Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024

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Michigan's 3rd Congressional District
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: April 23, 2024
Primary: August 6, 2024 General: November 5, 2024
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Michigan
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Likely Democratic DDHQ and The Hill: Lean Democratic Inside Elections: Likely Democratic Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely Democratic
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024
See also
Michigan's 3rd Congressional District U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th Michigan elections, 2024 U.S. Congress elections, 2024 U.S. Senate elections, 2024 U.S. House elections, 2024 Alabama U.S. House racesAlaska U.S. House racesArizona U.S. House racesArkansas U.S. House racesCalifornia U.S. House racesColorado U.S. House racesConnecticut U.S. House racesDelaware U.S. House racesFlorida U.S. House racesGeorgia U.S. House racesHawaii U.S. House racesIdaho U.S. House racesIllinois U.S. House racesIndiana U.S. House racesIowa U.S. House racesKansas U.S. House racesKentucky U.S. House racesLouisiana U.S. House racesMaine U.S. House racesMaryland U.S. House racesMassachusetts U.S. House racesMichigan U.S. House racesMinnesota U.S. House racesMississippi U.S. House racesMissouri U.S. House racesMontana U.S. House racesNebraska U.S. House racesNevada U.S. House racesNew Hampshire U.S. House racesNew Jersey U.S. House racesNew Mexico U.S. House racesNew York U.S. House racesNorth Carolina U.S. House racesNorth Dakota U.S. House racesOhio U.S. House racesOklahoma U.S. House racesOregon U.S. House racesPennsylvania U.S. House racesRhode Island U.S. House racesSouth Carolina U.S. House racesSouth Dakota U.S. House racesTennessee U.S. House racesTexas U.S. House racesUtah U.S. House racesVermont U.S. House racesVirginia U.S. House racesWashington U.S. House racesWest Virginia U.S. House racesWisconsin U.S. House racesWyoming U.S. House racesSubmit

Incumbent Rep. Hillary Scholten (D) defeated Paul Hudson (R), Alexander Avery (L), and Louis Palus (Working Class Party) in the general election for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District on Nov. 5, 2024. Click here for detailed results.

In 2022, Scholten became the first Democrat to represent the district since 1993. She previously ran unsuccessfully in 2020 as the Democratic nominee. The 2022 election was the first since redistricting following the 2020 census. Bridge Michigan’s Lauren Gibbons wrote, "While former political maps lumped the Democratic-leaning city of Grand Rapids in with stalwart Republican areas, the current iteration extends to the Lake Michigan coastline and includes portions of Muskegon and Ottawa counties, making it far more politically competitive."

Bridge Michigan’s Simon D. Schuster described the district as "[embodying] the seismic political realignments precipitated by Donald Trump’s rise. A longtime conservative bastion, it produced the only president from Michigan, Republican Gerald Ford. But like some other areas with large numbers of well-educated suburban voters, it has swung in Democrats' favor in the Trump era."

Scholten lost the 2020 election by six percentage points and won the 2022 election by seven percentage points. Her professional experience included working as senior counsel at the Miller Johnson law firm, a staff attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, and a judicial law clerk and attorney advisor with the U.S. Justice Department's Board of Immigration Appeals.

Scholten ran on her record. She said, "I fight every day to lower healthcare costs, fix the broken immigration system, and work with both parties to pass common sense solutions to the pressing issues facing our community." Scholten said, "When I say I'm bringing boring back to Congress, I mean focusing on getting real work done instead of chasing headlines and playing partisan games. It's about setting aside differences and working across the aisle, laser-focused on what truly matters: improving the lives of the hard-working West Michiganders who I serve."

At the time of the election, Hudson was an attorney who led the appellate division at the Miller Canfield law firm. He previously worked as an associate at Pepper Hamilton LLP and served as a law clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Judge Raymond Kethledge. In 2022, Hudson ran unsuccessfully in the nonpartisan election for the Michigan Supreme Court. He received 13.3% of the vote in a field of five candidates.

Hudson said his policy priorities included growth, prosperity, and security. He said, "To grow as a nation, we need to tackle inflation, lower taxes, and rein in government spending. To create prosperity, we need to raise our education standards and invest in West Michigan jobs. Finally, to ensure our American way of life we must recommit to security." Hudson said he decided to run for Congress because he was "frustrated with the leadership that I've seen in Washington. I think our leaders have been failing us for several years now. When I get around the district and talk to people, they feel the same thing."

Based on third-quarter reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Scholten raised $5 million and spent $3.8 million, and Hudson raised $924,436 and spent $871,591. To review all the campaign finance figures in full detail, click here.

