(Source: MIRS.news, Published 10/14/2024) After this November's election, Michigan State University's governing board may be without a Republican member for the first time since the board was first publicly elected 115 years ago, based on research conducted by MIRS. A chart of trustees from 1954-2022 can be found here.

MIRS tracked the election of the Michigan State University Board of Trustees back to 1909 when Michigan State was overseen by an elected Board of Agriculture. Prior to that, the college was overseen by an appointed board. In every iteration of the board, at least one Republican sat on the board.

But that could change after year's end if both Rebecca Bahar-Cook and Thomas Stallworth III are elected to replace Dan Kelly who failed to get the Republican nomination for reelection this year.

From a functional standpoint, the change may not mean too much, since Democrats had a 6-1-1 majority after Patrick O'Keefe left in 2022. The internal squabbles among Board members transcend partisan lines.

As an historical artifact, it's significant, said Bill Ballenger of The Ballenger Report, because it points to the recent failures of the Michigan Republican Party.

"Out of all the statewide officials, MSU has been the most centered on farming and agriculture, which has, over time, been heavily Republican," Ballenger said. 

The MSU Board or the State Agriculture Board was elected for years in spring elections, which saw sparse turnout. However, the farmers always voted. They were, more often than not, Republican, Ballenger said. When the 1963 constitution expanded the Board to eight members, elections were held in November. Members served eight-year terms. Two members cycled through every two years.

The Democrats would sweep Republicans occasionally, but it never happened four cycles in a row to the point where it was an 8-0 board controlled by Democrats.

In 2018, Democrats Kelly Tebay and Brianna Scott were elected. In 2020, Democrat Rema Vassar was elected along with Republican Patrick O'Keefe, who resigned less than two years into his term. It allowed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to appoint Sandy Pierce, who has not publicly declared a party affiliation. In 2022, Democrat Renee Knake Jefferson was reelected along with Democrat Dennis Denno.

Republicans are running Mike Balow and Julie Maday, but without a candidate with a popular last name, Ballenger said he believes it's probable the Democrats could run the table.

Long gone are the days when popular Republican trustees would stay for many years. Forest H. Akers, for whom the golf course is named, served 17 years from 1940-1957. Clark Brody, for whom the Brody complex was named on campus, served from 1921-1959 as a Republican.