As Republicans strive to regain a majority in the U.S. House of Representatives, one of the targets is Michigan's 1st Congressional District, spanning the Upper Peninsula and a chunk of the northern Lower Peninsula, where veteran Democrat Bart Stupak is stepping down after 20 years. Democrat Gary McDowell faces Republican Dr. Dan Benishek in the race for the open seat.
Stupak held office in this rural district as a Democrat who labeled himself as "populist" rather than "liberal" on tax-and-spend issues, while taking conservative stands on social issues. He was fervently anti-abortion and when President Obama was striving to pass health care reform, Stupak organized a group in Congress that held out for assurances that federal funds would not be spent on abortions. When Stupak accepted a compromise, pro-life activists felt he bent too far and one of his peers on the House floor shouted "baby killer" at him, in an incident that made national headlines. If Stupak had pursued re-election, this would have been a major issue for him.
McDowell, similar to Benishek and Stupak, asserts that he firmly opposes abortion. Here's a review of some of the other campaign highlights:
Candidates for Michigan's 1st Congressional District (2-year term)
Candidate: Gary McDowell
Party: Democrat
Political experience: McDowell was unopposed in the August primary after serving as a state representative since 2004.
Professional experience: His background is as a family farmer in Rudyard and a UPS driver for 33 years. He served 22 years on the Chippewa County Board of Commissioners, which is a part-time position, including four years as board chairman.
Key issues: McDowell is emphasizing job-creating investment in alternative energy and a rollback on free-trade agreements that he says have sapped jobs from Michigan. He is challenging whether Benishek fully supports Social Security and Medicare.
Endorsements: None listed on website.
Chances of winning the seat: A neighboring district in the Lower Peninsula's northern area is the 4th District, which has similar demographics to the 1st District. Republican Dave Camp has held office in the 4th District for nearly as long as Stupak reigned in the 1st District. This factor, combined with anti-incumbent sentiment, demonstrates the challenges that McDowell faces. McDowell will need to defend Benishek's portrayal of him as a "career politician" and a "tax-and-spend liberal."
Candidate: Dr. Dan Benishek
Party: Republican
Political experience: Benishek had a tougher road than McDowell to qualify as the GOP candidate. In the August primary, he tallied one more vote than Jacob Allen, who was term-limited out of the Michigan senate this year. Totals were 27,091 to 27,090, but Allen conceded rather than demanding a recount.
Professional experience: Benishek, a general surgeon, never has held elective office and declares that he is "not a career politician." He's a fiscal conservative even though his father worked for Franklin Roosevelt's Depression-era Civilian Conservation Corps in the mines of Iron River. He resides in Crystal Falls.
Key issues: Benishek emphasizes less government, lower taxes and spending cuts. He portrays McDowell as a big-spending Democrat.
Endorsements: Benishek lists dozens of endorsements on his website. Most notably, his backers include U.S. representatives Tom Price (GA-6), Charles Boustany (LA-7) and Michael Burgess (TX-26).
Chances of winning the seat: Demographics indicate that a Republican normally would have held this seat and that Stupak holding office was an anomaly. Benishek will need to deflect McDowell's criticisms on Social Security and Medicare, and he will need to defend his support of extending the so-called "Bush tax cuts for the rich."
Key Differences between Gary McDowell and Dan Benishek
Economy: McDowell focuses on trade and education. The latter, he says, is the foundation for training in growing job fields like green-energy and information technology. On trade, McDowell says the government must readdress free-trade deals that have hurt American manufacturing. Benishek says the government is out of control, and it is harming the future of voters' children. He advocates drastic spending cuts, paying down the national debt and for the government to get out of the way of the free market when it comes to job creation.
Health care: Benishek's stance on health care mirrors his economic policies: He maintains that the open market should decide health care economics. It should be tax-deductable and portable and sold across state lines. McDowell says the new health care legislation "isn't perfect" and that it needs adjusting; inaction, he says, isn't an option.
Social issues: Benishek is pro-life, supports the Second Amendment and says immigration must be legal and regulated. McDowell supports the Second Amendment. He doesn't mention immigration or abortion on his issues page of his website.
Michigan's 1st Congressional District
The district spans Michigan's Upper Peninsula and crosses the Mackinac Bridge to encompass a chunk of the northeastern Lower Peninsula. Stupak hailed from the UP, as do both McDowell and Benishek.
2008 results: Stupak was overwhelmingly re-elected, and then surprised Democrats with his retirement announcement. He denied speculation that he stepped down over hurt feelings from being tagged as a "baby killer" on the House floor.
Demographics: According to the U.S. Census, the median income is $34,076, and the population is 93.8 percent white, 1.4 percent black and 2.6 percent Native American. The Cook Partisan Index gives Michigan's 1st Congressional District an R+3 rating, reflecting an advantage for a Republican candidate despite the fact that Stupak held office for two decades.
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