As of Nov. 5, 2024, four major election forecasters differed in their ratings for the general election, with three rating it Likely Democratic and one rating it Lean Democratic.

The primary was August 6, 2024. The filing deadline was April 23, 2024.

All 435 U.S. House seats were up for election in 2024. At the time of the election, Republicans had a 220 to 212 majority with three vacancies. Forty-five members of the U.S. House did not run for re-election. To read more about the 2024 U.S. House elections, click here.

In the 2022 election in this district, the Democratic candidate won 54.9%-42.0%. Daily Kos calculated what the results of the 2020 presidential election in this district would have been following redistricting. Joe Biden (D) would have defeated Donald Trump (R) 53.3%-44.8%.

Michigan's 3rd Congressional District was one of 37 congressional districts with a Democratic incumbent or an open seat that the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) targeted in 2024. To read about NRCC targeting initiatives, click here. For a complete list of NRCC targeted districts, click here.

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

• Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Democratic primary)
• Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (August 6 Republican primary)

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Incumbent Hillary Scholten defeated Paul Hudson, Louis Palus, and Alexander Avery in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Hillary Scholten (D)	53.7	225,510
		Paul Hudson (R)	43.8	183,952
		Louis Palus (Working Class Party)	1.3	5,546
		Alexander Avery (L)	1.3	5,281

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 420,289
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Incumbent Hillary Scholten defeated Salim Al-Shatel in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Hillary Scholten	90.6	64,546
		Salim Al-Shatel	9.4	6,665

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 71,211
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Paul Hudson defeated Michael Markey Jr. in the Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on August 6, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Paul Hudson	54.7	39,410
		Michael Markey Jr.	45.3	32,678

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 72,088
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• J. Allen Fiorletta (R)
• Jason Ickes (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Alexander Avery advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on July 20, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Alexander Avery (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Working Class Party convention

Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Louis Palus advanced from the Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on June 23, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Louis Palus (Working Class Party)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Michigan

Election information in Michigan: Nov. 5, 2024, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 5, 2024
• By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 21, 2024
• Online: Oct. 21, 2024

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

Yes

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 4, 2024
• By mail: Received by Nov. 1, 2024
• Online: Nov. 1, 2024

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 5, 2024
• By mail: Received by Nov. 5, 2024

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 26, 2024 to Nov. 3, 2024

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m.

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Hillary Scholten

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: Yes

Political Office: 

• U.S. House of Representatives, Michigan District 3 (Assumed office: 2023)

Biography:  Scholten received a bachelor's degree from Gordon College and a J.D. from the University of Maryland. Her professional experience included working as senior counsel at the Miller Johnson Law Firm, a staff attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, and a judicial law clerk and attorney advisor with the U.S. Justice Department's Board of Immigration Appeals.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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On healthcare, Scholten said she would support policies to "ban insurance companies from raising rates on people when they get sick, denying people coverage for having a pre-existing condition or dropping them when they get sick."

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Scholten said, "We need to invest in Michigan's semiconductor manufacturing capability and stand up to China when they threaten our global supply chain, so we can control costs by making things in Michigan."

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Regarding the environment, Scholten said she would work to "curb climate change before it's too late" and "stand firmly in defense of our Great Lakes."

---

Show sources

Sources: Hillary Scholten campaign website, "Priorities," accessed September 24, 2024; Biographical Directory of the United States Congress, "Hillary Scholten," accessed September 24, 2024; LinkedIn, "Hillary Scholten," accessed September 24, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Michigan District 3 in 2024.

Paul Hudson

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Hudson received a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a J.D. from Georgetown University. His professional experience included working as an attorney and appeals section char at the Miller Canfield Law Firm and as an associate at Pepper Hamilton LLP. Hudson also served as a law clerk for U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit Judge Raymond Kethledge.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Hudson said he would support "legislation like the Limit, Save, Grow Act which [would] cut government spending by $4.8 trillion through FY 2033." Hudson also said he would work to "extend the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act to let you keep more of your own money."

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Hudson said he would "be a strong voice for investment in West Michigan" by "cutting overburdensome red tape and investing in education that matches the needs of our economy."

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Regarding security, Hudson said he would work to "secure our borders, enforce the rule of law in our cities and communities, and recommit to steely-eyed American leadership on the world stage."

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Show sources

Sources: Paul Hudson campaign website, "Issues," accessed September 24, 2024; LinkedIn, "Paul Hudson," accessed September 24, 2024

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Michigan District 3 in 2024.

Alexander Avery

Party: Libertarian Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I'm Alex Avery. I'm just like, this guy, you know? I drive a semi truck and play World of Warcraft, and I think freedom is pretty cool."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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The government sucks.

