Republican John Goldwater takes on Sen. Kevin Hertel in Lake St. Clair’s 12th District, a seat that could decide the state Senate

ST. CLAIR SHORES — One of the closest state Senate seats in Michigan is on the Nov. 3 ballot along the Lake St. Clair shoreline. Democratic Sen. Kevin Hertel of St. Clair Shores is seeking a second term in the 12th District against Republican John Goldwater, a New Baltimore businessman making his first run for office. They are the only two candidates on the Michigan Department of State’s official candidate listing for the seat.

A seat decided by 404 votes. The 12th District includes St. Clair Shores, Harrison Township, Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore, Mount Clemens and part of Clinton Township in Macomb County, along with Algonac, Clay Township and Ira Township to the north and the Grosse Pointes and Harper Woods to the south, according to Michigan Legislative Consultants (MLC), a Lansing lobbying firm. Hertel won the open seat in 2022 with 62,772 votes, or 50.2%, to Republican Pamela Hornberger’s 62,368, or 49.8%, according to certified results reported by Ballotpedia. MLC calls the district “nearly a perfect 50-50 partisan split” that “will be pivotal in determining which caucus secures the Senate majority,” and says Republicans “see a viable path to victory and are investing heavily” in Goldwater. The Macomb Daily reported after the primary that political analysts consider it a crucial seat if the GOP hopes to retake the Senate.

Who Goldwater is. Goldwater won a five-way Republican primary on Aug. 4 with about 45% of the vote, ahead of Shelley Wright, Joseph Backus, Eileen Tesch and Patrick Biange, according to Ballotpedia and The Macomb Daily. Hertel was unopposed for the Democratic nomination. Goldwater’s campaign site describes him as an oil and gas entrepreneur, small businessman and former pastor who was born in Mount Clemens and is raising six children in the Anchor Bay schools. “I’m not a politician. I haven’t spent my life in politics, so I don’t need a taxpayer-funded job, a fancy title, or to see my name on TV,” he says on the site. The social-conservative group Citizens for Traditional Values put him on its endorsement slate before the primary, and the GOPAC Election Fund, a Republican group that backs state lawmakers, has reported $39,614 in independent spending supporting him, according to Elections Simplified, which compiles state campaign finance data.

Taxes, energy bills and the data center fight. Goldwater is running on lower costs, ending taxes for seniors and lower gas and energy bills. His sharpest attack is on data centers. “My opponent actually wrote the bill to give $90 million in taxpayer-funded breaks to data centers, and he voted to take away local control of energy zoning,” his campaign site says. He supports a one-year moratorium on data center projects in Michigan and restoring local control. State records back up the authorship: Hertel introduced Senate Bill 237 in March 2023, which exempts equipment at large enterprise data centers from the state sales and use tax. It passed the Senate 24-11 and the House 56-41 and was signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer on Dec. 30, 2024, as Public Act 181 of 2024. The nonpartisan Senate Fiscal Agency estimated that the package, as it passed the Senate, would cut state and local revenue by at least $52.5 million through the 2065-66 fiscal year and “likely could exceed $90.0 million,” mostly from the School Aid Fund. Hertel’s campaign home page does not mention the data center law.

Public safety, schools and the lake. Goldwater says he “proudly back[s] the blue” and wants police to have the training and resources they need. He calls for more transparency for parents about what their children are taught, more promotion of the skilled trades, and support for the Second Amendment. He is anti-abortion and supports keeping biological males out of girls’ sports and locker rooms. On Lake St. Clair, he points to millions of gallons of sewage released into the lake in 2025 and says he will seek funding to “fast-track permanent solutions,” along with money for shoreline, boat access, marinas and beaches.

Hertel’s pitch. Hertel, whose father, Curtis Hertel, was speaker of the Michigan House, served three terms in the House before winning the Senate seat. His campaign says he is focused on “putting aside political games, finding common ground, and delivering solutions for our lakeshore community,” and lists lowering costs for seniors and working families, keeping communities safe and expanding educational opportunities for students among his priorities. His campaign calls the seat “the most crucial seat to keep in 2026.”

How to vote. Monday, Oct. 19, was the last day to register to vote online or by mail. After that, residents can still register in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency, through 8 p.m. on Election Day. Statewide early in-person voting runs Oct. 24 through Nov. 1; check with your city or township clerk for early voting sites and hours. Absentee ballot applications are due by 5 p.m. Oct. 30 by mail or online, or by 4 p.m. Nov. 2 in person at the clerk’s office. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 3. County canvasses must finish by Nov. 17, and the Board of State Canvassers certifies statewide results by Nov. 23. Voters can check their registration and see their sample ballot at Michigan.gov/Vote.

Updated Oct. 20, 2026: The Oct. 19 deadline to register to vote online or by mail has passed, so the voting details now say so. Residents can still register in person at their city or township clerk’s office with proof of residency through 8 p.m. on Election Day.

Sources:
Michigan Department of State, Official Candidate Listing, General Election, Nov. 3, 2026, https://mi-boe.entellitrak.com/etk-mi-boe-prod/page.request.do?electionType=GEN&electionYear=2026&page=page.miboePublicReport
Michigan Legislative Consultants, “General Election Overview: 12th Senate District,” Oct. 6, 2026, https://mlcmi.com/general-election-overview-12th-senate-district/
Ballotpedia, “Michigan State Senate District 12” (2022 general election results), https://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_State_Senate_District_12
Ballotpedia, “John Goldwater” (2026 primary results), https://ballotpedia.org/John_Goldwater
The Macomb Daily, “Voters set the stage for Macomb County’s political showdowns in November elections,” Aug. 5, 2026, https://www.macombdaily.com/2026/08/05/voters-set-the-stage-for-macomb-countys-political-showdowns-in-november/
Goldwater for State Senate, campaign home page (issues), https://www.goldwaterforstatesenate.com/
Goldwater for State Senate, “Meet John,” https://www.goldwaterforstatesenate.com/meetJohn
Kevin Hertel for State Senate, campaign home page, https://www.kevinhertelforsenate.com/
The Ballot Brief, “Kevin Hertel vs. John Goldwater for Michigan Senate District 12,” https://theballotbrief.com/state/michigan/macomb-county/michigan-senate-district-12
Elections Simplified, “John Goldwater” (Michigan campaign finance data, updated Oct. 11, 2026), https://electionssimplified.com/candidates/9b461469-9600-499b-9718-91877fe14def
Michigan Legislature, Senate Bill 237 of 2023 (Public Act 181 of 2024), https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2023-SB-0237
Senate Fiscal Agency, “Use & Sales Tax; Enterprise Data Center, S.B. 237 (S-11) & H.B. 4906 (S-10): Analysis as Passed by the Senate,” July 24, 2024, https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2023-2024/billanalysis/Senate/pdf/2023-SFA-0237-U.pdf
Michigan Department of State, “Absentee voting” and election calendar (registration, early voting and absentee deadlines), https://www.michigan.gov/sos/elections/voting/absentee-voting
Photo: TheWxResearcher, “View of Lake St. Clair from Lake St. Clair Metropark’s trail 2025-09-17.jpg,” 2025, Wikimedia Commons, CC0 1.0 (https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/), cropped and resized, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:View_of_Lake_St._Clair_from_Lake_St._Clair_Metropark%E2%80%99s_trail_2025-09-17.jpg

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