LANSING, Mich. (WOOD) — An unusual set of circumstances is leaving the Michigan House of Representatives short-staffed.

For most of this year, the state Senate has been short two members because senators left before their terms were up. Special elections were held earlier this month and the victors were sworn in Tuesday, filling all the seats.

The same is not true in the House.

“(This is the) first time in 30 years we’ve had this many vacancies in the House,” Speaker of the House Jason Wentworth, R-Farwell, said.

Mark Huizenga, R-Walker, is sworn in on Nov. 30, 2021, as a Michigan senator. Senate President Pro Tempore Aric Nesbitt, R-Lawton, administered the oath. Huizenga’s wife Kris, daughters Olivia Huizenga and Elaina Huizenga-Chase and son-in-law Ben Chase stand by. (Michigan Senate GOP)

The two new senators sworn in Tuesday, including Sen. Mark Huizenga, R-Walker, both came from the House. That brought the number of vacancies in the House to four. The other two were caused by the death of a member and another member being elected to a different office.

Unless the governor calls for a special election, the four districts will be unrepresented for more than a year until new members are sworn in January 2023. Wentworth doesn’t want to wait.

“I’d like to see the governor act immediately and call for a special election,” Wentworth said. “I’m not concerned the date when that happens, I just want to make sure she has a special election called. These residents deserve to have a voice at their state Capitol and they’ve gone too long without it.”

Further complicating matters is that there will already be elections for all 110 House seats next year, which means a primary in August and a general election in November. Presumably, a special election would come before those.

“We need to make sure that this is separated from the 2022 election, hopefully as soon as possible the governor can announce this,” Wentworth said.

There is no word on what the governor might do.