Dare Wayne Wins Michigan House District 31
Democrat Shannon Dare Wayne claimed the open Michigan House District 31 seat in the November 3, 2026 general election over Republican Laura Perry.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Elections
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Democrat Shannon Dare Wayne won the Michigan House District 31 seat in the November 3, 2026 general election, defeating Republican Laura Perry. Perry conceded the race in a statement posted Wednesday.
Why it matters
The open seat was vacated when Democrat Reggie Miller chose not to seek re-election, so the outcome determines who represents District 31 in the state House. Dare Wayne will serve the two-year term that comes with the seat.
Unofficial county results show Dare Wayne at about 53% to Perry's 46.5%, a margin of roughly 3,200 votes. Final totals depend on the outstanding Wayne County townships whose results were still being entered.
The players
Shannon Dare Wayne
A Democrat and Milan City Council mayor pro tem who has worked for Ford Motor Co. for many years, now elected to represent Michigan House District 31 in Lansing.
Laura Perry
The Republican nominee for Michigan House District 31 who conceded the race after her campaign knocked on roughly 43,000 doors.
The details
Dare Wayne, a Milan City Council member serving as mayor pro tem and a long-time Ford Motor Co. employee, carried Wayne and Washtenaw counties. Perry's campaign knocked on about 43,000 doors in the district, which spans portions of Washtenaw, Lenawee, Monroe and Wayne counties.
Timeline
Nov. 3, 2026: General election in which Dare Wayne defeated Perry.
Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026: Perry conceded and Dare Wayne issued statements on Facebook.
Cycle Context
As part of the 2026 Michigan House contest, this open-seat win fills a vacancy left by Reggie Miller's retirement. The outcome is one of the district-level results that will shape the chamber's composition for the next two-year term.
Residents of District 31 in Washtenaw, Lenawee, Monroe and Wayne counties will be represented by Dare Wayne for the next two-year term. Her local ties in Milan and her Ford Motor Co. background may shape which district issues she prioritizes in Lansing.
The takeaway
Election results in smaller state House districts can turn on a few thousand votes and on which counties report late, so checking certified totals once they are finalized gives the clearest picture of the outcome.
Further reading
Explore more Michigan Elections coverage for context on how state House races are shaping up.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Mlive.
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