MLIVE: SAGINAW, MI — Chedrick Greene will receive support from another high-profile Democrat in the high-stakes state Senate special election.

Pete Buttigieg, the former U.S. Transportation secretary under President Joe Biden, will join a rally for Greene’s candidacy in the state Senate 35th District special election Wednesday, March 18, in Midland, Greene campaign officials said.

The assist from Buttigieg, a former U.S. presidential candidate who some experts say could seek the presidency again in 2028, comes about two weeks after another top Michigan Democrat — Gov. Gretchen Whitmer — endorsed Greene for the open state Senate seat.

Greene is a 30-year veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve, a 31-year union member and fire captain with the Saginaw Fire Department, where he has worked for nearly three decades.

Greene will face Republican Jason Tunney and Libertarian Ali Sledz in the general election phase of the special election in May. The winner will earn a seat in the state Senate for the rest of 2026.

The winner of the special election will serve the remainder of the term of Democrat Kristen McDonald Rivet, who left the seat in January 2025 when voters sent her to Congress.

Democrats currently maintain a slim 19-18 majority in the state Senate.

A Republican victory in May would flip the seat, resulting in a tie that could significantly impact the legislative agenda and power dynamics for the remainder of the year. A Libertarian victory would introduce a wild-card dynamic to the Senate’s political landscape.

The 35th District represents parts of Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties.

The exact location in Midland of the 5 p.m. Wednesday rally for Greene remains under wraps for now, his campaign officials said. Attending the rally requires reserving seats, and the event’s reservations already reached capacity.

Buttigieg is no stranger to Michigan politics. The former South Bend, Indiana mayor moved to Traverse City in 2022 to be closer to family.