Hillary Jeanne Scholten (/ˈskoʊltən/ SKOHL-tən; born February 22, 1982)[1][2] is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 3rd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she represents Grand Rapids and much of the urban core of West Michigan, in a district once represented by former President Gerald Ford.
Hillary Scholten | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Scholten in 2023 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Michigan's 3rd district | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Meijer |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Hillary Jeanne Scholten February 22, 1982 Grand Rapids, Michigan, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Jesse Holcomb |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | |
| Website | House website |
Early life and career
editScholten grew up in Hudsonville, Michigan. She attended Unity Christian High School and graduated from Gordon College and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.[3]
Scholten was a judicial law clerk and attorney adviser for the Board of Immigration Appeals from 2013 to 2017. When the Obama administration ended, she moved back to Grand Rapids and became a staff attorney for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.[4]
U.S. House of Representatives
editElections
edit2020
editIn July 2019, Scholten announced her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in Michigan's 3rd congressional district in the 2020 elections.[3] She was unopposed in the Democratic Party primary.[5] She lost the general election to Republican nominee Peter Meijer,[6] but came the closest a Democrat had come to winning the district since 1982, when incumbent Republican Harold S. Sawyer was held to 51% in what was then the 5th district.[7] It was also only the second time since 1982 that a Democrat had received 40% of the vote; the Democratic nominee received 43% two years earlier.[8]
2022
editScholten ran again in the 2022 elections.[9] She was again unopposed in the Democratic primary. She was initially preparing for a rematch against Peter Meijer, but Meijer lost the Republican primary to a considerably more conservative challenger, former Trump administration official John Gibbs.[10]
Scholten was running in a district that had been made much friendlier to Democrats in redistricting; it had been pushed to the west to grab a large portion of the Lake Michigan shoreline, including Muskegon.[11] Had it existed in 2020, Joe Biden would have won it with 53% of the vote;[12] Donald Trump carried the old 3rd with 51%.[13] Scholten (54.9%) defeated Gibbs (42%) to win election to the 118th United States Congress.[14]
2024
editScholten ran again in the 2024 election, where she faced Salim Al-Shatel taking 91% of the vote in the Democratic primary. She is currently running against Republican Lawyer Paul Hudson.
She joined in the calls for Joe Biden to step aside as the Democratic presidential nominee, becoming the first in Michigan's congressional delegation to do so.[15] In the following days, she faced retaliation from Biden campaign allies for pulling her support of Joe Biden.[16]
Caucus memberships
editSource:[17]
Committee assignments
editPolitical positions
editScholten joined Vice President and 2024 Democratic Party presidential candidiate Kamala Harris and Governor Gretchen Whitmer, in Harris's Reproductive Rights Tour who participated in a roundtable discussion in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on the topic of reproductive rights for women, February 2024 at The Fountain Street Church, a historic church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Harris complimented on Scholten's grit on a women's right to choose and praised her for being an advocate for Reproductive Rights. Scholten supports abortion rights.[20] In a speech opposing the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, she cited Jeremiah 1:5, which states, "I knew you before I formed you and placed you in your mother's womb", a verse commonly cited by Christians "to make theological or scriptural arguments in favor of legal protections for preborn children".[21][22] Scholten is running in the 2024 race against Paul Hudson, who is her main challenger for the seat.
Personal life
editScholten's husband, Jesse Holcomb, is a journalism professor at Calvin University, a Reformed Christian institute. They have two sons, James and Wesley.[3] Scholten is a member of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church and currently serves as a deacon at The LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church of North America. [23] Scholten describes herself as a devout Christian who is strong in her faith.[24]
References
edit- ^ "Candidate Conversation: Hillary Scholten (D)". Inside Elections.
- ^ McVicar, Brian (October 2, 2020). "Democrat Hillary Scholten Raises $1.5M in Race to Replace Congressman Amash, Tops GOP Rival Meijer". MLive. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c Nann Burke, Melissa (July 8, 2019). "Democrat Scholten joins race for Amash's seat in U.S. House". The Detroit News. Detroitnews.com. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ "Immigration attorney jumps into Democratic primary for 3rd Congressional District". mlive. July 8, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ^ Rod, Marc (August 3, 2020). "The race to succeed Rep. Justin Amash heats up". Jewish Insider.
- ^ Boucher, Dave. "Peter Meijer defeats Hillary Scholten in west Michigan congressional race". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ^ "MI District 5 Race – Nov 02, 1982". Our Campaigns.
- ^ "Our Campaigns – MI District 03 Race – Nov 06, 2018".
- ^ "Hillary Scholten jumping into Democratic primary to replace Rep. Peter Meijer in Congress". mlive. February 1, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ^ "Peter Meijer concedes to John Gibbs in Republican primary for 3rd Congressional District race". Michigan Radio. August 3, 2022.
- ^ Nisa Khan; Emma Ruberg (February 14, 2022). "The changes to Michigan's congressional map, district by district". Michigan Radio.
- ^ Nir, David (November 14, 2022). "Daily Kos presidential results by congressional district". Daily Kos.
- ^ Nir, David (November 19, 2020). "Presidential election results by congressional district". Daily Kos.
- ^ "Scholten defeats Gibbs for Grand Rapids Congress seat". Freep.com. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ Detroit News (July 11, 2024). "Democratic Michigan congresswoman joins calls for Biden to 'step aside' as nominee".
- ^ Politico (July 18, 2024). "Biden allies retaliated against a Dem who called for him to step aside".
- ^ "Committees and Caucuses". Representative Hillary Scholten. January 3, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ "Endorsed Candidates". NewDem Action Fund. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ a b "Congresswoman Hillary Scholten Appointed to the Transportation and Infrastructure and Small Business Committees". Representative Hillary Scholten. January 31, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ McVicar, Brian; Frick, Melissa (November 9, 2022). "Hillary Scholten defeats Trump-backed John Gibbs for West Michigan congressional seat". mlive. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Kamman, Samantha; Reporter, Christian Post (January 13, 2023). "Democrat cites Jeremiah 1:5 to defend abortion: 'It doesn't say the government's womb'". The Christian Post. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Saksa, Jim (September 14, 2023). "For Hillary Scholten, faith (and Jerry Ford) led the way to Congress - Roll Call". rollcall.com. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ Rani, Rikha Sharma (August 3, 2020). "Could These Evangelical Democrats Change the Party?". POLITICO. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
- ^ "Representative Hillary Scholten". scholtenforms.house.gov. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
External links
edit
- Congresswoman Hillary Scholten official U.S. House website
- Hillary Scholten for Congress campaign website