In the excitement about MVP Harris I feel that another important goal has been lost. We’re falling for the same trap we always do in a Presidential year — we focus so heavily on the race for the highest office that we lose sight of the fact that Congress is equally as important to enact our agenda.
I’ve covered the key races in the Southwest, New York and California. Those states alone have enough potential to win back the House of Representatives and keep the Senate. But what about other areas of the United States? I’m happy to take a quick look elsewhere too!
Today, I’m looking at the key races in Indiana, Michigan, and Ohio. They constitute the the heart of the Rust Belt, and the area is where we are on the defensive. We’ll need to hold serve in these states if we are serious about holding the Senate and winning back the House.
But first, the donations to the Good News Roundup team have dried up in recent times. Donating below is more efficient than to each individual candidate, and you don’t get the spammy calls and emails either!
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Here is the Save the Majority 2024 Fund on ActBlue! There are plenty of Democratic members of the House that are still vulnerable to being defeated. These 25 members need a boost! Please donate and then share a link to this site on your social media! #SaveTheMajority
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We have raised over $10.8k of the new $15k goal so far!
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Here is the Save Our Senate 2024 Fund on ActBlue! The 2024 Senate map is a brutal one! These 9 candidates are the key to holding the Senate. Please donate and then share a link to this site on your social media! #SaveOurSenate
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We have raised over $20.8k of the new $25k goal so far!
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Now that this is out of the way, let’s dive into the contests!
Indiana
Indiana-1: Rep. Frank Mrvan
Mrvan isn’t a member of Congress who makes waves. You’ve likely never heard of him.
Rep. Frank Mrvan represents Indiana’s 1st district, which is the northwestern corner of the state and especially the factories near Gary. You’ve probably never heard of him and don’t realize he is vulnerable. Mrvan is very strong on labor issues and especially manufacturing issues. He prefers to keep his head down and put in the work in Congress. I’ve already written about the race in Indiana’s 1st district.
Michigan
Michigan Senate: OPEN
Sen. Debbie Stabenow has a worthy replacement in Rep. Elissa Slotkin.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow is retiring after 50 years of public service and 24 years in the Senate. Open seats are always tricky to defend but the lean of Michigan gives me hope that we will narrowly win this race. Our next Senator from Michigan will be Rep. Elissa Slotkin. She’s facing off against someone who retired a decade ago and decided to come back in former Rep. Mike Rogers.
Michigan-7: OPEN
Curtis Hertel comes from a pedigreed family in Michigan politics. He’s served for many years already.
This seat is at great risk of flipping because it is an open seat that Biden barely won in 2020. Rep. Elissa Slotkin is running for the open Senate race as described above. Her replacement will hopefully be Curtis Hertel, Jr. He has been involved in politics on the area for decades and has a sterling record. Meanwhile, the opposition in Tom Barrett has a record typical of MAGA. I’ve already written about the race for Michigan’s 7th district.
Michigan-8: OPEN
McDonald Rivet is a newly minted state senator defending a seat Biden barely carried in 2020.
Another seat at great risk of flipping this fall is Michigan’s 8th district. Biden barely carried the seat in 2020, and it is another open one. Rep. Dan Kildee decided to retire after a dozen years of service. His replacement will hopefully be State Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet. The opposition is former news anchor Paul Junge, who Kildee and Slotkin both beat in back-to-back races.
Michigan-10: Carl Marlinga
Carl Marlinga is a respected judge in Macomb County and almost won in 2022.
Michigan’s 10th district is in Macomb County. Trump barely carried the district in 2020 and Rep. John James barely won by 1600 votes in 2022. His opposition that year was Carl Marlinga, a respected judge in the area. Marlinga is back and has unfinished business in winning over this district. He’s been a poor fundraiser over his Congressional runs, so if you donate to one candidate make it him.
Ohio
Ohio Senate: Sen. Sherrod Brown
Sen. Sherrod Brown has been serving constituents since 1974(!) Help him win one more time.
This race, along with Montana, will decide who controls the Senate after the 2024 election. This is a state Trump won easily in both 2016 and 2020 and is expected to win again in 2024. Yet Sen. Sherrod Brown won’t be an easy out because he has credibility with the electorate that his challenger Bernie Moreno doesn’t have. Polling shows a close race with Brown narrowly ahead. I’ve already written about the race for Ohio’s Senate seat.
Ohio-1: Rep. Greg Landsman
Rep. Greg Landsman is probably no longer in trouble, even though Biden barely carried his district.
The Cincinnati area has been trending to the left in recent elections, and Rep. Greg Landsman has been the beneficiary of that. He knocked off a long-time incumbent in 2022 and now has to defend this seat. I was worried about this race earlier this year and when Biden refused to drop out, but a weak challenger in ADA Orlando Sonza has put my fears to rest. I’ve already written about the race for Ohio’s 1st district.
Ohio-9: Rep. Marcy Kaptur
Rep. Marcy Kaptur has served the Toledo area for over 40 years now. Can she hold on once again?
This district is one of the few that has a Democratic representative but voted for Trump in 2020. Rep. Marcy Kaptur relies on 42 years of service and uncanny political ability to keep in office despite the political headwinds. She has a tougher challenger this year in State Rep. Derek Merrin which could prove to be decisive. I think Kaptur will pull through but she will be on retirement watch from now on. I’ve already written about the race for Ohio’s 9th district.
Ohio-13: Rep. Emilia Sykes
Rep. Emilia Sykes comes from a family that has served Akron for decades.
This district is another coin-flip one found in Akron and Canton, Ohio. Rep. Emilia Sykes wasn’t given much of a chance of retaining this district in 2022. She overperformed even Biden’s numbers in the area to secure her first term. She faces another former legislator in Kevin Coughlin in 2024, though the opposition hasn’t lit the world on fire so far. I give the slight edge to Sykes. I’ve already written about the race for Ohio’s 13th district.
Those are the endangered incumbents and open seats for the Rust Belt, plus one strong challenger. We need to win as many of these districts as possible to have a robust majority in the House of Representatives. The region also has two key Senate races in a chamber that will be 50-50 at best. May our nominees have luck in their races!
