Congressional candidates for the Nov. 5 general election have less than 90 days to convince voters to keep their seats or unseat incumbents.
Democrat Elissa Slotkin of Holly defeated Hill Harper 117,973 to 34,343 to replace outgoing Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Her campaign is based on hope rather than fear and she is asking her supporters to “join Team Normal.”
On Wednesday, Stabenow expressed his “strong support” for Slotkin.
“It’s clear she knows what it takes to be a great legislator. She understands the skills needed in the Senate – not just to make speeches – but to actually get things done,” Stabenow said in a statement posted on her personal social media channels.
Republican Mike Rogers of Livonia, who polled 64,372 votes to beat fellow Republicans Justin Amash (9,643), Sandy Pensler (9,090) and Sherry O’Donnell (7,173), expressed confidence that he would win in November, investing six figures in advertising and promising to change Washington by putting families first. He is backed by former President Donald Trump.
According to CNN, this Senate seat is one of ten seats at risk of switching from the Democrats to the Republicans.
Oakland County voters are represented in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressional Districts 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 12. Here are the November 5 ballot options:
DISTRICT 6
It includes Novi in Oakland County as well as Washtenaw County, parts of Wayne County and the city of Milan in Monroe County:
Incumbent Democrat Debbie Dingell, who ran unopposed in the primary, received 5,866 votes and is running against Republican Heather Smiley, who received 3,412 votes in her unopposed primary.
DISTRICT 7
It includes parts of South Lyon in Oakland County, parts of Eaton and Genesee Counties, and all of Clinton, Shiawassee, Ingham, and Livingston Counties:
Slotkin’s decision to seek Stabenow’s Senate seat left that district seat vacant. Now, Democrat Curtis Hertel, who was unopposed in the primary, will face Republican Tom Barrett on Nov. 5. Barrett lost to Slotkin in 2022 by a vote of 92,809 to 172,624.
Hertel said he is running to protect abortion rights and cut taxes. Barrett emphasized border security and opposes abortion. In 2022, she told The Detroit News she opposes exceptions for pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, but supports a rare exception for the life of the mother.
DISTRICT 9
It includes the northern parts of Oakland and Macomb counties and the Thumb area: Republican incumbent Lisa McClain of Romeo is running against Democrat Clinton St. Mosley of Lake Orion on November 5. McClain’s platform includes economic growth, jobs and border security. St. Moseley supports reproductive rights, including artificial insemination, which enabled him and his wife to conceive twins.
McClain defeated Democratic challenger Brian Steven Jaye in 2022 by 238,300 votes to 123,702. Most recently, she attended the Republican National Convention and sat with former President Donald Trump.
DISTRICT 10
It includes Rochester, Rochester Hills and Macomb County as well as part of Grosse Pointe Shores:
Republican incumbent John James of Shelby Township will face Democrat Carl J. Marlinga of Sterling Heights again on Nov. 5. James narrowly defeated Marlinga two years ago.
James, a businessman, is also a military veteran. Marlinga is a former assistant U.S. district attorney and was a longtime Macomb County prosecutor before becoming a judge. Marlinga received 4,162 votes, defeating three Democrats in Tuesday’s primary: Diane Young with 2,832 votes, Emily Busch with 1,533 and Tiffany Tilley with 1,113 votes.
DISTRICT 11
These include Auburn Hills, Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Twp., Bloomfield Hills, Clawson, Commerce Twp., Farmington, Farmington Hills, Ferndale, Hazel Park, Huntington Woods, Lake Angelus, Madison Heights, Oak Park, Orchard Lake Village, Pleasant Ridge , Pontiac, Royal Oak, Royal Oak Twp., Sylvan Lake, Troy, Walled Lake, Waterford, West Bloomfield Twp., White Lake Twp., Wixom and Wolverine Lake:
Incumbent Democratic Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham defeated challenger Ahmed Ghanim in the primary by 83,450 votes to 12,340. She will face Republican Nick Somberg of Bingham Farms on November 5.
Stevens has used her time in office to advocate for human rights, improved public transportation and the release of former Novi resident Paul Whelan, who was wrongfully imprisoned in Russia in 2018. He returned to the U.S. earlier this month as part of a major prisoner exchange.
Somberg, who defeated challenger Charles Frangie in the primary by 24,182 votes to 15,729, is endorsed by the Michigan Health Choice Alliance, which opposes masks, supports the right of patients or their parents to accept or refuse treatment and favors the privatization of vaccination status.
DISTRICT 12
It includes Southfield, Lathrup Village, Franklin, Bingham Farms and Beverly Hills, as well as parts of Detroit and other communities in Wayne County:
Democrat Rashida Tlaib, who faced no opponent in the primary, received 16,670 votes. She is running against Republican and Detroit native James D. Hooper, who defeated Linda Sawyer 1,211 to 859 in Tuesday’s primary. Hooper describes himself as a freedom-loving conservative who is “unequivocally pro-life from conception to natural death.” He believes the 2020 election was hijacked. Tlaib has focused on social justice in the U.S. and abroad, environmental protection, housing and health care. She has been criticized for her pro-Palestinian stance.