U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) speaks at an event in Grand Rapids, Michigan ahead of Minnesota First Lady Gwen Walz talking about teachers and their power to elect Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election on September 4, 2024 | Photo Anna Liz Nichols
U.S. Rep Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) has won reelection in Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District, maintaining Democrats’ foothold in historically Republican West Michigan.
The Associated Press declared Scholten the winner over Republican challenger Paul Hudson to represent Grand Rapids and the surrounding areas in Congress. Scholten had 53.5% and Hudson, an attorney, took 43.8% with 94% of unofficial returns in.
“I set out to build a new political home in West Michigan, and with this decisive victory, we’ve proven that what we made is built to last. It truly is a new day in West Michigan. It has been the honor of my lifetime to serve you in Congress, and I’m ready to get back to work,” she said in a statement.
Scholten now heads into her second term after flipping the district blue in 2022 by defeating former President Donald Trump’s pick for the seat, Republican John Gibbs. Gibbs had knocked off incumbent U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids) in the GOP primary.
Her victory marked the first time Grand Rapids has ever been represented by a woman in the U.S. House, as well as the first time a Democrat has represented the city in more than 40 years.
Scholten is a former social worker and immigration attorney who has called for improving education in the state and protecting reproductive health care after the fall of Roe v. Wade.
Kent County, the core of the congressional district, has flipped several times in presidential elections in recent years. Scholten told the Michigan Advance on the campaign trail that people in the 3rd District vote on kitchen-table issues like housing affordability and clean water access.
The county is one to watch in the race for the White House, as Michigan is one of the most pivotal states. Michigan voted for former former President Donald Trump in 2016, but flipped in 2020 for President Joe Biden.
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