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Taxation is theft.

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I hate politics.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Michigan District 3 in 2024.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Alexander Avery (L)

The government sucks.

Taxation is theft.

I hate politics.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Alexander Avery (L)

As a libertarian, my goals are nothing less than a world set free. The end of the mass robbery the government calls "taxation." The end of the slaveries of conscription and mandatory jury service. The The end of compulsory education laws. The complete emancipation of mankind from government.

Is there a book, essay, film, or something else you would recommend to someone who wants to understand your political philosophy?

Alexander Avery (L)

Ethics of Liberty by Murray Rothbard

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Alexander Avery (L)

Principles that guide their votes, instead of party leadership.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Alexander Avery (L)

I put my principles above all else.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Alexander Avery (L)

Reading the bills and voting in accordance with your principles.

What legacy would you like to leave?

Alexander Avery (L)

I want people to say "hey, remember that Alex Avery guy who made a 1000 science per minute mega base in Factorio with no bots and no trains? I mean, belts all the way from the mining drills to the labs. What a legend. Also he defeated that crappy anti privacy bill or whatever."

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Alexander Avery (L)

Monica Lewinski scandal, at age 9

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Alexander Avery (L)

Installing pool tables with my Uncle when I was 16. I didn't last long as I was not strong enough for that work.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Alexander Avery (L)

Ethics of Liberty by Murray Rothbard. Changed my outlook on everything.

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Alexander Avery (L)

Are We Alone from the Factorio soundtrack loops in my head at all times.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

Alexander Avery (L)

Getting Keystone Hero achievements in World of Warcraft as a pugger whenever my main spec is considered off-meta.

Do you believe that it's beneficial for representatives to have previous experience in government or politics?

Alexander Avery (L)

No, how are you going to represent me when I'm a private citizen and you're a career politician?

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Alexander Avery (L)

The government is our greatest challenge, our greatest obstacle.

Do you believe that two years is the right term length for representatives?

Alexander Avery (L)

You mean if I get elected I have to go hang out with these clowns for two whole years? Okay, I'll still do it, I guess.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Alexander Avery (L)

One term in office, one term in jail ought to do it.

Is there a particular representative, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Alexander Avery (L)

I'll just be me.

Tell us your favorite joke.

Alexander Avery (L)

Kleptomaniacs don't understand puns because they always take things literally.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Alexander Avery (L)

Of course. I would support a bill to cut the CIA in half even if I'd rather dismantle it completely.

How should the U.S. House use its investigative powers?

Alexander Avery (L)

Subpoenas are forced labor. I oppose that.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Alexander Avery (L)

My mom.

What committees interest you?

Alexander Avery (L)

Nobody who enjoys meetings should be in charge of anything.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Alexander Avery (L)

The government needs to stop spying on us and start being spied on by us. Everything they do should be out in the open.

Campaign advertisements

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

Hillary Scholten

September 19, 2024

September 5, 2024

August 13, 2024

View more ads here:

• YouTube
• Facebook

Paul Hudson

August 2, 2024

July 10, 2024

View more ads here:

• YouTube
• Facebook

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

We provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. No polls were available for this election. To notify us of polls published in this election, please email us.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 5, 2024	October 29, 2024	October 22, 2024	October 15, 2024
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic
Decision Desk HQ and The Hill	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Likely Democratic
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic	Likely Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

Click the links below to see official endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites for any candidates that make that information available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

• Paul Hudson

Election spending

Campaign finance

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
Hillary Scholten	Democratic Party	$5,242,794	$4,882,441	$371,698	As of November 25, 2024
Salim Al-Shatel	Democratic Party	$3,048	$3,048	$0	As of August 6, 2024
Paul Hudson	Republican Party	$951,987	$949,002	$2,986	As of November 25, 2024
Michael Markey Jr.	Republican Party	$804,843	$747,232	$57,612	As of September 30, 2024
Alexander Avery	Libertarian Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Louis Palus	Working Class Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2024. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

If available, satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. FEC links include totals from monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports. OpenSecrets.org compiles data from those reports as well as 24- and 48-hour reports from the FEC.

Details about satellite spending of significant amounts and/or reported by media are included below those links. The amounts listed may not represent the total satellite spending in the election. To notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.

By candidate	By election
Hillary Scholten Paul Hudson	Open Secrets Federal Election Commission

District analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about voter composition, past elections, and demographics in both the district and the state.

• District map - A map of the district in place for the election.
• Competitiveness - Information about the competitiveness of 2024 U.S. House elections in the state.
• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the district and the state.
• State party control - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.

