Michigan's 20th Senate district

Michigan's 20th Senate district is one of 38 districts in the Michigan Senate. The 20th district was created by the 1850 Michigan Constitution, as the 1835 constitution only permitted a maximum of eight senate districts.^[2][3] It has been represented by Republican Aric Nesbitt since 2023, succeeding Democrat Sean McCann.^[4][5]

Michigan's 20th State Senate district
Senator	Aric Nesbitt R–Porter Township, Van Buren County
Demographics	75% White 10% Black 9% Hispanic 2% Asian 4% Multiracial
Population (2022)	262,363
Notes	[1]

Geography

District 20 encompasses parts of Allegan, Berrien, Kent, and Van Buren counties.^[6]

2011 Apportionment Plan

District 20, as dictated by the 2011 Apportionment Plan, was exactly coterminous with Kalamazoo County, including the city of Kalamazoo and the surrounding communities of Portage, Comstock Northwest, Eastwood, Westwood, Vicksburg, Kalamazoo Township, Oshtemo Township, Texas Township, Comstock Township, and Cooper Township.^[7]

The district was located entirely within Michigan's 6th congressional district, and overlapped with the 60th, 61st, 63rd, and 66th districts of the Michigan House of Representatives.^[8]

List of senators

Senator	Party		Dates	Residence	Notes
Fitz H. Stevens		Democratic	1853–1854	Paw Paw	[9][10]
Lyman A. Fitch		Republican	1855–1856	Mattawan	[9][11][12]
Lafayette W. Lovell		Republican	1857–1858	Climax	[9][13]
John Parker		Republican	1859–1860	Portage	[9][14]
Stephen F. Brown		Republican	1861–1862	Schoolcraft	[9][15]
Elijah O. Humphrey		Republican	1863–1864	Kalamazoo	[9][16]
Stephen F. Brown		Republican	1865–1866	Schoolcraft	[9][15]
Albertus L. Green		Republican	1867–1868	Olivet	[9][17]
George Thomas		Republican	1869–1870	Barry County	[9][18]
Homer G. Barber		Republican	1871–1872	Vermontville	[9][19]
Mark S. Brewer		Republican	1873–1874	Pontiac	[9][20]
Charles V. Babcock		Democratic	1875–1876	Southfield	[9][21]
William Jenney		Republican	1877–1878	Mount Clemens	[9][22]
Joseph B. Moore		Republican	1879–1880	Lapeer	[9][23]
John T. Rich		Republican	1881	Elba	Resigned to run for the U. S. House of Representatives.[9][24]
William W. Andrus		Republican	1881–1882	Utica	[9][25][26]
Alonzo T. Frisbee		Greenback	1883–1884	Oak Grove	[9][27]
Henry H. Pulver		Democratic	1885–1886	Laingsburg	Elected on a fusion ticket in 1884, backed by both the Democrats and the Greenback Party.[9][28][29]
George P. Stark		Democratic	1887–1888	Cascade	Elected on a fusion ticket in 1886, backed by both the Democrats and the Greenback Party.[9][30]
Sybrant Wesselius		Republican	1889–1890	Grand Rapids	[9][31]
Peter Doran		Democratic	1891–1892	Grand Rapids	[9][32]
Charles H. McGinley		Republican	1893–1894	Minden City	[9][33]
Joseph Moss Gaige		Republican	1895–1896	Croswell	[9][34]
Matthew D. Wagner		Republican	1897–1900	Sand Beach	[9][35]
Albert E. Sleeper		Republican	1901–1904	Lexington	[9][36]
Bela W. Jenks		Republican	1905–1908	Harbor Beach	[9][37]
William H. Aitkin		Republican	1909–1910	Croswell	[9][38]
Charles G. Putney		Republican	1911–1912	Sandusky	[9][39]
Frederick L. Woodworth		Republican	1913–1916	Caseville	[9][40]
George B. Forrester		Republican	1917–1922	Deckerville	[9][41]
Godfried Gettel		Republican	1923–1926	Sebewaing	[9][42]
Philip O'Connell		Republican	1927–1930	McGregor	[9][43]
Herbert P. Orr		Republican	1931–1934	Caro	[9][44]
Samuel H. Pangborn		Republican	1935–1938	Bad Axe	[9][45]
Leonard J. Paterson		Republican	1939–1942	Sandusky	[9][46]
Audley Rawson		Republican	1943–1946	Cass City	[9][47]
Edwin W. Klump		Republican	1947–1950	Harbor Beach	[9][48]
Alpheus P. Decker		Republican	1951–1954	Deckerville	[9][49]
Arthur A. Dehmel		Republican	1955–1964	Unionville	[9][50]
Roger Johnson		Democratic	1965–1966	Marshall	[9][51]
Harry A. DeMaso		Republican	1967–1986	Battle Creek	[9][52]
Joe Schwarz		Republican	1987–1994	Battle Creek	[9][53]
Harry Gast		Republican	1995–2002	St. Joseph	[9][54]
Tom George		Republican	2003–2010	Texas Township	Lived in Kalamazoo until around 2009.[9][55]
Tonya Schuitmaker		Republican	2011–2014	Lawton	[9][56]
Margaret O'Brien		Republican	2015–2018	Portage	[9][57]
Sean McCann		Democratic	2019–2022	Kalamazoo	[9][58]
Aric Nesbitt		Republican	2023–present	Porter Township	[59][60]

