Contested primary election races are happening in 10 of Michigan’s 13 congressional districts on Tuesday as voters decide whether to let incumbents go on the November ballot or choose challengers for the fall election that will help determine whether Republicans keep control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
District 1
Area: Covers the 15 counties of the Upper Peninsula and 20 counties in northern Michigan, including Alcona, Alpena, Antrim, Arenac, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Crawford, Emmet, Grand Traverse, Iosco, Kalkaska, Leelanau, Missaukee, Montmorency, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Roscommon counties.
Republicans: U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman of Watersmeet, a five-term congressman, faces challengers Matthew DenOtter of Boyne City and Justin Michal, an Iraq veteran who lives outside Gaylord, in this Republican-leaning district.
Democrats: Callie Barr of Traverse City, a caregiver for her Marine husband who lost to Bergman in 2024; Kyle Blomquist, who co-owns an architectural firm in Iron Mountain and is a democratic socialist; and Wayne Stiles, whose campaign website doesn’t list his occupation or city of residence, are running to face the GOP primary winner in November.
District 2
Area: Covers all of Barry, Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Ionia, Isabella, Lake, Manistee, Mason, Mecosta, Montcalm, Newaygo, Oceana and Osceola counties. It includes portions of Eaton, Kent, Midland, Muskegon, Ottawa and Wexford counties.
Republicans: U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar of Caledonia is running unopposed.
Democrats: Ben Ambrose, a Marine veteran from Hesperia; Jamie Hill, a physician’s assistant from the Fremont area; and Clyde Welford of Baldwin, a Lake County commissioner and teacher, are running to face Moolenaar in November in this Republican-dominated district.
District 3
Area: Represents parts of Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa counties, including the greater Grand Rapids and Muskegon areas.
Democrats: U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, a second-term congresswoman from Grand Rapids, is running unopposed in what was once a Republican-leaning district that has become more Democratic friendly.
Republicans: Ryan Cushman of Tallmadge Township, a local businessman and Michigan National Guard veteran, and Terri DeBoer of Byron Center, a three-decade area TV meteorologist, are running to see who faces Scholten in the November election.
District 4
Area: Includes Allegan and Van Buren counties as well as portions of Ottawa, Kalamazoo, Calhoun and Berrien counties.
Republicans: U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga of Holland, an eight-term congressman, is opposed by Philip Tanis of Holland, a former Holland mayor and current director of the Van Raalte Institute at Hope College. The district is considered Republican-leaning but more vulnerable this year.
Democrats: Diop Harris II, a Battle Creek native and former Capitol Hill staffer for former Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, is facing state Sen. Sean McCann of Kalamazoo, who is backed by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
5th District
Area: Represents Branch, Cass, Hillsdale, Jackson and Lenawee counties; Monroe County (except for the city of Milan) and St. Joseph County; southern Berrien County, most of Calhoun County and far southern Kalamazoo County.
Republicans: U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg of Tipton, an 11-term congressman and former pastor, is running unopposed.
Democrats: Christian Vukasovich, a former media studies professor at the University of Southern Maine and self-described union organizer, is running unopposed in this Republican stronghold.
6th District
Area: Includes Washtenaw County, western and southern Wayne County, a small part of southwestern Oakland County and Milan in Monroe County.
Democrats: U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell of Ann Arbor, a six-term congresswoman, is running unopposed.
Republicans: Heather Smiley, a former Ford Motor Co. employee who worked in product development and analytics, is running unopposed in this Democratic stronghold.
District 7
Area: Covers Clinton, Ingham, Livingston and Shiawassee counties. Includes parts of Eaton, Genesee and Oakland counties.
Republicans: U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett of Charlotte, a first-term congressman, is running unopposed in this swing district.
Democrats: Former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink of Lansing, activist William Lawrence of Lansing and former U.S. Navy SEAL Matt Maasdam of Genoa Township are running to face Barrett in the November election.
District 8
Area: Includes Saginaw and Bay counties, almost all of Genesee County and parts of Midland and Tuscola counties.
Democrats: U.S. Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet of Bay City, a first-term congresswoman, is running unopposed in this Democratic friendly area that Republicans have considered vulnerable.
Republicans: Amir Hassan, a Navy veteran and former federal law enforcement officer from Flint who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, faces mechanical engineer and anti-abortion activist Al Lemmo in a bid to face McDonald Rivet in the fall election. Thomas J. Smith of Flint is on the ballot but dropped out in mid-July, endorsing Lemmo.
District 9
Area: Covers northern Macomb County, part of Oakland County, most of Tuscola County and all of Lapeer, St. Clair, Huron and Sanilac counties.
Republicans: U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, a three-term congresswoman from Bruce Township, is running unopposed in what is considered the strongest Republican district in Michigan.
Democrats: Ray Pooley, a computer numerical control-certified machinist, is running unopposed.
10th District
Area: Includes southern Macomb County and Rochester and Rochester Hills in Oakland County
Republicans: Army veteran Michael Bouchard, the son of the Oakland County sheriff of the same name who is endorsed by President Donald Trump, faces Clinton Township attorney Justin Kirk and Macomb Army veteran Steffan Demetropoulos. Former Macomb County assistant prosecutor Robert Lulgjuraj from Sterling Heights withdrew from the race after the Trump endorsement but remains on the ballot. U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township represents the district but opted to run for governor.
Democrats: Former assistant prosecutor Christina Hines of Warren, former Pontiac Mayor and state House Minority Leader Tim Greimel and former Commerce Department attorney Eric Chung of Sterling Heights are running in this swing district where the margins of victory have been small.
11th District
Area: Covers central Oakland County, which includes White Lake Township in the northwest corner, Auburn Hills in the northeast corner, running through Troy and Birmingham with Ferndale in the southeast corner and Farmington Hills and Wixom along the southern border.
Democrats: State Sen. Jeffrey Moss of Bloomfield Township, who is endorsed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, is facing Don Ufford, the former Ford Motor Co. engineer who worked in the Biden administration; attorney and former Wayne County assistant prosecutor Aisha Farooqi; and John Paul Torres of Waterford. The seat is held by U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham, who is running for the U.S. Senate.
Republicans: Troy Mayor Ethan Baker is running unopposed in this Democratic-leaning district.
12th District
Area: Represents part of Oakland County, including Southfield, and portions of Wayne County, including Dearborn, Dearborn Heights, Livonia and Westland as well as a part of Detroit.
Democrats: U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Detroit, a four-term congresswoman and the first Palestinian-American woman to serve in Congress, is being challenged by former state Rep. Shanelle Jackson of Detroit, who unsuccessfully opposed Tlaib in the 2024 primary, and Inkster Mayor Bryon H. Nolen.
Republicans: James D. Hooper, a party activist, is running unopposed in this Democratic stronghold.
13th District
Area: Parts of Detroit, Highland Park, Hamtramck, the Grosse Pointes, Lincoln Park and Wyandotte.
Democrats: U.S. Rep. Shri Thanedar, a two-term congressman from Detroit, is being challenged by state Rep. Donovan McKinney, a democratic socialist from Detroit who is endorsed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont, in this Democratic stronghold.
Republicans: T.P. Nykoriak is running unopposed in what is considered Michigan’s strongest Democratic district.
gschwab@detroitnews.com
sballentine@detroitnews.com
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Who is running for U.S. House seats in Michigan’s primary elections?
Reporting by Grant Schwab and Summer Ballentine, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Grant Schwab and Summer Ballentine, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
