Lightner Retains Michigan House District 45 Seat

Republican Sarah Lightner was projected to keep her seat in the Michigan House after the Associated Press called the race.

Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Legislative Policy

Lightner Retains Michigan House District 45 Seat

Republican Rep. Sarah Lightner was projected to retain the Michigan House District 45 seat, collecting 69.7% of the vote against Democrat Randy Davis. The Associated Press called the race at 11:22 p.m. with about 22% of votes counted.

Why it matters

The projection confirms continued Republican representation for District 45 in the Michigan House, a district spanning Jackson, Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties. The margin gives Lightner a clear mandate from voters who have returned her to the chamber since 2018.

Lightner received 6,289 votes, or 69.7%, to Davis's 2,732 votes, or 30.3%, in unofficial returns. Only about 22% of votes had been counted when the Associated Press made its call, so the margin could shift as remaining ballots are tallied.

The players

Sarah Lightner

A Republican state representative from Springport who has served in the Michigan House since first being elected in 2018.

Randy Davis

The Democratic challenger in the District 45 race who received 30.3% of the vote in unofficial returns.

Associated Press

The national news wire service that called the District 45 race for Lightner based on its election night vote analysis.

The details

District 45 includes 11 Jackson County townships, Charleston, Climax and Wakeshma townships in Kalamazoo County, and the city of Marshall along with 13 Calhoun County townships. Lightner, who was first elected to the Michigan House in 2018, is from Springport.

2018: Sarah Lightner first elected to the Michigan House.
November 3, 2026, 11:22 p.m. ET: Associated Press calls the District 45 race for Lightner.

Legislative Policy

The result keeps District 45 in Republican hands under the current Michigan House seat map, continuing the seat's recent representation rather than shifting partisan control.

Michigan residents in District 45 will have Lightner as their state representative if the projection holds after final counts. The result sets the House representative for the district's constituents in Jackson, Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties.

The takeaway

Election-night projections can shift as counting continues, so final certified totals will confirm the District 45 outcome. Readers tracking Michigan House seats should watch official county results for the complete picture.