The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan was held on Tuesday, November 6, 2012, to elect the 14 U.S. representatives from the state of Michigan, a decrease of one following the 2010 United States Census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices, including a quadrennial presidential election and an election 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. 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 whilst simultaneously casting its electoral votes for that party's presidential nominee. This made Michigan one of five states (along with Wisconsin, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Arizona) where the party that won the most seats did not win the most votes in the state.
Overview
Redistricting
The Michigan Legislature, which is controlled by the Republican Party, began the redistricting process on April 11, 2011. A plan released by the Republican Party in June 2011, which would place the homes of Democrats Gary Peters and Sander Levin into the same district, was passed by the Michigan House of Representatives and Senate later that month. The plan was signed into law by Governor Rick Snyder on August 9. The two incumbents forced to face each other were Gary Peters and Hansen Clarke.
District 1
In redistricting, the 1st district was made slightly more favorable to Republicans: Republican nominee John 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. Roll Call had rated the race as "Leans Republican," but changed the rating first to "Tossup" and then "Leans Democratic." Republican Dan Benishek, who was first elected to represent the 1st district in 2010, ran for re-election.
The third-party candidates were Emily Salvette as the Libertarian Party nominee and Ellis Boal as the Green Party nominee.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Dan Benishek, incumbent U.S. Representative
Primary results
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
Gary McDowell, former state representative and nominee for this seat in 2010
Withdrawn
Derek Bailey, tribal chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians (running for the 101st State House district)
Primary results
General election
Endorsements
Debates
Complete video of debate, October 16, 2012
Polling
Predictions
Results
District 2
Republican Bill Huizenga, who was first elected to represent the 2nd district in 2010, sought re-election. He was unopposed for the Republican primary. Other third-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 rates the race as "Safe Republican", and Huizenga won easily re-election with 61.2% of the vote.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
Bill Huizenga, incumbent U.S. Representative
Declined
David Agema, state representative
Primary results
Democratic primary
Muskegon city commissioner Willie German Jr ran in the August primary as a write-in candidate after David Takitaki, a political science professor at Adrian College and Muskegon Community College, was seeking the Democratic nomination to challenge Huizenga, but withdrew from the race for health reasons. Commissioner German was therefore on the ballot on the Democratic side.
Candidates
Nominee
Willie German Jr, Muskegon city commissioner
Withdrawn
David Takitaki, political science professor at Adrian College and Muskegon Community College
Primary results
General election
Endorsements
Results
District 3
Republican Justin Amash, who was first elected to represent the 3rd district in 2010, is seeking re-election and ran unopposed in the Republican primary. Libertarian Party candidate Bill Gelineau is also on the ballot.