LANSING, Mich. — Former state Representative Sara Cambensy will remain on the November general election ballot after the Michigan Board of State Canvassers voted Monday to accept her qualifying petitions following a challenge to her candidacy.
The decision clears a significant hurdle for Cambensy, who is running as an independent for Michigan’s 38th State Senate District. The district includes much of the Upper Peninsula and is currently represented by Republican Ed McBroom, who is leaving the Senate because of term limits.
The Board’s decision came after a hearing Monday in Lansing prompted by a petition challenge filed July 23 by Linda Donckers. A staff review released August 10 recommended that Cambensy’s petitions be validated, but referred the matter to the Board for a final decision.
What happened at the hearing?
At the center of Monday’s hearing was an allegation involving three petition sheets that Cambensy signed as the circulator.
Donckers’ attorney, Mark Brewer of Goodman Acker, argued that Cambensy did not personally circulate those three sheets. According to Brewer, a friend of Cambensy’s circulated the petitions while Cambensy was nearby.
Brewer pointed to three affidavits in support of the challenge and argued that signing the petitions as the circulator when someone else actually circulated them amounted to falsification of election documents. He argued that the alleged violation should disqualify Cambensy from the ballot entirely.
Cambensy appeared before the Board and testified on her own behalf.
She disputed the allegations and provided additional context about the people whose affidavits were submitted as part of the challenge. Cambensy said she had met one of the individuals at Lower Harbor Park in Marquette and had a lengthy conversation with her.
Cambensy also told the Board that two other individuals had since contacted her by email and said they were asked to sign affidavits after having a few drinks. She said those emails had been forwarded to the Board.
Cambensy characterized the challenge as being motivated, at least in part, by resentment within the Democratic Party over her decision to leave the party and run as an independent.
Board Vice Chair Mary Ellen Gurewitz said the allegations were troubling and acknowledged the importance of holding petition circulators accountable. But she said she did not believe the evidence was sufficient to disqualify Cambensy completely.
The Board ultimately voted to accept Cambensy’s qualifying petitions.
That means Cambensy is officially positioned to compete in the November 3 general election.
How did Cambensy get on the ballot?
Cambensy submitted 2,349 signatures to the Michigan Secretary of State’s Office in July as she sought an independent spot on the ballot.
Independent candidates for the state Senate must submit at least 1,500 valid signatures. Unlike candidates running under the Democratic or Republican parties, independent candidates do not have the option of simply paying a filing fee to qualify for the ballot.
The petition challenge therefore represented an important test of whether Cambensy had met the requirements to appear on the November ballot.
With Monday’s ruling, the Board determined that she had.
Who will Cambensy face?
The 38th Senate District race is now set for a three-way general election contest.
Cambensy will face Democrat Kelli van Ginhoven of Escanaba and Republican David Prestin of Cedar River.
Van Ginhoven, a member of the Delta County Board of Commissioners, was unopposed for the Democratic nomination in the August 4 primary.
Prestin won the Republican nomination over former state Representative Beau LaFave. Prestin received about 53% of the vote to LaFave’s 47%, winning by fewer than 2,000 votes.
LaFave, a former state representative from the Upper Peninsula, will therefore not appear on the November ballot for the Senate seat.
The race is significant because McBroom’s departure creates an open seat in a district that has been represented by Republicans since 2011. Cambensy’s independent campaign adds another variable to what otherwise would have been a traditional Democratic-versus-Republican contest.
What is Cambensy’s political background?
Cambensy is a longtime Marquette resident and a familiar figure in Upper Peninsula politics.
She served on the Marquette City Commission and Planning Commission before moving into state politics. She also worked as director of adult and continuing education for Marquette Area Public Schools.
Cambensy holds a bachelor’s degree in education and a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Michigan University.
In 2017, she won a special election to represent Michigan’s 109th House District. She was subsequently reelected and served three terms in the Michigan House from 2017 through 2022.
During her time in Lansing, Cambensy served on several committees and was involved in legislation affecting issues including natural resources, commerce, education, and local communities. She also served as an assistant Democratic floor leader during her final term.
After reaching the state’s term limit for House service, Cambensy left the Legislature at the end of 2022.
Why did she choose to run as an independent?
One of the most notable aspects of Cambensy’s current campaign is her decision to run without a political party.
Cambensy previously served as a Democrat and represented a district that includes Marquette and surrounding Upper Peninsula communities.
When she announced her Senate campaign in March, she said she believed voters were increasingly frustrated with partisan politics and that she wanted to focus on issues affecting people in the Upper Peninsula rather than answer to a party.
She has emphasized affordability, including the cost of groceries, housing, energy, health care, education, insurance and property taxes.
Cambensy has also argued that an independent senator would be able to work with both Republicans and Democrats without being bound by a party platform.
In June, she described herself as a candidate focused on the needs of the Upper Peninsula and said she believed many voters were looking for an alternative to traditional party politics.
Why is this race important?
The 38th Senate District covers a large portion of the Upper Peninsula and is considered a Republican-leaning district. McBroom won reelection in 2022 with more than 62% of the vote, and Republicans have held the seat for years.
But Cambensy enters the general election with something neither major-party candidate has: previous experience representing Upper Peninsula residents in Lansing while running outside the two-party system.
Prestin brings his own legislative experience to the race. He currently serves in the Michigan House and has been active on issues involving the Upper Peninsula’s energy supply and economic future.
Van Ginhoven brings local-government experience from Delta County and is the Democratic nominee.
For Cambensy, Monday’s Board of State Canvassers decision means the petition fight is over, at least for now, and the campaign can turn its full attention to November.
The Board’s vote does not determine who will win the Senate seat. It simply confirms that Cambensy met the requirements to appear on the ballot.
Now, voters in the 38th District will decide whether to elect an experienced former Democrat running as an independent, a sitting Republican state representative, or the Democratic nominee.
The general election is November 3, 2026.
