2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan

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All 14 Michigan seats to theUnited States House of Representatives
Majority party Minority party   Party Republican Democratic Last election 9 6 Seats won 9 5 Seat change 1 Popular vote 2,086,804 2,327,985 Percentage 45.62% 50.89% Swing 6.70% 6.59%
District results County results Republican   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80% Democratic   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80%   80–90%

Elections in Michigan
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v t e

The2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the 14U.S. representatives from the state ofMichigan, a decrease of one following the2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennialpresidential election and anelection to the U.S. Senate.Primary elections were held on August 7, 2012. The filing deadline for candidates to file to run in the primary was May 15.^[1][2] Except for two seats, all the incumbents sought re-election. The open seats were the 5th and 11th congressional districts. Due to the loss of one seat from the 2010 census, two congressmen ran against each other.

Despite Democrats winning more than 240,000 more votes for U.S. House districts statewide, Republicans won nine of 14 seats, and Michiganders tied a state record by electing the lowest rate (35 percent) of U.S. representatives by a major party while simultaneously casting its electoral votes for that party's presidential nominee.^[3] This made Michigan one of five states in which the party that won the state's popular vote did not win a majority of seats in 2012, the other states beingArizona,North Carolina,Pennsylvania, andWisconsin.

TheMichigan Legislature, which is controlled by theRepublican Party, began theredistricting process on April 11, 2011.^[5] A plan released by the Republican Party in June 2011, which would place the homes ofDemocratsGary Peters andSander Levin into the same district,^[6] was passed by theMichigan House of Representatives^[7] andSenate^[8] later that month. The plan was signed into law byGovernorRick Snyder on August 9.^[9] The two incumbents forced to face each other wereGary Peters andHansen Clarke.

In redistricting, the 1st district was made slightly more favorable to Republicans: Republican nomineeJohn McCain received less than one percentage point more of the vote in the2008 presidential election in the newly drawn district compared to the former district.^[6]Roll Call had rated the race as "Leans Republican,"^[10] but changed the rating first to "Tossup"^[11] and then "Leans Democratic."^[12] RepublicanDan Benishek, who was first elected to represent the1st district in2010, ran for re-election.^[13]

The third-party candidates were Emily Salvette as the Libertarian Party nominee and Ellis Boal as the Green Party nominee.^[14]

• Dan Benishek, incumbent U.S. representative

• Gary McDowell, formerstate representative and nominee for this seat in2010^[15][2]

• Derek Bailey, tribal chairman of theGrand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (running for the101st State House district)^[16]

RepublicanBill Huizenga, who was first elected to represent the2nd district in2010, sought re-election.^[13] He was unopposed for the Republican primary.Otherthird-party candidates on the ballot were Mary Buzuma for the Libertarian Party, Ronald Graeser for the U.S. Taxpayers Party, and William Opalicky for the Green Party.Roll Call rated the race as "Safe Republican",^[43] and Huizenga easily won re-election with 61.2% of the vote.^[44]

• Bill Huizenga, incumbent U.S. representative

• David Agema,state representative^[45]

Muskegon city commissioner Willie German, Jr. ran in the August primary as a write-in candidate^[46] after David Takitaki, a political science professor atAdrian College andMuskegon Community College, was seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Huizenga, but withdrew from the race for health reasons.^[47] Commissioner German was therefore on the ballot on the Democratic side.^[14]

• Willie German Jr,Muskegon city commissioner

• David Takitaki, political science professor atAdrian College andMuskegon Community College

RepublicanJustin Amash, who was first elected to represent the3rd district in2010, sought re-election and ran unopposed in the Republican primary.^[13] Libertarian Party candidate Bill Gelineau was also on the ballot.^[14]

In redistricting, the 3rd district was made more favorable to Democrats.^[6]Roll Call rated the race as "Likely Republican."^[11]

• Justin Amash, incumbent U.S. representative

• Terri Lynn Land, formerMichigan Secretary of State^[45]

• Steve Pestka, formerstate representative, former judge, formerKent County Commissioner and small business owner^[49]

• Trevor Thomas, former employee in the executive office ofJennifer Granholm^[50]

• Pat Miles, lawyer and nominee for this seat in2010^[51][52]
• Mark Schauer, former U.S. representative^[6][53]

RepublicanDavid Lee Camp, who had represented the4th district since 1993 and previously represented the 10th district from 1991 until 1993, sought re-election.^[13]Roll Call rated the race as "Likely Republican".^[43]

• David Lee Camp, incumbent U.S. representative

• Debra Friedell Wirth, attorney^[74]

DemocratDale Kildee, who had represented the5th district since 2003, and previously represented the 9th district from 1993 until 2003 and the 7th district from 1977 until 1993, chose to retire rather than run for re-election in 2012.^[77]

Flint school board member David Davenport ran as an independent.^[78] Also running wasGregory Creswell of the Libertarian Party.^[14]

Roll Call rated the race as "Safe Democratic".^[43]

• Dan Kildee, formerGenesee County treasurer and nephew of Dale Kildee^[79]