Recent election results

2018

2018 Michigan Senate election, District 20^[61]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Sean McCann	60,528	53.1
	Republican	Margaret O'Brien (incumbent)	48,195	42.3
	Libertarian	Lorence Wenke	5,274	4.6
Total votes			113,997	100
	Democratic gain from Republican

2014

2014 Michigan Senate election, District 20^[61]

Primary election
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Margaret O'Brien	11,342	77.4
	Republican	Ron Zuiderveen	3,308	22.6
Total votes			14,650	100
General election
	Republican	Margaret O'Brien	36,630	45.5
	Democratic	Sean McCann	36,571	45.5
	Libertarian	Lorence Wenke	7,263	9.0
Total votes			80,464	100
	Republican hold

Federal and statewide results

Year	Office	Results[62]
2020	President	Biden 58.3 – 39.6%
2018	Senate	Stabenow 57.3 – 40.3%
	Governor	Whitmer 58.4 – 38.5%
2016	President	Clinton 53.3 – 40.5%
2014	Senate	Peters 54.1 – 40.7%
	Governor	Snyder 51.0 – 46.2%
2012	President	Obama 56.2 – 42.9%
	Senate	Stabenow 57.1 – 39.4%

Historical district boundaries

Map	Description	Apportionment Plan	Notes
	Barry County (part) Assyria Township Baltimore Township Castleton Township Hastings Hastings Township Johnstown Township Maple Grove Township Woodland Township Branch County Calhoun County Eaton County (part) Bellevue Township Brookfield Township Carmel Township Kalamo Township Olivet Vermontville Township Walton Township Hillsdale County (part) Camden Township Reading Reading Township Woodbridge Township	1964 Apportionment Plan	[63]
	Barry County (part) Assyria Township Baltimore Township Barry Township Carlton Township Hastings Township Hope Township Irving Township Johnstown Township Orangeville Township Rutland Township Woodland Township Yankee Springs Township Branch County Calhoun County (part) Excluding Lee Township Hillsdale County (part) Allen Township Litchfield Township Reading Reading Township Jackson County (part) Pulaski Township Kalamazoo County (part) Charleston Township St. Joseph County (part) Burr Oak Township Colon Township Fawn River Township Leonidas Township Sturgis	1972 Apportionment Plan	[64]
	Calhoun County Eaton County Ingham County (part) Delhi Township	1982 Apportionment Plan	[65]
	Berrien County Cass County St. Joseph County (part) Burr Oak Township Colon Township Constantine Township Fabius Township Fawn River Township Florence Township Flowerfield Township Leonidas Township Lockport Township Mottville Township Nottawa Township Sherman Township Sturgis Sturgis Township Three Rivers White Pigeon Township	1992 Apportionment Plan	[66]
	Kalamazoo County Van Buren County (part) Antwerp Township Paw Paw Township	2001 Apportionment Plan	[67]
	Kalamazoo County	2011 Apportionment Plan	[68]

