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Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020

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Michigan's 3rd Congressional District
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: May 8, 2020
Primary: August 4, 2020
General: November 3, 2020
Pre-election incumbent:
Justin Amash (Libertarian)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in Michigan
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up
Inside Elections: Toss-up
Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds
U.S. House battlegrounds
Federal and state primary competitiveness
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2020
See also
Michigan's 3rd Congressional District
U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th
Michigan elections, 2020
U.S. Congress elections, 2020
U.S. Senate elections, 2020
U.S. House elections, 2020

Peter Meijer (R) defeated Hillary Scholten (D) in the general election on November 3, 2020, to represent Michigan's 3rd Congressional District.

Incumbent Justin Amash (L), who was first elected in 2010 as a Republican, did not run for re-election in 2020, leaving the seat open. Both Democratic and Republican campaign committees targeted the district. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee announced in August 2019 that this district was among 39 Republican-represented districts the group would target in 2020.[1] The National Republican Congressional Committee advanced Meijer to the highest tier of its Young Guns program in September 2020.[2] In the 2018 election, Amash, then running as a Republican, defeated Cathy Albro 54% to 43%. In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) carried the district over Hillary Clinton (D) 52% to 42%.

The outcome of this race affected partisan control of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 117th Congress. All 435 seats in the House were up for election. At the time of the election, Democrats had a 232 to 198 majority over Republicans. The Libertarian Party had one seat. Four seats were vacant. Democrats defended 30 districts Donald Trump (R) won in 2016. Republicans defended five districts Hillary Clinton (D) won in 2016.

This race was one of 89 congressional races that were decided by 10 percent or less in 2020.

Post-election analysis

The table below compares the vote totals in the 2020 presidential election and 2020 U.S. House election for this district. The presidential election data was compiled by Daily Kos.

Presidential and congressional election results, Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, 2020
Race Presidential U.S. House
Democratic candidate Democratic Party 47.4 47
Republican candidate Republican Party 50.6 53
Difference 3.2 6

Election procedure changes in 2020

See also: Changes to election dates, procedures, and administration in response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, 2020

Ballotpedia provided comprehensive coverage of how election dates and procedures changed in 2020. While the majority of changes occurred as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, some changes occurred for other reasons.

Michigan modified its absentee/mail-in voting procedures for the November 3, 2020, general election as follows:

  • Absentee/mail-in voting: Absentee ballot applications were sent to all registered voters in the general election.

For a full timeline about election modifications made in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, click here.

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Candidates and election results

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
✔
Image of Peter Meijer
Peter Meijer (R)
 
53.0
 
213,649
Image of Hillary Scholten
Hillary Scholten (D)
 
47.0
 
189,769
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Richard Fuentes (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
1
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Shannon Hogan (Independent) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
0

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 403,419
Candidate Connection = 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

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
✔
Image of Hillary Scholten
Hillary Scholten
 
100.0
 
65,008

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 65,008
Candidate Connection = 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

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
✔
Image of Peter Meijer
Peter Meijer
 
50.2
 
47,273
Image of Lynn Afendoulis
Lynn Afendoulis Candidate Connection
 
26.1
 
24,579
Image of Tom Norton
Tom Norton
 
15.8
 
14,913
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Joe Farrington
 
4.2
 
3,966
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
Emily Rafi Candidate Connection
 
3.7
 
3,462

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 94,193
Candidate Connection = 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

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways. Either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey or Ballotpedia staff created a profile after identifying the candidate as noteworthy.[3] Ballotpedia staff compiled profiles based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements.

Hillary Scholten

Image of Hillary Scholten

WebsiteFacebookTwitter

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  After obtaining her law degree from the University of Maryland in 2012, Scholten worked as an immigration staff attorney with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. In 2013, Scholten joined the U.S. Department of Justice. She worked on the Department's Board of Immigration Appeals for the remainder of the Obama administration. In 2017, Scholten joined the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center as a staff attorney, where she worked until launching her 2020 campaign.


Key Messages

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

Scholten said her mother's work in a high-poverty school and her Christian faith had inspired her to live a life in service of others.

Scholten said there were not enough leaders who had firsthand experience with the impact of their policies and that she would bring that perspective to Washington.

Scholten said that President Trump's style of leadership had undermined policies designed to help Americans and that she would support what she described as common-sense policies including expanding funding for housing and education.

