Michigan's 3rd congressional district

Michigan's 3rd congressional district
Michigan's 3rd congressional district
	Interactive map of district boundaries, with Muskegon, Ottawa, and Kent counties highlighted in red. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the 3rd district (violet) loses its territory south and east of Kent County, while absorbing parts of Muskegon and Ottawa counties from the 2nd district (turquoise).
Representative	Peter Meijer; R–Grand Rapids
Distribution	68.54% urban; 31.46% rural;
Population (2021)	756,944
Median household; income	$69,607
Ethnicity	79.8% White; 8.6% Black; 6.9% Hispanic; 2.5% Two or more races; 1.8% Asian; 0.4% other;
Cook PVI	R+3

Michigan's 3rd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in West Michigan. From 2003 to 2013, it consisted of the counties of Barry and Ionia, as well as all except the northwestern portion of Kent, including the city of Grand Rapids. The district was extended to Battle Creek after redistricting in 2012.

The district is currently represented by Peter Meijer, a member of the Republican Party. It was previously represented from January 2011 to January 2021 by Justin Amash, who was first elected as a Republican in the 2010 general election. From July 2019 to April 2020, he served as an independent. From April 2020 to his departure from the House of Representatives in January 2021, he served as a Libertarian. He was the first member of the Libertarian Party to ever serve in the United States Congress, and is so far the only one to have done so.

Major cities

Recent election results in statewide races

Year	Office	Winner & margin
1992	President	Bush 46 – 34%
1996	President	Dole 53 – 39%
2000	President	Bush 60 – 38%
2004	President	Bush 59 – 40%
2008	President	McCain 49 – 48%
2012	President	Romney 53 – 46%
2016	President	Trump 52 – 42%
2018	Senate	James 51 – 47%
2018	Governor	Schuette 49 – 48%
2020	President	Trump 50 – 47%
2020	Senate	James 53 – 45%

History of 3rd congressional district

Prior to 1993, the 3rd congressional district largely consisted of Calhoun County and Eaton County, along with about half the area of Lansing, as well as Kalamazoo County (including the city of Kalamazoo, but not Portage and the adjacent south-ward township). With the redistricting, the old 3rd district was split between the 6th and 7th congressional districts, with most of Lansing itself going to the 8th congressional district. Meanwhile, the new 3rd district became the Grand Rapids district, covering much of the territory which had previously constituted the 5th district from 1873 to 1993.

No Democrat had represented Grand Rapids in Congress since Richard Vander Veen from 1974 to 1977, prior to redistricting due to the 1990 census, which took effect in 1993 and moved Grand Rapids from the 5th to the 3rd congressional district. However, following the 2020 census, the 3rd district was redrawn once again,^[5] and in the 2022 midterm elections Democratic candidate Hillary Scholten was chosen to represent the district.^[6]

