One-time journalist Jennifer Conlin has won the 48th House District, becoming the first Democrat to represent a portion of Livingston County in 30 years.
According to results tabulated by the Associated Press, Conlin defeated Howell Republican Jason Woolford 53% – 46%. In doing so, Conlin becomes the first Democrat since Rep. Clark Harder in 1992 to represent Livingston County in Lansing.
Most of Harder’s district was in Shiawassee County, but it included Deerfield, Cohoctah, and Oceola townships in Livingston. Otherwise the county has been solidly GOP-represented in Lansing since anyone can recall.
In Livingston County the 48th District includes Genoa and Hamburg townships, the Village of Pinckney and the southeast corner of Putnam Twp. It also includes a section of northern Washtenaw County dipping down into the Ann Arbor area and a small portion of Jackson County.
Conlin, who is from Ann Arbor, drew her support primarily from Washtenaw County, where she outpolled Woolford by a nearly two-to-one margin. While Woolford won in Livingston County, his margin of victory was only approximately 3,500 votes, not nearly enough to offset the almost 8,000 additional votes Washtenaw County provided Conlin, who tweeted out her gratitude at the win;
“WE DID IT! I am deeply humbled to announce that the voters of the 48th District have chosen me to be their next State Representative.”
