In Michigan last week, voters in Senate Districts 8 and 28 elected new members in special elections. The special elections for the two seats came up this year after the Republican incumbents holding the seats resigned to take other positions. Republican candidates in both races held onto the seats for their party, allowing the Republican delegation to maintain its makeup in the Michigan Senate heading into the 2022 election cycle.

According to a recent study* by Ballotpedia, 97.3 percent of state legislators seeking reelection have advanced to the general election. This turnover rate isn’t unique. In fact, it’s in line with the percentage of incumbents advancing from the primary to the general elections in 2018 (97 percent) and 2016 (97.5 percent).