Show sources

Sources: Hillary Scholten 2020 campaign website, "Meet Hillary," accessed September 14, 2020; LinkedIn, "Hillary Scholten," accessed September 14, 2020, Hillary Scholten 2020 campaign website, "Meet Hillary," accessed September 14, 2020

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Michigan District 3 in 2020.

Peter Meijer

Image of Peter Meijer

WebsiteFacebookTwitterYouTube

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Meijer was born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He attended West Point and Columbia University before joining the U.S. Army. After serving in Iraq from 2010 to 2011, Meijer worked for a conflict analysis NGO in Afghanistan. He then received an MBA from New York University and returned to Michigan to work as an analyst at Olympia Development of Michigan.


Key Messages

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

Meijer said he had a history of service and leadership, including his service in the U.S. Army and his work in disaster response and conflict analysis. Meijer said he was looking for an opportunity to continue his service in the U.S. House.

Meijer said that he embodied conservative West Michigan values and that he would support restrictions on abortion and oppose restrictions on firearms and regulations that he described as limiting religious freedom.

Show sources

Sources: Peter Meijer 2020 campaign website, "Home," accessed September 14, 2020, Peter Meijer 2020 campaign website, "Meet Peter," accessed September 14, 2020, YouTube, "Enough (Super Bowl Ad)", February 2, 2020; votemeijer.com, "About," accessed July 31, 2020. M Live, "See how Republican primary candidates for 3rd Congressional District answered questions on key issues," June 26, 2020.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. House Michigan District 3 in 2020.


Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

If you are aware of polls conducted in this race, please email us.

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election.[4] It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees.[5] The chart below contains data from financial reports submitted to the Federal Election Commission.

Name Party Receipts* Disbursements** Cash on hand Date
Hillary Scholten Democratic Party $3,840,545 $3,813,355 $27,190 As of December 31, 2020
Peter Meijer Republican Party $3,501,197 $3,412,998 $88,199 As of December 31, 2020
Richard Fuentes Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***
Shannon Hogan Independent $0 $0 $0 Data not available***

Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2020. 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.

District analysis

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

The 2017 Cook Partisan Voter Index for this district was R+6, meaning that in the previous two presidential elections, this district's results were 6 percentage points more Republican than the national average. This made Michigan's 3rd Congressional District the 183rd most Republican nationally.[6]

FiveThirtyEight's September 2018 elasticity score for states and congressional districts measured "how sensitive it is to changes in the national political environment." This district's elasticity score was 1.03. This means that for every 1 point the national political mood moved toward a party, the district was expected to move 1.03 points toward that party.[7]

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.[8]
  • 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.[9][10][11]

Race ratings: Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2020
Race trackerRace ratings
November 3, 2020October 27, 2020October 20, 2020October 13, 2020
The Cook Political ReportToss-upToss-upLean RepublicanLean Republican
Inside Elections with Nathan L. GonzalesToss-upToss-upToss-upToss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal BallLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean RepublicanLean Republican
Note: Ballotpedia updates external race ratings every week throughout the election season.

Noteworthy endorsements

See also: Ballotpedia: Our approach to covering endorsements

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. It also includes a bulleted list of links to official lists of endorsements for any candidates who published that information on their campaign websites. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please click here.

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available.

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorsement Scholten (D) Meijer (R)
Newspapers and editorials'
The Detroit News editorial board[12] ✔
Elected officials
Vice President Mike Pence (R)[13] ✔
Individuals
Former President Barack Obama (D)[14] ✔
2020 Democratic presidential nominee/former Vice President Joe Biden[15] ✔

Timeline

2020

Campaign advertisements

This section shows advertisements released in this race. Ads released by campaigns and, if applicable, satellite groups are embedded or linked below. If you are aware of advertisements that should be included, please email us.

