Trump ally Matt Hall won't lead Michigan House GOP after losing majority

Beth LeBlanc and Craig Mauger, The Detroit News on Nov 5, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

LANSING — Michigan House Republicans chose a new leader Thursday, Nov. 5, to replace House Speaker Matt Hall in the new year after the GOP lost 11 House seats and majority control of the lower chamber in Tuesday's "blue wave" midterm.

The new 47-member Republican minority instead chose state Rep. Tom Kunse, R-Clare, to lead the caucus and replace Hall of Richland Township. Hall, a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, did not respond to a message seeking comment.

Kunse, who lost to Hall in the 2024 House leadership race, said he admired the speaker's resiliency during the chamber's turn as the minority in 2023 and 2024 and as speaker over a 58-52 GOP majority in 2025 and 2026.

When asked how he'd differ from Hall, Kunse said he might be a "little slower to respond" when it comes to his interactions with Democrats than the current speaker, who is known for a sometimes confrontational approach to politics.

"I have nothing but respect for Matt Hall," Kunse said. "It was time for a change. I'm not going to blame the loss of 11 seats on the speaker. That's unreasonable."

Kunse said the House Republican Campaign Committee will perform a "post-mortem" on how they lost, though he indicated it could be tied to national winds that flipped Republican seats across the country.

"To me, the blame is not important," Kunse said when asked if Trump was to blame. "... I don't complain about the weather because it's out of my control."

Hall did not officially put his name forward for minority leader in Thursday's caucus meeting. The House leadership race came down to Kunse, state Rep. Jim DeSana of Carleton and state Rep. Mike Harris of Waterford Township, who served on Hall's leadership team.

Hall served as minority leader for House Republicans from 2023 through 2024 and as House speaker from 2025 through 2026. He's served in the state House since January 2019. He was elected after ousting an incumbent Republican in the 2018 primary, in part by campaigning on the incumbent's lack of of support for Trump.

The House speaker is a longtime Republican politico who has been loyal to Trump since the president's first campaign in 2016. Hall has been a frequent guest at Trump's Michigan rallies and often received acknowledgement from the president during those events.

At a campaign event in August 2024 at the Livingston County Sheriff's Office, Trump made a passing comment about Hall being the minority leader of the Michigan House. "You look the role, Matt," he said.

In Lansing's divided government in 2025 and 2026, Hall has become known for his combative approach toward his Democratic counterparts, such as Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, and House Democratic Leader Ranjeev Puri, a Canton Township Democrat who will serve as House speaker in January.

Hall has used his weekly press conferences as speaker to announce new awards he's received, to attack an array of lobbyists, including the hospital industry, and to take questions from reporters.

While Hall made enemies of many Democratic lawmakers, he seemed to maintain a decent relationship with Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Hall attempted to work with Whitmer during his time as House speaker, including helping to secure funding for Selfridge Air National Guard Base and by spearheading a long-sought road funding package in 2025.

________