Former Dem Rep. Sara Cambensy Running In U.P.'s SD-38 As Independent

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 03/24/2026) Sara Cambensy – a former Democratic House member from Marquette who often broke away from her party on energy topics like the Line 5 oil pipeline – is running in the 38th Senate district as an independent.

"The U.P. (Upper Peninsula) needs an independent voice in Lansing that can't be bought and can't be told by downstate interests about what's best for the people that live, work and raise a family here," Cambensy said on Facebook .

Cambensy first entered the Legislature during a November 2017 special election. At the time, she was a 41-year-old Marquette city commissioner who defeated the local Republican school board president, Rich Rossway, 56% to 42% in the 109th House district.

She served through 2022, last winning the House seat by 6,776 votes in 2022, or by 14.5 percentage points.

With President Donald Trump at the top of the ballot, now-Rep. Karl Bohnak (R-Negaunee), a TV meteorologist of nearly four decades, won the seat for Republicans – for the first time since 1952 – by 1,673 votes, or by a tight 3.2 percentage points.

After serving as a representative, Cambensy joined the business advocacy community as the executive director of the Michigan Chemistry Council, opposing multiple proposals by the Democratic trifecta in the 2023-24 term.

She was also employed recently by the Republican-controlled House as a legislative policy analyst in January last year, researching policy issues and responding to budget and policy requests.

"Like many of you, I'm tired of the political games and fighting between both parties that prevent our toughest issues from being solved. In every other facet of life, people put their differences aside and work together to solve problems and strengthen our communities. It's time we do that in politics as well," Cambensy said.

She said that when running in 2017, her father told her that if elected, she would "just" agree to do the work wanted by the majority of the people she represented, not there on "behalf of my own interests, party interests, or special interests."

Cambensy grew a reputation as a pro-Line 5 Democrat, while her caucus members called for its closure. The pipeline provides home heating propane to the U.P.

Right now, coverage of the 38th Senate district and the race to replace term-limited Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Waucedah Twp.) has been focused on the loud Republican primary battle between Rep. Dave Prestin (R-Cedar River) and former Iron Mountain Rep. Beau LaFave.

Prestin has been backed by the U.P.'s current delegation of state legislators. Rumors around Lansing suggest that Republicans fear that LaFave's bombastic and outspoken communication style could turn off swing voters in the Marquette area, which they need to win over to ensure Bohnak returns to the House after this fall.

Meanwhile, LaFave is supported by U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet), known as the head of the tight-knit and loyal "Bergman Brigade" or "Bergman Boys" in northern Michigan politics. The state U.P. lawmakers withdrew their endorsement of Bergman after the representative decided to get behind LaFave.

LaFave bashed McBroom and Rep. Greg Markkanen (R-Hancock) – who he used to work for – for backstabbing him when they chose to back "a former Chicago nightclub owner who pleaded guilty to domestic battery after beating his wife for years. Beating women wasn't exactly the 'U.P. Values' I had assumed Ed and Greg were talking about."

More than 30 years ago, Prestin pleaded guilty to domestic battery against his then-fiancée in DuPage County, Illinois. Prestin additionally operated and managed food and beverage establishments for more than 25 years.

On the opposite side of politics, multiple Democrats are rallying around Kelli Van Ginhoven, the Escanaba Democrat serving on the Delta County Board of Commissioners.

In 2024, the 38th Senate district saw 150,291 presidential election votes, with Trump winning among 58% of them against then-Vice President Kamala Harris.

Cambensy's independent candidacy also comes in the era of previous Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, whose independent candidacy for governor has been perceived as viable in terms of fundraising, name recognition and endorsers.

MIRS spoke to Dennis Lennox, a political commentator who resided right below the U.P. in Cheboygan County. He explained that there had been speculation that if Duggan successfully appeared on the November ballot as an independent, he would need credible people running for the Legislature as independents, as well.

"I question whether this is part of a Duggan effort," Lennox said, "I also wonder whether this is an effort by (U.P. legislators) to hedge their bets, that if Beau LaFave, as many people expect, wins the primary, they will all support her in the general election to screw him."

Lennox recalled Cambensy going against Democratic environmental groups to support creating and continuing mining developments in the U.P., although he doesn't believe her to be conservative when it comes to social issues.

"For the last two or three years, four years, she has basically given the middle finger to the Democratic Party . . . I'm not sure what her constituency is in the general election, especially if it's Dave Prestin as the nominee," Lennox said.

Andrea Bitely, Duggan's spokesperson, told MIRS that “Mayor Duggan doesn't have any information about her and is not getting involved in any legislative races.”