Democratic Party Hillary Scholten

Supporting Scholten

"My Street" - Scholten campaign ad, released October 26, 2020
"Job" - Scholten campaign ad, released October 20, 2020
"Calling" - Scholten campaign ad, released October 14, 2020
"Mom Knows Best" - Scholten campaign ad, released October 10, 2020
"Politics Aside" - Scholten campaign ad, released October 8, 2020
"Potluck" - Scholten campaign ad, released October 6, 2020
"Table" - Scholten campaign ad, released September 8, 2020
"Decisions" - Scholten campaign ad, released September 8, 2020


Opposing Meijer

Republican Party Peter Meijer

Supporting Meijer

"Trust with My Life" - Meijer campaign ad, released October 25, 2020
"Helper" - Meijer campaign ad, released October 14, 2020
"Defenders" - Meijer campaign ad, released May 26, 2020
"Enough" - Meijer campaign ad, released February 2, 2020

Opposing Scholten

"Behind the Curtain" - Meijer campaign ad, released September 22, 2020


Satellite group ads

Opposing Scholten

"Dangerously Liberal" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released October 24, 2020
"The Laws" - National Republican Congressional Committee ad, released October 20, 2020
"Scholten" - Congressional Leadership Fund ad, released October 9, 2020

Opposing Meijer

"Buy" - House Majority PAC ad, released October 29, 2020
"Rest of Us" - Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ad, released October 12, 2020

Campaign themes

See also: Campaign themes

Democratic Party Hillary Scholten

Scholten's campaign website stated the following:

“

Healthcare
The global COVID-19 crisis reminds me daily that the healthcare system in our country is broken. There is no bigger issue facing Michigan families right now than the rising cost of healthcare. There is something terribly wrong when working families have to rely on the charity of their communities and kick-starter campaigns to afford cancer treatment or their child’s medication.

In Congress, my priority will be finding immediate, common-sense solutions to bring down the costs of healthcare, including and especially lowering the cost of prescription drugs. I support policies that will 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. I will work tirelessly to prevent insurance companies from increasing premiums and deductibles while reducing coverage. I will defend the Affordable Care Act and work every day to expand on it, including working to create a public option like Medicare, for all Americans who want it.

Jobs and the Economy
We can, and we must continue fighting to create good-paying jobs, with good benefits in West Michigan.

My mom was a public school teacher and MEA member. Watching her go above and beyond to help her students taught me the importance of hard work, the dignity of work, and how unions helped build the Michigan economy. While in high school, I worked on the Assembly Line at Royal Plastics. I saw how West Michigan families rely on Michigan manufacturing. To help thousands of families and workers across West Michigan, we must strengthen American manufacturing and have strong trade laws that protect Michigan workers.

Especially now, as so many employers and employees alike are being impacted by COVID-19, it has never been more crucial to ensure that every West Michigan small business is aided toward recovery and is guaranteed to get the same opportunities as large corporations.

In Congress, I'll be proud to:

  1. Champion small business that fuel our West Michigan economy, especially as they work to recover from the devastating impact of COVID-19.
  2. Fight for fair wages and an economy that works for everyone – not just those at the top.
  3. Invest in our infrastructure, make sure Michigan gets its fair share of road money, and fix our roads the right way.
  4. Work to increase the minimum wage and encourage large businesses to support the $15 minimum wage.
  5. Fight for collective bargaining rights and be an unflinching supporter of the Davis-Bacon Act (1931) that established a prevailing wage for public works.
  6. Support trade deals that put American workers first, hold China accountable, and close the loopholes for companies that ship jobs overseas.
  7. Fight to ensure everyone has access to paid family and medical leave.

Education
The difference a strong school and a good teacher can make has always been clear to me. Growing up, my mom was a special education teacher in Grand Rapids Public Schools. I saw the way her work impacted her students, many of whom came from less fortunate homes. And after working my way through college and law school, my own education opened up opportunities for me I never dreamed possible. I want to make sure my own sons have the educational opportunities to succeed here in Michigan.

In Congress, I'll be proud to:

  1. Strengthen Michigan public schools and defend them from attempts to divert resources to for-profit schools.
  2. Create opportunities for low and middle income students to attend college and work to help Michigan families escape the burden of crushing student debt.
  3. Look for ways to create and expand job training and apprenticeship programs so that Michiganders who don’t go to college learn a trade and prepare for 21st century jobs.

Social Security and Medicare
As the daughter of a public school teacher and local newspaperman, I don’t have to look far to see a generation of Michiganders who worked a lifetime paying into Social Security and Medicare expecting the benefits to be there when they needed them. We have to live up to that promise.

In Congress, I'll be proud to:

  1. Oppose privatization of Social Security.
  2. Fight against efforts to cut benefits or raise the retirement age.
  3. Support efforts to increase efficiency and crack down on fraud, waste and abuse.
  4. Support giving Medicare the power to negotiate lower prescription drug prices.
  5. Fight efforts to turn Medicare into a voucher program.

