2020 Congressional Campaign Updates is a new feature of U.S. RESIST NEWS. Written by reporter William Bourque, the updates will help our leaders follow key races in the House and Senate that are key to the ability of democrats to gain control of both houses of Congress.
By William Bourque
Michigan Part 3
August 19,2020
As we conclude our Targeted Districts” series in Michigan, we travel to the 10th district, currently held by Republican Paul Mitchell. Mitchell served two terms but will not run for a third, saying that he felt frustrated by partisanship in Washington. The Republican running to maintain control of the seat is Lisa McClain, a financial executive. The district polls as R+13, or 13 percentage points in favor of Republican control, so we expect McClain to win her race. Nevertheless, her democratic opponent is Kimberly Bizon, a marketing professional. Bizon has never held a public elected office and was defeated in her previous election attempt in 2018, by almost 25 percentage points. The seat will almost certainly remain in republican control, with McClain likely securing an easy victory.
As we move along to Michigan’s 11th district, we find Haley Stevens, a democratic incumbent. Stevens has only served one term in the house, having been elected in 2018. It is worth noting that Michigan’s 11th fell to Trump in the presidential election, making Stevens’ victory even more impressive. She was elected to replace Republican David Trott, who served for two terms before announcing he wouldn’t seek reelection. Stevens’ republican opponent is Eric Esshaki, a lawyer who also has experience as a healthcare professional. Esshaki says he is running on traditional conservative values, citing his “pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, pro-border security, and pro-constitution” beliefs. The Cook Political Report rates the district as “leans democrat”, and we feel inclined to agree. Stevens will secure another term and the 11th district will continue its trend to the left.
As we move onto the 12th district we see another democratic incumbent, Representative Debbie Dingell. Dingell has held the office since 2015, when she took over for her husband, John Dingell. In each of her previous 2 elections, Dingell has garnered over 60% of the votes, which suggests she will have an easy path to a third term. Nevertheless, she faces Republican Jeff Jones, who has run against Dingell in each of her previous elections. Jones hasn’t held any prior elected office and doesn’t seem to pose a threat to Dingell, who we expect to cruise to a third term.
District 13 is home to Michigan’s most high-profile congresswoman, Rashida Tlaib. In only her first term, Tlaib has made waves in congress, along with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar. Tlaib recently won a close primary against Brenda Jones, someone who was heavily funded by moderates and some republicans. Tlaib is certain to beat Republican challenger David Dudenhoefer, who doesn’t even have a chance to win in such a progressive district. We expect Tlaib to cruise to a win and have a significant role in the democratically controlled House.
To round out Michigan we look at the heavily democratic 14th district. The incumbent is Democrat Brenda Lawrence, who has held the seat since 2014. One of the most progressive districts in the state, the 14th district is both majority black and majority female, so it’s only right that a black woman represents them in congress. Lawrence will face Republican Robert Vance Patrick, who, much like his counterpart in the 13th district, doesn’t even have a chance to win. We expect Lawrence to retain control of her district in a heavy democratic area.