The2012 special election in Michigan's 11th congressional district was a special election that took place inMichigan on November 6, 2012, to replaceRepublican United States CongressmanThaddeus McCotter, who resigned after a failedpresidential campaign and a series of scandals. Former autoworkerDavid Curson, theDemocratic nominee, narrowly defeatedRepublican nomineeKerry Bentivolio, a reindeer farmer, to win the seat for the last few months of McCotter's term.
As a matter of convenience and cost saving, this special election was held in conjunction with the regularly scheduled general election on November 6, 2012. Voters were asked on the November ballot to select two candidates: one to serve the remainder of McCotter's term in the112th Congress, and the other to serve the full 2-year term in the113th Congress beginning in January 2013.[1]
Despite the fact thatCanton Township Trustee Syed Taj was theDemocratic nominee in the regularly scheduledgeneral election, Taj did not opt to run in the special election and Curson did not opt to run in the general election.
The election to fill the remaining 6 weeks of McCotter's term was largely ignored as the attention was focused on the presidential election and the race for the full two-year term between Bentivolio and Taj.