• District map
• Competitiveness
• Presidential elections
• State party control

Below was the map in use at the time of the election. Click the map below to enlarge it.

See also: Primary election competitiveness in state and federal government, 2024

This section contains data on U.S. House primary election competitiveness in Michigan.

Michigan U.S. Senate competitiveness, 2014-2024
Office	Districts/ offices	Seats	Open seats	Candidates	Possible primaries	Contested Democratic primaries	Contested Republican primaries	% of contested primaries	Incumbents in contested primaries	% of incumbents in contested primaries
2024	1	1	1	6	2	1	1	100.0%	0	N/A
2020	1	1	0	2	2	0	0	0.0%	0	N/A
2018	1	1	0	3	2	0	1	50.0%	0	N/A
2014	1	1	1	2	2	0	0	0.0%	0	N/A

U.S. House

Michigan U.S. House competitiveness, 2014-2024
Office	Districts/ offices	Seats	Open seats	Candidates	Possible primaries	Contested Democratic primaries	Contested Republican primaries	% of contested primaries	Incumbents in contested primaries	% of incumbents in contested primaries
2024	13	13	2	43	26	6	6	46.2%	5	45.5%
2022	13	13	2	53	26	4	9	50.0%	7	58.3%
2020	14	14	1	55	28	7	8	53.6%	4	33.3%
2018	14	14	2	51	28	9	1	35.7%	1	9.1%
2016	14	14	2	38	28	3	3	21.4%	3	25.0%
2014	14	14	4	48	28	5	8	46.4%	6	60.0%

Post-filing deadline analysis

The following analysis covers all U.S. House districts up for election in Michigan in 2024. Information below was calculated on June 5, 2024, and may differ from information shown in the table above due to candidate replacements and withdrawals after that time.

Forty-three candidates ran for Michigan’s 13 U.S. House districts, including 23 Democrats and 20 Republicans. That’s an average of 3.3 candidates per district.

The 43 candidates who ran in Michigan in 2024 was the fewest number of candidates since 2016, when 38 candidates ran.

The 7th and 8th Congressional Districts were open in 2024. Between 2014 and 2022, an average of 2.2 districts were open per year.

Incumbent Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-07) did not run for re-election because she ran for the U.S. Senate. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-08) retired from public office.

Six candidates—three Democrats and three Republicans—ran for the open 8th Congressional District, the most candidates who ran for a seat in Michigan in 2024.

Twelve primaries—six Democratic and six Republican—were contested in 2024. Between 2014 and 2022, an average of 11.4 primaries were contested per year.

Five incumbents—three Democrats and two Republicans—were in contested primaries in 2024. Between 2014 and 2022, an average of 4.2 incumbents ran in contested primaries.

Candidates filed to run in the Republican and Democratic primaries in all 13 districts, meaning no seats were guaranteed to either party.

Partisan Voter Index

See also: The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Heading into the 2024 elections, based on results from the 2020 and 2016 presidential elections, the Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was D+1. This meant that in those two presidential elections, this district's results were 1 percentage points more Democratic than the national average. This made Michigan's 3rd the 203rd most Democratic district nationally.

2020 presidential election results

The table below shows what the vote in the 2020 presidential election would have been in this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

2020 presidential results in Michigan's 3rd based on 2024 district lines
Joe Biden	Donald Trump
53.3%	44.8%

Inside Elections Baselines

See also: Inside Elections

Inside Elections' Baseline is a figure that analyzes all federal and statewide election results from the district over the past four election cycles. The results are combined in an index estimating the strength of a typical Democratic or Republican candidate in the congressional district. The table below displays the Baseline data for this district.

Inside Elections Baseline for 2024
Democratic Baseline	Republican Baseline	Difference
51.8	45.3	R+6.5

Presidential voting history

See also: Presidential election in Michigan, 2020

Michigan presidential election results (1900-2020)

• 13 Democratic wins
• 17 Republican wins
• 1 other win

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020
Winning Party	R	R	R	P	R	R	R	R	D	D	R	D	R	R	R	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	D

See also: Party control of Michigan state government

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Michigan's congressional delegation as of May 2024.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Michigan
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	2	7	9
Republican	0	6	6
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	13	15

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Michigan's top four state executive offices as of May 2024.

State executive officials in Michigan, May 2024
Office	Officeholder
Governor	Gretchen Whitmer
Lieutenant Governor	Garlin Gilchrist II
Secretary of State	Jocelyn Benson
Attorney General	Dana Nessel

State legislature

Michigan State Senate

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	20
	Republican Party	18
	Other	0
	Vacancies	0
Total		38

Michigan House of Representatives

Party		As of February 2024
	Democratic Party	54
	Republican Party	54
	Other	0
	Vacancies	2
Total		110

Trifecta control

The table below shows the state's trifecta status from 1992 until the 2024 election.

