General Election Overview: 3rd U.S. House District

Liz Gullett

Aug 25, 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

The 3^rd U.S. House District is located on the west side of the state. In includes Barry, Calhoun, and Ionia Counties, and portions of Kent Montcalm Counties.

Commentary

Congressman Justin Amash chose not to run for re-election in this seat, leaving it open. He was originally a member of the Republican Party, however, he changed party affiliations in 2019 to the Libertarian Party. Using historical data, the district has a 59% Republican base. However, the area is growing and the voters in the area are swinging in the last two cycles. It’s anticipated that Democrats will put resources into this race. If so, it’ll become one to watch.

In 2016, President Trump received 55.o4% of the vote, but in 2018, Governor Whitmer received 50.01% of the vote.

Democratic Candidate:

- Hillary Scholten – Civil Rights Attorney, former social worker, served at the Department of Justice under the Obama Administration.

Republican Candidate:

- Peter Meijer – Business consultant, Veteran, previously worked for an NGO.

Michigan Legislative Consultants is a bipartisan lobbying firm based in Lansing, Michigan. Our team of lobbyists and procurement specialists provide a wide range of services for some of the most respected companies in America. For more on MLC, visit www.mlcmi.com or connect with us on LinkedIn and Twitter.