Energy and the Environment
Part of what makes Michigan so great is our Great Lakes, great outdoors, and beautiful natural resources. Being good stewards of the environment means both creating jobs and keeping our state -- and our families -- safe from dangerous pollution.

In Congress, I'll be proud to:

  1. Protect our drinking water. From dangerous lead in our water supply to toxic PFAS chemicals, Michiganders know what can happen when our water supply is tainted. I’ll stand up to corporate polluters to make sure that when you and I put a glass of water on our family’s dinner table, it’s safe to drink.
  2. Fight to curb our climate crisis. Climate change is an economic and a national security threat and the United States cannot turn our back on the rest of the world. Instead, we need to work with allies -- and adversaries -- to stop climate change before it’s too late.
  3. Defend the Great Lakes. This is about standing up for Michigan’s economy and our families. I’ll work to protect the Great Lakes from pollution and vote against any effort to cut Great Lakes funding.
  4. Invest in a new energy economy with tax credits for renewable energy innovations to create good paying jobs while protecting our planet.

Roads and Infrastructure
It used to be that Michigan had some of the best roads in the country, and now you can tell when you’ve crossed into Indiana or Ohio -- because the car stops shaking. Our roads are a danger to our safety, they cost the average Michigander hundreds dollars in repairs a year, and they will only get more expensive to fix as they get worse.

It doesn’t have to be this way.

In Congress, I'll be proud to:

  1. Work to get the standards and weight limits for our Michigan roads in line with the rest of the country.
  2. Advocate for Michigan’s fair share of road funding from the Federal government. Right now, Michigan gets a lower share of federal funding for our gas tax dollars than the average state, even though we have some of the worst roads in the country. That has to change, and I’ll make sure we’re getting what we deserve from Washington in road funds.
  3. Make sure the roads get fixed the right way, with the right materials. I’ll make sure any new road funding is getting put to work fixing the roads the right way, saving us money in the long run.

Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Our country was founded on the prevailing notion that the guarantees of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are fundamental. For far too long, these guarantees have only belonged to a privileged few. We need to expand our civil rights and civil liberties protections so that all individuals, regardless of race, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, familial status, marital status, etc. can access these same guarantees. And I won’t stop until we do.

Criminal Justice Reform
At our core, so many of us all want the same thing--a safe and healthy community in which to live and enjoy life. However, for far too many, the lack of justice in the criminal justice system prevents that. We need to rethink how we’re keeping our communities safe, who we’re incarcerating, and what that period of incarceration looks like.

In Congress, I'll be proud to:

  1. Support and promote the hardworking public safety officers in West Michigan who are committed to building strong community relationships that enhance public trust.
  2. End the incarceration of more nonviolent drug offenders to keep more families together and keep our community intact by promoting efforts geared towards crime prevention, instead of detention.
  3. Retroactively address injustices created by those still incarcerated for marijuana convictions.
  4. Work for positive bail reform so that financially vulnerable people aren’t unfairly criminalized at higher rates.
  5. End the school to prison pipeline.
  6. Create thriving communities where individuals can successfully re-enter public life after a period of incarceration.

Covid
Each and every one of us are being impacted by COVID19 – even if we’re lucky enough not to know someone who gets sick, many of us live with worries that we or someone we love will get sick, or about the economic toll this will take. The pandemic has shown a bright light on why we need a voice in Congress who will fight for West Michigan– not play politics or grandstand. We need a member of Congress willing to roll up their sleeves and take real measures to slow the spread of the virus, and work to help people recover. We don’t have a Congressman who will do that, but I’ve never been shy about stepping up to help people.

Public health experts recommend that we all stay home and avoid going out in public except for essential reasons. If you do need to leave, try to minimize the number of trips you take and practice safe social distancing. Stay at least six feet away from people. Even if you do not feel sick, you may be carrying the virus and exposing someone vulnerable. Wash your hands, and avoid touching your face. Here are some additional resources to keep yourself healthy during these times.

If you are suffering financially as a result of the shutdown, click here for some resources that can help people and small businesses stay afloat.[19][20]

”


Republican Party Peter Meijer

Meijer's campaign website stated the following:

“

Protecting Our Rights
Life
I am 100% pro-life and will defend Life from conception to natural death. I vehemently oppose any federal funding to support abortion.