Michigan Party Control: 1992-2024
Two years of Democratic trifectas  •  Fourteen years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22	23	24
Governor	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D
House	D	S	S	R	R	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D

Election context

Ballot access requirements

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. House candidates in Michigan in the 2024 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Michigan, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. House candidates, 2024
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Michigan	U.S. House	Democratic or Republican	1,000-2,000	N/A	4/23/2024	Source
Michigan	U.S. House	Unaffiliated	3,000-6,000	N/A	7/18/2024	Source

District history

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2018.

2022

See also: Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2022

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Hillary Scholten defeated John Gibbs, Jamie Lewis, and Louis Palus in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Hillary Scholten (D)	54.9	185,989
		John Gibbs (R)	42.0	142,229
		Jamie Lewis (L)	2.0	6,634
		Louis Palus (Working Class Party)	1.2	4,136

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 338,988
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Hillary Scholten advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Hillary Scholten	100.0	59,661

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 59,661
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3

John Gibbs defeated incumbent Peter Meijer in the Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on August 2, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Gibbs	51.8	54,136
		Peter Meijer	48.2	50,440

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 104,576
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Audra Lemons-Johnson (R)
• Gabriella Manolache (R)

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Jamie Lewis advanced from the Libertarian convention for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on July 10, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Jamie Lewis (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Working Class Party convention

Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Louis Palus advanced from the Working Class Party convention for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on June 26, 2022.

		Candidate
✔		Louis Palus (Working Class Party)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2020

See also: Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Peter Meijer defeated Hillary Scholten, Richard Fuentes, and Shannon Hogan in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Peter Meijer (R)	53.0	213,649
		Hillary Scholten (D)	47.0	189,769
		Richard Fuentes (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	1
		Shannon Hogan (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 403,419
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Justin Amash (L)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Hillary Scholten advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Hillary Scholten	100.0	65,008

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 65,008
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Cathy Albro (D)
• Nick Colvin (D)
• Doug Booth (D)
• Amanda Le'Anne Brunzell (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Peter Meijer defeated Lynn Afendoulis, Tom Norton, Joe Farrington, and Emily Rafi in the Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on August 4, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Peter Meijer	50.2	47,273
		Lynn Afendoulis	26.1	24,579
		Tom Norton	15.8	14,913
		Joe Farrington	4.2	3,966
		Emily Rafi	3.7	3,462

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 94,193
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Andrew Jackson Willis (R)
• James Lower (R)
• Joel Langlois (R)

2018

See also: Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2018

General election

General election for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Incumbent Justin Amash defeated Cathy Albro and Ted Gerrard in the general election for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Justin Amash (R)	54.4	169,107
		Cathy Albro (D)	43.2	134,185
		Ted Gerrard (U.S. Taxpayers Party)	2.4	7,445
		Other/Write-in votes	0.0	3

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 310,740
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Douglas Smith (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Cathy Albro defeated Fred Wooden in the Democratic primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Cathy Albro	68.2	42,619
		Fred Wooden	31.8	19,903

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 62,522
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Jeff Thomas (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3

Incumbent Justin Amash advanced from the Republican primary for U.S. House Michigan District 3 on August 7, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Justin Amash	100.0	69,817

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 69,817
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joe Farrington (R)

2024 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This was a battleground election. Other 2024 battleground elections included:

• Colorado's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (June 25 Republican primary)
• New Hampshire House of Representatives elections, 2024
• Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District election, 2024 (August 13 Democratic primary)

See also

Michigan	2024 primaries	2024 U.S. Congress elections
Michigan congressional delegation Voting in Michigan Michigan elections: 2024 • 2023 • 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018	Democratic primary battlegrounds Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries	U.S. Congress elections U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

Michigan's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Gary Peters (D)

Debbie Stabenow (D)

Representatives

District 1

Jack Bergman (R)

District 2

John Moolenaar (R)

District 3

Hillary Scholten (D)

District 4

Bill Huizenga (R)

District 5

Tim Walberg (R)

District 6

Debbie Dingell (D)

District 7

Elissa Slotkin (D)

District 8

Dan Kildee (D)

District 9

Lisa McClain (R)

District 10

John James (R)

District 11

Haley Stevens (D)

District 12

Rashida Tlaib (D)

District 13

Shri Thanedar (D)

Democratic Party (9)

Republican Party (6)