Republican forces in the state House lost representatives - and impact - as a result of Tuesday's elections.
Now in control of Michigan's House of Representatives, Democrats are expected to challenge the power Republican Gov. John Engler has wielded for the past two years.
Frustrated with GOP opposition in the state House, Senate and governor's office, Michigan Democrats have fallen short of votes for pet legislation in education, environmental protection and health care.
"It's very likely that a lot of legislation that I've (written) will go through now," said state Rep. Liz Brater (D-Ann Arbor).
Brater was elected to her third term Tuesday.
Democrats have pledged to increase funds for adult education, put police officers on the streets, raise the state minimum wage and push tax cuts targeted toward the middle class. Many said renewed Republican leadership in the House would deny Michigan residents a needed balance of power in state government.
Republicans have expressed concerns about future gridlock and uncontrolled spending with a Democratic majority.
Engler spokesperson John Truscott said the Legislature in the past two years has been "historic" and successful.
"Nobody can remember more productive legislative sessions in Michigan," Truscott said.
Republicans and Democrats jointly guided the House in the 1992-93 session. In 1994, the GOP pulled ahead for the first time in 28 years.
Bipartisan cooperation in the House "depends on Speaker (Curtis) Hertel (D-Detroit)," Truscott said. The re-elected state representative is expected to take the gavel as Michigan's new speaker of the House.
Truscott said he anticipates some conflicts in funding issues regarding the state's department of transportation. Republicans and Democrats seem to be at odds over how and where to save money, he said.
Brater said Democrats may push a bill to re-evaluate the way the state assesses the risks of toxins, expanding the assessment pool of citizens at risk to include women and children. A Democratic House may also consider re-establishing the Clean Air and Water Commission that Engler disbanded, she said.
LSA sophomore Erin Carey, External Relations Committee chair for the Michigan Student Assembly, said having more Democrats in Lansing will be helpful for student lobbyists.
"It probably won't change how we approach it too much but it could make our job significantly easier," Carey said. Assembly members regularly lobby legislators for increased higher-education funding.
- The Associated Press contributed to this report.