• Jim Barcia, former U.S. representative^[80]
• Deborah Cherry, Genesee County treasurer^[80]
• John Cherry, formerlieutenant governor^[81]
• David Crim,union organizer^[82]
• John Gleason, state senator^[80]
• Dale Kildee, incumbent U.S. representative
• Woodrow Stanley,state representative^[82]

• Jim Slezak, former Democraticstate representative^[83]

• Tom Wassa,Tuscola County public safety officer^[84][79][52]

RepublicanFred Upton, who had represented the6th district since 1993 and previously represented the 4th district from 1987 until 1993, sought re-election.^[13]

Jason Gatties, a business manager and security consultant from St. Joseph, received theUS Taxpayers Party of Michigan's nomination at their state convention on June 16, 2012. Christie Gelineau received the Libertarian Party's nomination at their state convention on June 2, 2012.Roll Call rated the race as "Likely Republican".^[43]

• Fred Upton, incumbent U.S. representative

• Jack Hoogendyk, former state representative and candidate for this seat in2010^[90]

• Mike O'Brien, project leader atHerman Miller and former organic farmer^[92]

• John Waltz,Iraq andAfghanistan warveteran, nominee forKentucky's 4th congressional district in2010;^[93] dropped out in February 2012 due to illness^[94]

In redistricting, the 7th district was made slightly more favorable to Republicans: McCain received less than one percentage point more of the vote in the 2008 presidential election in the newly drawn district compared to the former district.^[6]

RepublicanTim Walberg, who had represented the7th district since January 2011 and previously served from 2007 until 2009, ran for re-election.^[13]Roll Call rated the race as "Likely Republican".^[43]

• Tim Walberg, incumbent U.S. representative

• Dan Davis, businessman and former police officer^[96]
• Mike Stahly, former member ofPotterville City Council and candidate for this seat in2010

Joe Schwarz, who represented the 7th district from 2005 to 2007 as a Republican and was defeated by Walberg in the Republican primary in 2006, was recruited by theDemocratic Congressional Campaign Committee.^[97]

• Kurt Haskell, attorney^[98]

• Ruben Marquez, chair of theJackson County Democratic Party^[99]

• Mark Schauer, former U.S. representative^[100]
• Joe Schwarz, former Republican U.S. representative^[101]

RepublicanMike Rogers, who had represented the8th district since 2001, sought re-election.^[13]

Other candidates were Daniel Goebel of the Libertarian Party and independent candidate Preston Brooks.^[14]Roll Call rated the race as "Likely Republican".^[43]

• Mike Rogers, incumbent U.S. representative

• Brian Hetrick, mechanical engineer^[2][52]
• Vernon Molnar

• Lance Enderle, former teacher and nominee for this seat in2010^[105]

In redistricting, the homes of Democratic RepresentativesSander Levin andGary Peters were drawn into the 9th district,^[6] which comprises mostlyMacomb County but also includes a part of Oakland County.^[108] Levin, who had represented the12th district since 1993 and previously represented the 17th district from 1983 until 1993, sought re-election here.^[43] Peters, who had represented the9th district since 2009, sought re-election in the redrawn 14th district.^[109]

Jim Fulner, an engineer fromBerkley, earned theLibertarian Party nomination at their state convention on June 2, 2012, inLivonia.^[110] Julia Williams, the 2010Green Party Candidate for the same seat, was nominated again at the 2012 Michigan Green Party convention, on June 9, 2012, inMount Pleasant.^[111] Lester Townsend received the US Taxpayers Party of Michigan's nomination at their state convention on June 16, 2012. This marks the fourth election cycle in a row in which Townsend challenged Levin for his seat.Roll Call rated the race as "Likely Democratic".^[43]

• Sander Levin, incumbent U.S. representative for the 12th district

• Allen James O'Neil, businessman^[112]

• Don Volaric, businessman and nominee for the 12th district in2010^[113]

• Gregory Dildilian, woodworker

RepublicanCandice Miller, who had represented the10th district since 2003, sought re-election.^[13]Roll Call rated the race as "Likely Republican".

• Candice Miller, incumbent U.S. representative

• Chuck Stadler, practical nurse and accountant^[52]

• Jerome Quinn, attorney

Thad McCotter had represented the old 11th district since 2003 and sought theRepublican presidential nomination. After poor polling results, McCotter ended his presidential campaign and announced plans to run again for his seat in Congress. On May 26, 2012, the Michigan Secretary of State announced that McCotter had fallen well short of the required 1,000 petition signatures required for him to qualify for the primary ballot.^[114][115] In what state officials described as a level of fraud unprecedented in Michigan political history, subsequent reviews of McCotter's petitions revealed that over 85 percent of the signatures were invalid. Most of them were either duplicates or signatures that appeared to have been pasted from past years' petitions.^[116][117] Conceding that the signatures were indeed invalid, McCotter announced he would mount a write-in bid for his seat;^[118] however, he decided not to continue with his write-in bid on June 2 and announced his intention to retire after completing his term.^[119] McCotter suddenly resigned from his seat on July 6, leaving the 11th district unrepresented.^[120]

