Michigan's 7th Congressional District election, 2016
2018→ ←2014 |
 |
November 8, 2016 |
August 2, 2016 |
Tim Walberg  |
Tim Walberg |
 |
Cook Political Report:Lean R[1] Sabato's Crystal Ball:Lean R[2] Rothenberg & Gonzales:R Favored[3] |
 |
The7th Congressional District of Michigan held an election for theU.S. House of Representatives onNovember 8, 2016.
Heading into the election, Ballotpediarated this race as arace to watch. IncumbentTim Walberg (R) defeatedGretchen Driskell (D) andKen Proctor (L) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Walberg defeatedDoug North in the Republican primary on August 2, 2016.[4][5][6][7]
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
|---|---|---|
Primary: Aprimary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Michigan utilizes anopen primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary. All candidates appear on the same ballot and a voter may only vote for candidates of one party at any primary.[8][9]
For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, seethis article.
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent wasTim Walberg (R), who was first elected in 2006.
As of the2010 redistricting cycle,Michigan's 7th Congressional District was located in the southeastern region of the lower peninsula ofMichigan. It included Branch, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, Lenawee, and Monroe counties and a portion of Washtenaw County.[10]
Election results
General election
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Tim WalbergIncumbent | 55.1% | 184,321 | |
| Democratic | Gretchen Driskell | 40% | 134,010 | |
| Libertarian | Ken Proctor | 4.9% | 16,476 | |
| Total Votes | 334,807 | |||
| Source:Michigan Secretary of State | ||||
Primary election
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tim WalbergIncumbent | 75.2% | 43,120 | ||
| Doug North | 24.8% | 14,247 | ||
| Total Votes | 57,367 | |||
| Source:Michigan Secretary of State | ||||
Candidates
General election candidates: Tim Walberg a Gretchen Driskell Ken Proctor |
Primary candidates:[11] |
Democratic a | Republican aDoug North[4] |
Third Party/Other a |
Race background
IncumbentTim Walberg was a member of theNRCC's Patriot Program. The program was designed to help raise money and assist vulnerable incumbents seeking re-election.[14]
Gretchen Driskell was one of the initial members of theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue Program. The program was designed to highlight top Democratic campaigns across the country, and offered them financial, communications, grassroots, and strategic support.[15]
Presidential preference
Tim Walberg
On May 4, 2016, the day after Trump became the presumptive GOP nominee, Walberg said in a statement that he “will vote for the nominee.”[16] Walberg did not mentionDonald Trump in his statement.
Endorsements
Gretchen Driskell
- EMILY's List - "Gretchen Driskell is a tireless champion for Michigan women and families ... She’s an experienced public servant and businesswoman, and she has what it takes to increase economic opportunity for all Michigan working families."[17]
Media
Tim Walberg
Gretchen Driskell
District history
2014
The 7th Congressional District of Michigan held an election for theU.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014.Tim Walberg (R) defeatedPam Byrnes (D),Rick Strawcutter (I),David Swartout andKen Proctor (L) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Tim WalbergIncumbent | 53.5% | 119,564 | |
| Democratic | Pam Byrnes | 41.2% | 92,083 | |
| Libertarian | Ken Proctor | 2% | 4,531 | |
| U.S. Tax Payers Party | Rick Strawcutter | 1.4% | 3,138 | |
| Independent | David Swartout | 2% | 4,369 | |
| Total Votes | 223,685 | |||
| Source:Michigan Secretary of State | ||||
2012
The 7th Congressional District of Michigan held an election for theU.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012.Tim Walberg (R) won the election in the district.[18]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kurt R. Haskell | 43% | 136,849 | |
| Republican | Tim WalbergIncumbent | 53.3% | 169,668 | |
| Libertarian | Ken Proctor | 2.5% | 8,088 | |
| Green | Richard Wunsch | 1.1% | 3,464 | |
| Total Votes | 318,069 | |||
| Source:Michigan Secretary of State, "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
Important dates and deadlines
- See also:Michigan elections, 2016
The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in Michigan in 2016.
| Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Deadline | Event type | Event description | |
| February 12, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| February 23, 2016 | Election date | Election | |
| March 21, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for incumbent judges seeking re-election to file for the state primary | |
| March 24, 2016 | Campaign finance | Post-election report due | |
| April 19, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for partisan and nonpartisan candidates (other than incumbent judges) to file for the state primary | |
| April 22, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| May 3, 2016 | Election date | Election | |
| June 2, 2016 | Campaign finance | Post-election report due | |
| July 21, 2016 | Ballot access | Deadline for unaffiliated candidates to file for the general election | |
| July 22, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| August 2, 2016 | Election date | Primary election | |
| September 1, 2016 | Campaign finance | Post-election report due | |
| October 28, 2016 | Campaign finance | Pre-election report due | |
| November 8, 2016 | Election date | General election | |
| December 8, 2016 | Campaign finance | Post-election report due | |
| Sources:Michigan Secretary of State, "2015 and 2016 Campaign Finance Filing Schedule," accessed July 1, 2015 Michigan Secretary of State, ,"2016 Michigan Election Dates," accessed January 16, 2016 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2016
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2016
Footnotes
- ↑Cook Political Report, "2016 House Race Ratings," accessed November 6, 2016
- ↑Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2016 House," accessed November 6, 2016
- ↑Rothenberg & Gonzales Political Report, "House Ratings," accessed November 6, 2016
- ↑4.04.14.2Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 Michigan Candidate Listing," accessed April 20, 2016
- ↑Politico, "Michigan House Primaries Results," August 2, 2016
- ↑Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 Michigan Candidate Listing," accessed September 6, 2016
- ↑CNN, "Election Results," accessed November 8, 2016
- ↑Michigan Legislature, "MCL - Section 168.531," accessed October 21, 2025
- ↑Michigan Legislature, "MCL - Section 168.576," accessed October 21, 2025
- ↑United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑Candidates are listed by party and alphabetically within each party.
- ↑MLive.com, "Democratic state Rep. Gretchen Driskell announces bid for 7th Congressional seat in 2016," February 9, 2015
- ↑Michigan Secretary of State, "2016 Michigan Candidate Listing," accessed June 26, 2016
- ↑Roll Call, "Exclusive: NRCC Adds 8 More Vulnerable Members to Patriot Program," May 1, 2015
- ↑DCCC, "DCCC Chairman Luján Announces First 31 Districts In Red To Blue Program," February 11, 2016
- ↑Detroit Free Press, "Michigan Republicans begin to line up behind Donald Trump," accessed May 9, 2016
- ↑The Hill, "EMILY's List endorses challenger to Michigan Republican," March 3, 2016
- ↑Politico, "2012 Election Map," accessed August 15, 2012
For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see:Public policy in the 2016 elections!
