The district this candidate is running in probably is the second best chance of having a district flip from red to blue. It would be the first time a Democratic member of Congress would be sent from here since Gerald Ford was President. This is still no sure thing, but having the incumbent knocked off for voting for impeachment after 1/6 helps. Hopefully, Hillary Scholten can cross the finish line and flip Michigan’s 3rd district to our cause!
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Hillary Scholten for Michigan-3!
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Candidate Background
I relied heavily on the Red to Blue website for information regarding Hillary Scholten. Thankfully, I was able to find enough to write this section.
- She started out as a social worker helping LGBTQ+ clients who faced housing discrimination and other challenges. She has always found it important to serve others.
- She then clerked for the US Court of Appeals in the 2nd Circuit after gaining her law degree.
- Finally, she joined the Obama administration and worked in the Department of Justice. She’s an Obama alumnus.
Signature Issues
Hillary Scholten would likely be a pragmatic progressive just slightly to the right of center in the Democratic caucus. Her issues page is similar to the hundred others I have written, which is an excellent sign that she will not be more conservative within the confines of the party.
Roads and Infrastructure: Everyone in Michigan knows that our roads are amongst the worst in the country. Scholten will make sure that funding comes to Michigan to fix our infrastructure, and also that our road weights and measures align with the rest of the nation.
Energy and the Environment: Scholten will be another vote to protect the Great Lakes and the northern part of the state for hunting, camping, and hiking. She would work to curb toxic chemicals such as PFAS and work to mitigate climate change impacts for the state and the globe.
Gun Safety: Scholten has two young boys who now have to go through those scarring active shooter drills. Instead of those, she is an advocate of red flag laws, comprehensive background checks, and safe gun storage requirements. She also would close many loopholes found in our gun laws.
Elections History
Recent Elections —
2020 President: Joe Biden (D) 53.3%, TFG (R-inc) 44.8%
2020 House: Peter Meijer (R) 53.0%, Hillary Scholten (D) 47.0%
2022 PVI: D+1
2022 Race Rating: Leans Democratic (flip)
The Grand Rapids area has been covered by a district for a while now, and that district typically sends Republicans to Washington, DC. In fact, it was only after Gerry Ford was elevated to Vice President that a Democratic candidate won this area over. That politician won a couple of elections (including the fluke in 1974), but the natural order of the district restored itself shortly after.
In terms of presidential numbers, this district in recent times has NEVER voted for a Democratic presidential nominee. The numbers above are for the new district starting in 2023; the old district barely voted for TFG in 2020. GHW Bush, Dole, GW Bush, McCain, and Romney all carried this district even as Democratic candidates were carrying the state.
In terms of competitive House races, only the previous one in 2020 has been competitive as shown above. What is more interesting is the last two incumbents in the district bucked the national GQP and voted to impeach TFG. Rep. Justin Amash switched to being a Libertarian and retired for his sin, and Rep. Peter Meijer lost his primary election for his sin. Hopefully, we can elect Hillary Scholten so that a MAGA lunatic doesn’t take over this district.
Political Tour of the District
This district was drawn by an independent commission, which ended the gerrymandering of western Michigan and made a district that Democratic candidates are able to compete in. Hopefully, Hillary Scholten is up to the task of finally flipping this district!
Here’s where this race will be won in the 3rd district.
- Grand Rapids: The city of Grand Rapids proper is a blue bastion these days, as it becomes less and less white over time. Scholten needs an excellent turnout from the city itself to clinch converting this district over to the Democratic Party.
- Muskegon: This small city is still on our side, even as the rest of the county turns sharply to the right. Again, the city is becoming less white with each passing year. Scholten needs to turnout an area that typically has turnout problems in order to win over the district.
- Grand Rapids Suburbs: This is the swing area of the district, as the suburbs of the city are getting more blue as young professionals move in. Wyoming and Kentwood are key to our chances, and Scholten must win both cities if she is to win the district.
Here’s where we need to keep the margins down, or we lose.
- Grand Rapids Exurbs: The rest of the county found in the district is pinkish to reddish in hue. There is a lot of white flight involved in these areas, and Scholten will struggle in these areas. Sticking to the Biden margins and not getting blown out is imperative.
- Ottawa County: Other than Grand Haven, northern Ottawa County is trending from deep red to a lighter shade of red. Scholten will not be competitive in these areas, but a good showing is necessary to prevent John Gibbs from running up the score in this county.
Activism — Help How You Can!
With two days until the election, donations don’t matter as much as they used to, especially with Hillary Scholten having so much cash. Scholten raised $1.75 MILLION for the 3rd quarter, and she had $959k remaining in her coffers at the end of September. That should be enough to get her across the finish line without any problems.
John Gibbs is the MAGA lunatic who knocked off Rep. Peter Meijer in the primary. He isn’t raising much cash, only raising $621k in the 3rd quarter. Plus, he only has $120k remaining at the end of September. Expect the DeVos family (who live in the district) to bail him out with their torrents of dark money.
DONATE TO HILLARY SCHOLTEN HERE
Now, it is crunch time, and volunteers are more important than ever. Early absentee voting is done, and now it is time for canvassers to gear up for a very long election day making sure our people come out and vote. If you live in western Michigan, please sign up below in order to help.
VOLUNTEER FOR HER CAMPAIGN HERE
I’ve been keeping tabs on Scholten for a while now this year, and I’ve seen her campaign grow in social media outreach. She now has 16.8k followers on Twitter, which is a better position to get her message out than many I have profiled in this series. She also has a Facebook page for those of you who are interested in checking out her campaign. Here was one week to go. Now it is only 2 days!
This district is ripe for a Democratic takeover. The Grand Rapids metro area has been trending leftwards, and the addition of Muskegon really helps make it a competitive district. If Hillary Scholten cannot close the deal in a couple of days, we are in for a very long night politically speaking. Michigan’s 3rd district is counting on us to help send a Democratic candidate that may just save our majority!
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Hillary Scholten for Michigan-3!
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