Religious Freedom
The First Amendment is first for a reason, and we must preserve the freedom of religion and assembly. No government rule, law, or policy must force an individual or church to violate their closely-held religious beliefs.

Second Amendment
The Second Amendment to our Constitution states that, “the right of the people to keep and bear Arms shall not be infringed” for a reason; I proudly support the Second Amendment and exercise my own right to keep and bear arms, and I will strongly defend this right against any infringement.

I saw the effect that stigmatizing access to mental health care had in the military, where service members avoided counseling for post-traumatic stress out of fear it would imperil their security clearance, and we cannot create that same stigma with Red Flag Laws.

Federalism
Our division of governance between state and federal control is one of the greatest strengths of our country. In our diverse nation, one-size-fits-all government simply doesn’t work. I will work to ensure that the federal government’s role is as limited as possible and that the vast majority of government functions take place at the state and local level, closest to the people.

As a principle, decisions should be made at the lowest level of competent government in order to make those decisions as responsive to the needs of the people as possible.

In an age of increasing technological surveillance and diminishing personal privacy, we must ensure that our government does not trade hard-fought liberty for security, and that the private sector does not have the ability to turn our private information into profit without our knowledge and consent.

Economy
Debt and Deficit
Every dollar in debt we add is a dollar borrowed from the future on the backs of our children. We need to move towards budget surpluses while the economy is strong and work to pay down our debt before it’s too late.

Regulation and Taxes
Our federal government needs to do little, but do those roles well. I believe strongly in the Congressional Review Act requiring bureaucrats to get approval from both houses of Congress for any regulation with a cost to our economy of over $100 million. Additionally, every new law passed by Congress should be reviewed periodically and measured on performance. We can’t keep adding layers to government that are never revisited. The vast majority of legislation should have sunset clauses and be up for periodic review to ensure it is acting as intended and achieving measurable goals.

We need a simplified tax code that doesn’t require families and small businesses to hire an army of lawyers and accountants simply to comply with the tax code. President Trump’s tax cuts helped out families and small businesses with significant simplification. It also leveled the playing field between small businesses and larger firms, which has further helped to revitalize the economy. Now we need to make sure the swamp and their lobbyists don’t chip away at this progress with loopholes and carve-outs.

Immigration
We are a nation of immigrants, and it is thanks to immigrants, like my great-grandparents who realized the American Dream through hard work, that our economy is the strongest in the world. America will always be a beacon of hope and freedom for the world, but we must reform our broken immigration system so that it prioritizes merit-based immigration and is aligned to benefit our nation in the long-term.

Infrastructure
States have to bear their share of costs for improving our infrastructure but the federal government needs to drive the overall vision and strategy so that states stop delaying necessary maintenance and improvements out of misplaced hope that the federal government will bail them out.

Trade and Tariffs
I believe in free markets and capitalism, but we cannot allow other countries to take advantage of our companies and workers by giving them access to our markets which they don’t offer to American companies. I support tariffs as a tactical means of establishing a level playing field for American workers, but do not believe that tariffs should be a long-term strategy. American workers and companies are the best in the world, drive innovation, and can compete and win against any competitors in a fair system. I will fight alongside President Trump for free and fair trade.

Healthcare
The rising cost of healthcare is a heavy burden borne by too many American families.

We must have a health insurance system that protects patients with pre-existing conditions and provides them affordable access to care.

Nobody should ever have to make the choice between the medicine they need to stay healthy and feeding their family. We can make market based reforms that reduce the costs of life-saving medication while protecting innovation.

I support expanding Health Savings Accounts. Allowing families to save money tax-free to pay the cost of healthcare is a strong market reform that reduces the cost of care.

Education
The education of American children has always been and should continue to be primarily state and local responsibility. I support school choice, the Education Freedom Scholarships and Opportunity Act, and other efforts by President Trump and Secretary DeVos to ensure access to a quality education for every American child. If federal funds are supporting a school, we need to ensure that those schools are spending their funds wisely and providing parents with more control of their child’s education.

Foreign Policy & Defense
Ending the Endless Wars
President Trump will find no stronger supporter in his drive to end our endless wars than me. I understand these conflicts because I fought. I was there. In Iraq and Afghanistan. These wars are not only destructive and wasteful, but also undermine our national security and diminish our standing in the world. After almost two decades, no more American blood should be shed in these conflicts.