References

1. "State Senate District 20, MI". Census Reporter. Retrieved November 7, 2024.
2. "CONSTITUTION OF MICHIGAN OF 1850". Michigan Legislature. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
3. "CONSTITUTION OF MICHIGAN OF 1835". Michigan Legislature. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
4. "Legislator Details - Aric Nesbitt". Library of Michigan. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
5. "Legislator Details - Sean McCann". Library of Michigan. Retrieved January 1, 2023.
6. "Linden_Senate". Michigan. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
7. "Michigan's 38 Senate Districts - 2011 Apportionment Plan" (PDF). Michigan Senate. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
8. David Jarman. "How do counties, House districts, and legislative districts all overlap?". Daily Kos. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
9. "STATE LEGISLATORS, 1835-2019" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
10. "Legislator Details - Fitz H. Stevens". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
11. "Legislator Details - Lyman A. Fitch". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
12. Michigan Historical Commission (1924). Michigan Biographies: Including Members of Congress, Elective State Officers, Justices of the Supreme Court, Members of the Michigan Legislature, Board of Regents of the University of Michigan, State Board of Agriculture and State Board of Education, Volume 1. Google Books. p. 295.
13. "Legislator Details - Dr. Lafayette Washington Lovell". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
14. "Legislator Details - John Parker". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
15. "Legislator Details - Stephen F. Brown". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
16. "Legislator Details - Elijah O. Humphrey". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
17. "Legislator Details - Albertus L. Green". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
18. "Legislator Details - George Thomas". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
19. "Legislator Details - Homer Griswold Barber". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
20. "Legislator Details - Mark Spencer Brewer". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
21. "Legislator Details - Charles Volney Babcock". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
22. "Legislator Details - William Jenney". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
23. "Legislator Details - Judge Joseph B. Moore". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
24. "Legislator Details - John Tyler Rich". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
25. Michigan Historical Commission (1924). Michigan Biographies: Including Members of Congress, Elective State Officers, Justices of the Supreme Court, Members of the Michigan Legislature, Board of Regents of the University of Michigan, State Board of Agriculture and State Board of Education, Volume 1. Google Books. pp. 25–26.
26. "Republican Nominations". The Times Herald. March 31, 1881. p. 1. Retrieved December 3, 2021 – via Newspapers.com.
27. "Legislator Details - Alonzo Thompson Frisbee". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
28. "Legislator Details - Henry H. Pulver". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
29. "The Legislature". The Times Herald. November 7, 1884. p. 2. Retrieved February 12, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
30. "Legislator Details - George P. Stark". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
31. "Legislator Details - Sybrant Wesselius". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
32. "Legislator Details - Peter Doran". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
33. "Legislator Details - Charles H. McGinley". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
34. "Legislator Details - Joseph Moss Gaige". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
35. "Wagner". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
36. "Slausen to Sliwinksi". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
37. "Jenkins-husband to Jenning". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
38. "Aikens to Albree". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
39. "Putney to Pyzik". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
40. "Woodworth". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
41. "Formby to Forsythe". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
42. "Gersabeck to Gibbon". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
43. "Obrien-bodnar to Oconner". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
44. "Orr". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
45. "Palmer-ball to Parins". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
46. "Pat to Pattersen". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
47. "Rau to Rawson". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
48. "Klinedinst to Knapinski". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
49. "Decker". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
50. "Dehaan to Delane". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
51. "Johnson, O to R". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
52. "Dema to Demps". Political Graveyard. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
53. "Legislator Details - Dr. John (Joe) J. H. Schwarz". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
54. "Legislator Details - Harry T. Gast Jr". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
55. "Legislator Details - Dr. Tom M. George". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
56. "Tonya Schuitmaker". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
57. "Margaret O'Brien (Michigan)". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
58. "Sean McCann". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
59. "Aric Nesbitt". Ballotpedia. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
60. "Legislator Details - Aric Nesbitt". Library of Michigan. Retrieved February 12, 2023.
61. "Michigan State Senate District 20". Ballotpedia. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
62. "Daily Kos Elections Statewide Results by LD". Daily Kos. Retrieved May 27, 2020.
63. "Michigan Manual 1965/1966". Michigan Legislature. 1965. p. 378. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
64. "Michigan Manual 1975/1976". Michigan Legislature. 1975. p. 457. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
65. "SENATORIAL DISTRICTS" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. 1989. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
66. "SENATORIAL DISTRICTS" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. 1997. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
67. "SENATORIAL DISTRICTS" (PDF). Michigan Legislature. 2001. Retrieved November 21, 2022.
68. "MICHIGAN SENATE DISTRICT 20" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on June 23, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2022.