Michigan's 1st Congressional District elections, 2014
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November 4, 2014 |
August 5, 2014 |
Dan Benishek  |
Dan Benishek |
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Cook Political Report: Lean R[1] FairVote's Monopoly Politics: Lean R[2] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean R[3] |
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The 1st Congressional District of Michigan held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Rep. Dan Benishek (R) defeated Jerry Cannon (D), Loel Gnadt (L), and Ellis Boal (G) in the general election.[4]
Michigan’s 1st District was considered a competitive race in 2014 due to close results in previous elections. In 2012, Benishek defeated Democrat Gary McDowell by 0.5 percentage points, or fewer than 2,000 votes. McDowell had lost to Benishek by 11 percentage points in 2010. Although Benishek’s margins narrowed, the district’s presidential results shifted toward Republicans, with President Barack Obama (D) winning by 1.3 percentage points in 2008 and losing by 8.3 points in 2012.
Because of the district’s competitiveness, The Washington Post ranked Benishek among the most vulnerable incumbents in 2014.[5] The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) both targeted the race. The NRCC spent $304,722 opposing Cannon, while the DCCC spent $584,432 opposing Benishek.[6] In total, outside groups spent $1.88 million on the race, including $500,572 from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and $132,561 from the National Rifle Association.[6]
Benishek maintained a financial advantage, raising nearly $2 million during the cycle compared to Cannon’s total of just under $1 million.
The district had historically voted Democratic until 2010, when Benishek won during the national “tea party wave.” Redistricting after the 2010 census also changed the district’s boundaries in ways that favored Republicans.[7]
Republican candidates nationwide performed well in 2014, gaining control of the U.S. Senate and expanding their majority in the U.S. House. Analysts attributed the trend in part to low approval ratings for President Obama and voter dissatisfaction during the midterm cycle.[8] [9]
Cannon, a former sheriff and retired Army major general, was considered a strong recruit for Democrats. He served in Vietnam and at Guantánamo Bay. However, as the election approached, Cannon lost support and the DCCC reduced its planned ad spending in the district.[10][11][12]
Heading into the election, The Cook Political Report, FairVote’s Monopoly Politics, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball all rated the race as “Lean Republican.”[13][14][15]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
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Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Michigan utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.[16][17]
Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters must have registered by June 7, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 6, 2014.[18]
- See also: Michigan elections, 2014
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Dan Benishek (R), who was first elected in 2010.
Michigan's 1st Congressional District is located in the far northern portion of the state and includes Alcona, Alger, Alpena, Antrim, Baraga, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Emmet, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Houghton, Iron, Kalkaska, Keweenaw, Leelanau, Luce, Mackinac, Manistee, Marquette, Menominee, Montmorency, Ontonagon, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Schoolcraft counties and areas of Mason County.[19]
Candidates
General election candidates
- Dan Benishek - Incumbent
Jerry Cannon
Ellis Boal
Loel Gnadt
August 5, 2014, primary results
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Elections
General election results
The 1st Congressional District of Michigan held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent Dan Benishek (R) defeated challengers Jerry Cannon (D), Loel Gnadt (L) and Ellis Boal (G) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Dan Benishek Incumbent |
52.1% | 130,414 | |
| Democratic | Jerry Cannon | 45.3% | 113,263 | |
| Libertarian | Loel Robert Gnadt | 1.5% | 3,823 | |
| Green | Ellis Boal | 1.1% | 2,631 | |
| Total Votes | 250,131 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State | ||||
Primary results
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Dan Benishek Incumbent |
69.7% | 49,540 | ||
| Alan Arcand | 30.3% | 21,497 | ||
| Total Votes | 71,037 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State |
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Race background
