Democrats will take most of Michigan's US House seats in next Congress

Todd Spangler, Detroit Free Press
·4 min read
7

As results from Michigan's 13 U.S. House races were being finalized Wednesday morning, it became clear that Democrats, while still unlikely to keep control of the chamber, were poised to at least hold a majority in the state's delegation to Congress.

Key to that likelihood were victories in two races that were considered tossups in the 3rd Congressional District in west Michigan and the 7th Congressional District in mid-Michigan and anchored in Lansing.

Grand Rapids lawyer Hillary Scholten, in her second run for Congress, defeated John Gibbs in the 3rd District, holding a 55%-42% edge with 97% of the vote counted in unofficial results. Meanwhile, in the 7th District, U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Lansing, fended off a tough challenge by state Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, to win her third two-year term. With 97% of the vote counted, Slotkin had a 53%-43% lead and Barrett conceded the race early Wednesday morning.

If that margin held, it would be Slotkin's strongest showing in winning any of her three races since first running for Congress in 2018.

Another contest − in the 8th District, located in the crook of Michigan's Thumb, between U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, and Republican former TV anchor Paul Junge, was called for the incumbent by the Associated Press mid-morning on Wednesday, guaranteeing Democrats seven of the 13 new U.S. House seats. Kildee led Junge 53%-43% with 79% of the expected vote tallied and more coming in from his home base in Genesee County.

One other race, in the 10th District, based in southern Macomb County, Democratic former Judge Carl Marlinga conceded the race to Republican businessman John James, though it hadn't yet been called by the AP, with James leading 48.8%-48.3%, or about 1,600 votes, with 99% of the votes counted.

Michigan Democrats got their first congressional victory of election night relatively early, with the Associated Press calling the race in the new 11th District in Oakland County for U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Birmingham, shortly before 9:30 p.m. Tuesday. As of Wednesday morning with 99% of the vote in, she led Republican veteran and financial analyst Mark Ambrose 61%-39%.

As expected, Democrats then went on to notch a series of wins in districts where they were solidly favored, per unofficial results:

  • In the 6th District, U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Ann Arbor, beat Republican nominee and former auto show product specialist Whittney Williams, holding a 66%-34% lead with 95% of the vote in.

  • In the 12th District, U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib, D-Detroit, beat Republican tattoo artist and laser specialist Steven Elliott 74%-23% with 66% of the vote in.

  • In the 13th District, state Rep. Shri Thanedar, D-Detroit, beat Republican Martell Bivings, a former liaison with the Detroit Economic Growth Corp., 72%-23% with 90% of the vote in.

Come back to www.freep.com for updated results.

Meanwhile, Republicans won all the seats they had been expected to take easily.

Here's what happened in the races where Republicans won U.S. House seats, per unofficial results compiled by the Associated Press:

  • About 11:15 p.m. Tuesday, Republicans got their first win with the AP calling the race in the new Michigan 9th District in the Thumb and northern Macomb and Oakland counties for U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township. With about 96% of the vote counted, she led lawyer Brian Jaye 64%-33%.

  • U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, in the new 1st District on the Upper Peninsula and northern Lower Peninsula, beat Democratic Dr. Bob Lorinser, with a 60%-38% edge with 99% of the vote in.

  • U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Midland, in the new 2nd District in mid-Michigan, beat Democratic educator Jerry Hilliard, holding 64%-34% margin with 99% of the vote in.

  • U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Holland Township, in the new 4th District in west Michigan, beat Democratic nominee and Marine veteran Joseph Alfonso, leading 55%-42% with 98% of the vote in.

  • U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, in the new 5th District along the southern Michigan border, beat lawyer Bart Goldberg, holding a 63%-35% margin with 98% of the vote in.

Michigan saw its U.S. House representation decrease following the 2020 Census from 14 seats to 13. At present, the delegation is split 7-7 on a partisan basis.

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Democrats likely to take most of Michigan's US House seats