,600 votes, or three-tenths of a percentage point, out of nearly 4.8 million cast.
For the last two presidential elections, Michigan’s certified vote was an average of 1.7 per cent higher than the final election night count. That’s about 80,000 votes.
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12:50 p.m.
Unofficial returns from the Michigan Secretary of State’s office show about 4.8 million Michigan residents voted in the presidential election. That’s roughly the same as four years ago.
Turnout was not as high as in 2008, when more than 5 million people cast ballots. But Michigan voters participated at levels generally consistent with the 2012 and 2004 presidential races.
About 65 per cent of Michigan’s voting-age population voted this year.
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1 a.m.
The presidential race in once-reliably Democratic Michigan was too close to call early Wednesday, as votes were still being counted in the state after Donald Trump won nationally over Democrat Hillary Clinton.
Trump was seeking to become the first Republican to win Michigan in nearly 30 years.
Trump’s strong performance in an industrial Midwest state that President Barack Obama easily won twice benefited down-ballot Republicans, who kept their majority in the state House and a 9-5 edge in the U.S. House delegation.
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