Securing Our Borders
A critical component of our national defense is securing our borders, including building physical barriers, to regulate the flow of people and goods into our country. Secure borders are an essential prerequisite to any immigration reform effort to ensure that our immigration system strengthens the country instead of weakening it.

Allies
I believe firmly that it is our responsibility to preserve strong alliances across the world to spread prosperity throughout the world andensure a strong national security. Specifically, Israel is an ally of conviction, and we must support our steadfast ally and protect this beacon of liberty and innovation in the Middle East.

Intelligence
Our intelligence community is the eyes and ears of America in the world, and we must ensure our intelligence community is focused on informing policy makers to deal with strategic issues to prevent the wars of tomorrow rather than being bogged down in the wars of today.

Environment and Energy
Environment
As a nation, we depend on our natural environment for our livelihoods, health, and economic security. We must ensure we have, at a minimum, clean air and clean water. Environmental Conservation: We are stewards of the natural inheritance we have been given, and must value sustainability as a core conservative principle.

The Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a natural treasure endowed upon our state of Michigan and represent fully 21% of the surface freshwater on earth. Anyone who seeks to be the voice for West Michigan in Congress has a duty to stand strong to protect the Great Lakes. I will work with my Michigan colleagues and President Trump to ensure that the Great Lakes are defended.

Energy Innovation
We need to encourage the private sector innovation which is driving the transition to renewable energy sources. At the same time, we need to understand that our power needs will always require on-demand energy sources. I support an all-of-the-above energy strategy that includes wind, solar, hydro, nuclear, and natural gas components. Under President Trump, America has become energy independent, and we can never again allow ourselves to become reliant on foreign sources of energy.

COVID
My team and I have been devoted to upholding the utmost health & safety in our community during these unprecedented times, as evidenced by our actions and advocacy. Our team also saw a void placed upon families who found themselves impacted by the adverse effects of economic fallout during the pandemic. To do our part, our team delivered over 36,000 free meals to those in need. We’re all in this together, and we will continue to put our neighbors first.

Stay up to date on the pandemic through the links below:

”


Pivot Counties

See also: Pivot Counties by state

Twelve of 83 Michigan counties—14 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
Bay County, Michigan 12.55% 5.56% 15.31%
Calhoun County, Michigan 12.46% 1.60% 9.36%
Eaton County, Michigan 4.72% 3.13% 8.40%
Gogebic County, Michigan 14.80% 8.10% 17.27%
Isabella County, Michigan 3.66% 9.28% 19.26%
Lake County, Michigan 22.77% 5.01% 12.28%
Macomb County, Michigan 11.53% 3.99% 8.62%
Manistee County, Michigan 15.29% 5.93% 13.26%
Monroe County, Michigan 21.97% 0.98% 4.35%
Saginaw County, Michigan 1.13% 11.89% 17.34%
Shiawassee County, Michigan 19.59% 3.67% 8.59%
Van Buren County, Michigan 13.92% 0.45% 8.78%

In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Michigan with 47.5 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 47.3 percent. In presidential elections between 1836 and 2016, Michigan voted Republican 60.8 percent of the time and Democratic 34.7 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Michigan voted Democratic four out of the five elections.[22]

Presidential results by legislative district

The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Michigan. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[23][24]

In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 53 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 37.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 43 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 39.3 points. Clinton won four districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 57 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 12.4 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 67 out of 110 state House districts in Michigan with an average margin of victory of 21.2 points. Trump won eight districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


Candidate ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for 3rd Congressional District candidates in Michigan in the 2020 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Michigan, click here.

Filing requirements, 2020
State Office Party Signatures required Signature formula Filing fee Filing fee formula Filing deadline Source
Michigan 3rd Congressional District Major party 1,000 Fixed number N/A N/A 5/8/2020 Source
Michigan 3rd Congressional District Qualified party 1,000 Fixed number N/A N/A 5/8/2020 Source
Michigan 3rd Congressional District Unaffiliated 3,000 Fixed number N/A N/A 7/16/2020 Source

District election history

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
✔
Image of Justin Amash
Justin Amash (R)
 
54.4
 
169,107
Image of Cathy Albro
Cathy Albro (D)
 
43.2
 
134,185
Silhouette Placeholder Image.png
Submit photo
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 Connection = 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