Secretary of StateRuth Johnson found the apparent fraud egregious enough to turn the evidence over to theMichigan Attorney General's office to determine if laws were broken regarding the invalid signatures.^[121] The Michigan Attorney General's office charged four McCotter aides with forgery, although McCotter was not charged with any wrongdoing.^[122][123]

McCotter's resignation resulted in a special election, which was expected to cost taxpayers $650,000.^[124][125]

As a result of Republican-leaning areas of the old 9th district being drawn into the new 11th,^[6] the11th district was made more favorable to Republicans. McCain received four percentage points more of the vote in the 2008 presidential election in the newly drawn district compared to the current district. WhileRoll Call rated this race as "Likely Republican" before the primary,^[126] they changed the rating to "Leans Republican".^[127] It subsequrently changed back to "Likely Republican."

For the regular primary held August 7, 2012, for the upcoming two-year term in Congress,Kerry Bentivolio, aveteran and former teacher who had already planned to challenge McCotter, was left as the only candidate on the Republican primary ballot.^[128] The Troy Republican Club, U.S. House member Justin Amash, Tea Party groups and Ron Paul's PAC all endorsed Bentivolio.^[129] Other Republicans, including Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson, refused to endorse Bentivolio and instead endorsed former state senatorNancy Cassis as a write-in candidate.^[130] Bentivolio defeated Cassis in the August 7 primary, and was the only Republican candidate on the ballot in areas covered by the new 11th. Cassis and Drexel Morton also ran as write-in candidates.^[131]

Bentivolio was endorsed by Gov. Rick Snyder, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, Senator Rand Paul; Congress members Candice Miller, Justin Amash, Dan Banishek and Ron Paul; and former officeholders Rick Santorum and Peter Hoekstra.^[132]

• Kerry Bentivolio,veteran and former teacher

• Nancy Cassis, former state senator^[133]

• Mike Kowall, state senator^[133]
• Rocky Raczkowski, former state representative, nominee for U.S. Senate in2002 and nominee for 9th district in2010
• David Trott, attorney
• Paul Welday, former Oakland County Republican Party chair

• Thad McCotter, incumbent U.S. representative

• Dr. Syed Taj, member of theCanton Township Board of Trustees^[134]

• Bill Roberts, follower of LyndonLaRouche

• David Curson, labor activist and nominee for this seat in2012 special election

Democratic candidateDavid Curson defeatedKerry Bentivolio in the special general election, conducted in the 2012-configured 11th district only, and coinciding with the regular general election on November 6.^[138][139]

DemocratJohn Dingell, who had represented the district since 2003 and previously from 1955 until 1965, and previously represented the16th district from 1965 until 2003, sought re-election here.Roll Call rated the race as "Safe Democratic".^[43]

• John Dingell, incumbent U.S. representative for the 15th district

• Daniel Marcin, doctorate student at theUniversity of Michigan^[140]

• Sander Levin, incumbent U.S. representative (running in the 9th district)^[43]

• Cynthia Kallgren, former candidate for state representative

• Karen Jacobsen, businesswoman^[140]

DemocratJohn Conyers, who had represented the 14th district since 1993 and previously represented the 1st district from 1965 until 1993, sought re-election in the new13th district.

The Libertarian Party of Michigan nominated Chris Sharer of Westland as their candidate.^[141] Martin Gray was the U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate.^[14]Roll Call rated the race as "Safe Democratic".^[43]

• John Conyers, incumbent U.S. representative

• Glenn S. Anderson,state senator^[142]
• Shanelle Jackson,state representative^[143]
• Bert Johnson,state senator^[144][145]
• John GociWayne-Westland, school board member^[146]

• Godfrey Dillard, attorney^[147]

• Hansen Clarke, incumbent U.S. representative (running in the 14th district)^[148]

• Harry Sawicki^[147]

The new 14th district crosses the traditional boundary of the8 Mile Road (separatingDetroit fromOakland County) in order to continue to have a majority ofminority voters. A large part of the district is now outside of Detroit (it comprises approximately 40 percent Detroit, 40 percent Oakland County, and 20 percent outlyingWayne County).^[108]

Leonard Schwartz, lawyer and perennial candidate from Oak Park, who most recently challenged Sandy Levin for US House District 12 in 2010, was the Libertarian nominee.^[150]Douglas Campbell, an engineer from Ferndale, was the Green Party candidate.Roll Call rated the race as "Safe Democratic".^[43]

• Gary Peters, incumbent U.S. representative for the 9th district

• Hansen Clarke, incumbent U.S. representative for the 13th district
• Bob Costello, magistrate for the 36th District Court
• Brenda Lawrence, mayor ofSouthfield and nominee forlieutenant governor in2010^[109][151]
• Mary Waters, formerstate representative and candidate for the 13th district in2008,^[152]

• John Conyers, incumbent U.S. representative (running in the 13th district)^[148]
• Geoffrey Feiger, attorney and nominee for governor in1998^[153]
• Irv Lowenberg, Southfield city treasurer^[154]
• Tim Melton, state representative^[155]
• Buzz Thomas, state senator^[108]