GOP Wins Vacant State Senate Seat MARSHALL, MI (Michigan Radio) -

Republican Mike Nofs easily won Tuesday's special election to fill the vacant 19th district state senate seat. Nofs defeated Democrat Marty Griffin by a wide margin.

The 19th district seat has sat vacant for the past year. State senator elect Mike Nofs says people living in Battle Creek and Jackson didn't have a voice in the state senate during the recent budget battles.

"Through these tough budget negotiations we didn't have a voice in the Republican controlled senate," says Nofs, "And I'll be a big strong voice for this district and make sure our needs our addressed. And what I heard on the campaign trail was, people don't want more taxes."

The GOP's power in the Michigan state senate grew overnight.

Senate President Mike Bishop says the win is a sign voters support the GOP's stance against Governor Granholm's push for more taxes.

"It does vindicate the senate to a certain extent for the hard votes its taken to reduce the size of government," says Bishop.

Bishop says adding another Republican to the state senate will fortify the GOP for the budget fights ahead. © Copyright 2009, Michigan Radio