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
✔
Image of Cathy Albro
Cathy Albro
 
68.2
 
42,619
Image of Fred Wooden
Fred Wooden Candidate Connection
 
31.8
 
19,903

There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 62,522
Candidate Connection = 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

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
✔
Image of Justin Amash
Justin Amash
 
100.0
 
69,817

Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 69,817
Candidate Connection = 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

2016

See also: Michigan's 3rd Congressional District election, 2016

Heading into the election, Ballotpedia rated this race as safely Republican. Incumbent Justin Amash (R) defeated Douglas Smith (D) and Ted Gerrard (U.S. Taxpayers) in the general election on November 8, 2016. No candidate faced a primary opponent in August.[25][26][27][28]

U.S. House, Michigan District 3 General Election, 2016
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJustin Amash Incumbent 59.5% 203,545
     Democratic Douglas Smith 37.5% 128,400
     U.S. Taxpayers Ted Gerrard 3% 10,420
Total Votes 342,365
Source: Michigan Secretary of State

2014

See also: Michigan's 3rd Congressional District elections, 2014

The 3rd Congressional District of Michigan held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Justin Amash (R) defeated Bob Goodrich (D) and Tonya Duncan (G) in the general election.

U.S. House, Michigan District 3 General Election, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngJustin Amash Incumbent 57.9% 125,754
     Democratic Bob Goodrich 39% 84,720
     Green Tonya Duncan 3.1% 6,691
Total Votes 217,165
Source: Michigan Secretary of State

See also

External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑ Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, "MEMO: DCCC Expands Offensive Battlefield to 39 Districts," August 15, 2019
  2. ↑ Twitter, "Peter Meijer on September 14, 2020," accessed September 14, 2020
  3. ↑ Candidate Connection surveys completed before September 26, 2019, were not used to generate candidate profiles. In battleground primaries, Ballotpedia based its selection of noteworthy candidates on polling, fundraising, and noteworthy endorsements. In battleground general elections, all major party candidates and any other candidates with the potential to impact the outcome of the race were included.
  4. ↑ Fundraising by primary candidates can be found on the race's respective primary election page. Fundraising by general election candidates can be found on the race's general election page.
  5. ↑ Federal Election Commission, "2022 Quarterly Reports," accessed March 2, 2022
  6. ↑ Cook Political Report, "Introducing the 2017 Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index," April 7, 2017
  7. ↑ FiveThirtyEight, "Election Update: The Most (And Least) Elastic States And Districts," September 6, 2018
  8. ↑ Inside Elections also uses Tilt ratings to indicate an even smaller advantage and greater competitiveness.
  9. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Nathan Gonzalez," April 19, 2018
  10. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Kyle Kondik," April 19, 2018
  11. ↑ Amee LaTour, "Email correspondence with Charlie Cook," April 22, 2018
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 The Detroit News, "Michigan's 3rd Congressional District endorsement: Peter Meijer," October 20, 2020
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 Michigan Radio, "Vice President Mike Pence campaigns in Grand Rapids," October 14, 2020
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 WZZM, "Obama endorses 2 candidates trying to flip West Michigan districts," September 25, 2020
  15. ↑ WZZM, "Joe Biden endorses Hillary Scholten in race to replace Justin Amash," September 14, 2020
  16. ↑ The Cook Political Report, "House Rating Changes: 12 Races on the Move, Almost All Towards Democrats," October 21, 2020
  17. ↑ Twitter, "Kirk A. Bado on September 14, 2020," accessed September 14, 2020
  18. ↑ Twitter, "Peter Meijer on September 14, 2020," accessed September 14, 2020
  19. ↑ Hillary Scholten 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed September 14, 2020
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  21. ↑ Peter Meijer 2020 campaign website, "Issues," accessed September 14, 2020
  22. ↑ 270towin.com, "Michigan," accessed June 29, 2017
  23. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts," July 9, 2013
  24. ↑ Daily Kos, "Daily Kos Elections' 2016 presidential results for congressional and legislative districts," February 6, 2017
  25. ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 Michigan Candidate Listing," accessed April 20, 2016
  26. ↑ Politico, "Michigan House Primaries Results," August 2, 2016
  27. ↑ Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 Michigan Candidate Listing," accessed September 6, 2016
  28. ↑ CNN, "Election Results," accessed November 8, 2016


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