The 2012 House race in Michigan's 1st District was close, with Representative Dan Benishek securing his seat by a mere half of a percent. The district was targeted by both the National Republican Congressional Committee's Patriot Program and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the PACs responsible for helping Republican and Democratic congressional contenders.[22][23]
Benishek was able to outspend his opponent, and was largely aided in that respect by a large influx of PAC contributions, which were almost single-handedly responsible for the spending gap.[24]
Benishek's campaign themes
Throughout the election cycle, Benishek emphasized his medical background as a doctor rather than his experience as a legislator. His campaign ads referred to him as "Dr. Dan" or "Dr. Benishek" rather than "Congressman" or "Representative," and they often portrayed him wearing scrubs or a white coat.[25][26][27] According to OpenSecrets, the top industry donating to Benishek for the 2014 election was the "Health Professionals" industry, which gave $195,000 to help with his re-election bid.[28]
According to Roll Call, "national Republicans labeled Benishek one of their 'most improved' members of the cycle."[10] Benishek remarked that he had learned how to better balance campaigning with congressional work, and he said that being in Congress had taught him about some of the important issues in his district, such as agriculture and veterans affairs. In the 113th Congress, Benishek sat on the Agriculture Committee, the Natural Resources Committee and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee. With veterans comprising around 12 percent of the district, Benishek's work on the committee appealed to a large population of voters.[10]
Energy security
Cannon, Benishek's 2014 Democratic opponent, considered energy security a top campaign issue.[29] The candidates sparred over the issue at candidate forums two weeks before the election.[30]
Primary election
Benishek faced opposition in the Republican primary where he defeated challenger Alan Arcand by securing nearly 70 percent of the votes. Cannon ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Green Party candidate Ellis Boal and Libertarian Party candidate Loel Gnadt were the third party candidates in the highly contested election.
Campaign contributions
Dan Benishek
| Dan Benishek (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[31] | April 15, 2013 | $88,651.76 | $163,051.18 | $(121,938.73) | $129,764.21 | ||||
| July Quarterly[32] | July 15, 2013 | $129,764.21 | $204,683.35 | $(74,578.38) | $259,869.22 | ||||
| October Quarterly[33] | October 15, 2013 | $259,869.22 | $332,060.68 | $(91,766.04) | $500,163.86 | ||||
| Year-End[34] | January 31, 2014 | $500,163.86 | $131,132.89 | $(55,463.50) | $575,833.25 | ||||
| April Quarterly[35] | April 15, 2014 | $575,833.25 | $145,417 | $(66,766.26) | $654,483.99 | ||||
| July Quarterly[36] | July 15, 2014 | $654,483.99 | $487,326.94 | $(199,616.48) | $942,194.45 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[37] | July 24, 2014 | $942,194.45 | $30,240.75 | $(141,732.69) | $830,702.51 | ||||
| October Quarterly[38] | October 15, 2014 | $830,702.51 | $385,833.01 | $(712,098.26) | $504,437.26 | ||||
| Pre-General[39] | October 23, 2014 | $504,437.26 | $66,548.96 | $(305,949.34) | $265,036.88 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $1,946,294.76 | $(1,769,909.68) | ||||||||
Jerry Cannon
| Jerry Cannon (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| October Quarterly[40] | October 15, 2013 | $0.00 | $130,389.96 | $(25,894.63) | $104,495.33 | ||||
| Year-End[41] | January 31, 2014 | $104,495.33 | $162,242.58 | $(71,805.36) | $194,932.55 | ||||
| April Quarterly[42] | April 15, 2014 | $194,932.55 | $145,670.89 | $(70,124.03) | $270,479.41 | ||||
| July Quarterly[43] | July 15, 2014 | $270,479.41 | $203,148.49 | $(100,716.94) | $372,910.96 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[44] | July 24, 2014 | $372,910.96 | $6,281.91 | $(42,529.87) | $336,663.00 | ||||
| October Quarterly[45] | October 15, 2014 | $336,663.00 | $244,339.84 | $(411,850.44) | $169,152.40 | ||||
| Pre-General[46] | October 23, 2014 | $169,152.40 | $36,213.04 | $(148,944.55) | $56,420.89 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $928,286.71 | $(871,865.82) | ||||||||
District history
| Candidate ballot access |
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2012
On November 6, 2012, Dan Benishek (R) won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Gary McDowell, Emily Salvette and Ellis Boal in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gary McDowell | 47.6% | 165,179 | |
| Republican | Dan Benishek Incumbent |
48.1% | 167,060 | |
| Libertarian | Emily Salvette | 3.1% | 10,630 | |
| Green | Ellis Boal | 1.2% | 4,168 | |
| Total Votes | 347,037 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Dan Benishek won election to the United States House. He defeated Gary McDowell (D), Glenn Wilson (I), Patrick Lambert (U.S. Taxpayers), Keith Shelton (L) and Ellis Boal (G) in the general election.[47]
