General Election Overview: 17th House District

Liz Gullett

Sep 28, 2020

Through the general election on November 3, the MLC Blog will be highlighting races generally considered swing seats, ones either party could win because of the voter base. Candidate’s website and professional information is listed when available.

District Overview

The 17^th Michigan House District is located in Southeast Michigan and includes portions of Monroe and Wayne Counties.

Commentary

Republican Representative Joe Bellino is running for his third term in office. In 2018, the New York Times highlighted this district’s candidates and how the presidential election was impacting union voter’s decisions. In addition to serving as Chair of the House Energy Committee, he serves on the following committees:

- House Financial Services Committee
- House Insurance Committee
- House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee

The district has a 54% Republican base. In 2016 President Trump received 53.97% of the vote, while in 2018 Governor Whitmer received 49.48% of the vote.

Democratic Candidate:

- Christopher Slat – Multimedia specialist at the Monroe County intermediate School District

Republican Candidate:

- Representative Joe Bellino – Former small business owner, former Monroe Community College Board of Trustee member

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