| U.S. House, Michigan District 1 General Election, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Dan Benishek |
51.9% | 120,523 | |
| Democratic | Gary McDowell | 40.9% | 94,824 | |
| Independent | Glenn A. Wilson | 3.4% | 7,847 | |
| U.S. Taxpayers | Patrick Lambert | 1.8% | 4,200 | |
| Libertarian | Keith Shelton | 1.1% | 2,571 | |
| Green | Ellis Boal | 0.9% | 2,072 | |
| Total Votes | 232,037 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2014
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2014
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 HOUSE RACE RATINGS FOR JULY 26, 2014," accessed July 31, 2014
- ↑ FairVote's Monopoly Politics, "2014 House Projections," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 House Races," accessed July 31, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "2014 Michigan House Election Results," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "House Democrats Face Long Odds in 2014," accessed October 8, 2014
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 OpenSecrets, "Michigan District 01 Race, Outside Spending," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Traverse City Record-Eagle, "Benishek hopes to hang onto congressional seat," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Yes, this was a GOP wave election," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ New York Daily News, "Republicans ride wave of anger against Obama to recapture Senate," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 Roll Call, "How ‘Dr. Dan’ Cured His Campaign Woes," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "Democratic Candidate Says Gitmo Experience Is Not a Liability," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ Roll Call, "House Democrats Cut Ad Buy in Michigan," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 House Race Ratings for JULY 26, 2014," accessed July 31, 2014
- ↑ FairVote's Monopoly Politics, "2014 House Projections," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 House Races," accessed July 31, 2014
- ↑ NCSL, "State Primary Election Types," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Michigan.gov, "Questions and Answers: Michigan’s Presidential Primary," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Michigan Department of State Website, "Registering to Vote: Step 2," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ Arcand for Congress, "Alan Arcand," accessed January 14, 2014
- ↑ The Washington Post, "DCCC adds nine names to program for top recruits," September 9, 2013
- ↑ NRCC, "Patriot Program 2012," accessed March 3, 2013
- ↑ Detroit Free Press, "Red to blue? Democrats target one Michigan soon-to-be district," accessed March 3, 2013
- ↑ Open Secrets, "2012 Race: Michigan District 01," accessed March 2013
- ↑ National Journal, "For House Incumbent, 'Doctor' Sounds Better Than 'Congressman'," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ Gallup Politics, "Public Faith in Congress Falls Again, Hits Historic Low," accessed September 15, 2014
- ↑ Rasmussen Reports, "Congressional Performance," accessed September 12, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Top Industries, 2014 Race: Michigan District 01," accessed November 20, 2014
- ↑ Jerry Cannon for Congress, "Issues," accessed October 20, 2014
- ↑ PetoskeyNews.com, "Benishek, Cannon disagree on future of coal in energy generation," accessed October 29, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Dan Benishek April Quarterly," accessed July 26, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Dan Benishek July Quarterly," accessed July 26, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Dan Benishek October Quarterly," accessed October 22, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Dan Benishek Year-End," accessed February 10, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Dan Benishek April Quarterly," accessed April 21, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Dan Benishek July Quarterly," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Dan Benishek Pre-Primary," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Dan Benishek October Quarterly," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Dan Benishek Pre-General," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jerry Cannon October Quarterly," accessed October 30, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jerry Cannon Year-End," accessed February 11, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jerry Cannon April Quarterly," accessed April 21, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jerry Cannon July Quarterly," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jerry Cannon Pre-Primary," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jerry Cannon October Quarterly," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Jerry Cannon Pre-General," accessed November 19, 2014
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