List of members representing the district

Member	Party	Years	Cong ress	Electoral history	Location
District created March 4, 1843
James B. Hunt	Democratic	March 4, 1843 – March 3, 1847	28th 29th	Elected in 1843. Re-elected in 1844. Retired.	1843–1853 [data missing]
Kinsley S. Bingham	Democratic	March 4, 1847 – March 3, 1851	30th 31st	Elected in 1846. Re-elected in 1848. Retired.
James L. Conger	Whig	March 4, 1851 – March 3, 1853	32nd	Elected in 1850. Retired.
Samuel Clark	Democratic	March 4, 1853 – March 3, 1855	33rd	Elected in 1852. Lost re-election.	1853–1863 [data missing]
David S. Walbridge	Republican	March 4, 1855 – March 3, 1859	34th 35th	Elected in 1854. Re-elected in 1856. Retired.
Francis William Kellogg	Republican	March 4, 1859 – March 3, 1863	36th 37th	Elected in 1858. Re-elected in 1860. Redistricted to the 4th district.
John W. Longyear	Republican	March 4, 1863 – March 3, 1867	38th 39th	Elected in 1862. Re-elected in 1864. Retired.	1863–1873 [data missing]
Austin Blair	Republican	March 4, 1867 – March 3, 1873	40th 41st 42nd	Elected in 1866. Re-elected in 1868. Re-elected in 1870. Retired to run for Governor of Michigan.	1863–1873 [data missing]
George Willard	Republican	March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1877	43rd 44th	Elected in 1872. Re-elected in 1874. Retired.	1873–1883 [data missing]
Jonas H. McGowan	Republican	March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1881	45th 46th	Elected in 1876. Re-elected in 1878. Retired.
Edward S. Lacey	Republican	March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1885	47th 48th	Elected in 1880. Re-elected in 1882. Retired.
Edward S. Lacey	Republican	March 4, 1881 – March 3, 1885	47th 48th	Elected in 1880. Re-elected in 1882. Retired.	1883–1893 [data missing]
James O'Donnell	Republican	March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1893	49th 50th 51st 52nd	Elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Re-elected in 1888. Re-elected in 1890. Redistricted to the 2nd district and lost re-election.	1883–1893 [data missing]
Julius C. Burrows	Republican	March 4, 1893 – January 23, 1895	53rd	Redistricted from the 4th district and re-elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. Resigned when elected U.S. Senator.	1893–1903 [data missing]
Vacant		January 23, 1895 – December 2, 1895
Alfred Milnes	Republican	December 2, 1895 – March 3, 1897		Elected to finish Burrows's term. Lost re-election.
Albert M. Todd	Democratic^[7]	March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899	55th	Elected in 1896. Lost re-election.
Washington Gardner	Republican	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1911	56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st	Elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Lost renomination.
Washington Gardner	Republican	March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1911	56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st		1913–1933 [data missing]
John M. C. Smith	Republican	March 4, 1911 – March 3, 1921	62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th	Elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Retired.
William H. Frankhauser	Republican	March 4, 1921 – May 9, 1921	67th	Elected in 1920. Died.
Vacant		May 9, 1921 – June 28, 1921	67th
John M. C. Smith	Republican	June 28, 1921 – March 30, 1923	67th 68th	Elected to finish Frankhauser's term. Re-elected in 1922. Died.
Vacant		March 30, 1923 – June 19, 1923	68th
Arthur B. Williams	Republican	June 19, 1923 – May 1, 1925	68th 69th	Elected to finish Smith's term. Re-elected in 1924. Died.
Vacant		May 1, 1925 – August 18, 1925	69th
Joseph L. Hooper	Republican	August 18, 1925 – February 22, 1934	69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd	Elected to finish Williams's term. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Re-elected in 1932. Died.
Joseph L. Hooper	Republican	August 18, 1925 – February 22, 1934	69th 70th 71st 72nd 73rd		1933–1943 [data missing]
Vacant		February 22, 1934 – January 3, 1935	73rd
Henry M. Kimball	Republican	January 3, 1935 – October 19, 1935	74th	Elected in 1934. Died.
Vacant		October 19, 1935 – December 17, 1935
Verner Main	Republican	December 17, 1935 – January 3, 1937		Elected to finish Kimball's term. Lost renomination.
Paul W. Shafer	Republican	January 3, 1937 – August 17, 1954	75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd 83rd	Elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Re-elected in 1952. Died.
					1943–1953 [data missing]
					1953–1963 [data missing]
Vacant		August 17, 1954 – January 3, 1955	83rd
August E. Johansen	Republican	January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1965	84th 85th 86th 87th 88th	Elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Re-elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Lost re-election.
August E. Johansen	Republican	January 3, 1955 – January 3, 1965	84th 85th 86th 87th 88th		1963–1973 [data missing]
Paul H. Todd Jr.	Democratic	January 3, 1965 – January 3, 1967	89th	Elected in 1964. Lost re-election.
Garry E. Brown	Republican	January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1979	90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th	Elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Re-elected in 1976. Lost re-election.
Garry E. Brown	Republican	January 3, 1967 – January 3, 1979	90th 91st 92nd 93rd 94th 95th		1973–1983 [data missing]
Howard Wolpe	Democratic	January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1993	96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd	Elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Retired to run for Governor of Michigan.	1973–1983 [data missing]
Howard Wolpe	Democratic	January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1993	96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd		1983–1993 [data missing]
Paul B. Henry	Republican	January 3, 1993 – July 31, 1993	103rd	Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 1992. Died.	1993–2003
Vacant		July 31, 1993 – December 7, 1993	103rd
Vern Ehlers	Republican	December 7, 1993 – January 3, 2011	103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th	Elected to finish Henry's term. Re-elected in 1994. Re-elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Re-elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Retired.
Vern Ehlers	Republican	December 7, 1993 – January 3, 2011	103rd 104th 105th 106th 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th		2003–2013
Justin Amash	Republican	January 3, 2011 – July 4, 2019	112th 113th 114th 115th 116th	Elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Re-elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Re-elected in 2018. Retired.	2003–2013
	Republican	January 3, 2011 – July 4, 2019			2013–present
	Independent	July 4, 2019 – April 28, 2020
	Libertarian	April 28, 2020 – January 3, 2021
Peter Meijer	Republican	January 3, 2021 – Present	118th	Elected in 2020. Lost renomination.
Hillary Scholten	Democratic	January 3, 2023 –	118th	Elected in 2022.

Recent election results

2012

Michigan's 3rd congressional district, 2012^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Justin Amash (incumbent)	171,675	52.6
	Democratic	Steve Pestka	144,108	44.2
	Libertarian	Bill Gelineau	10,498	3.2
	Independent	Steven Butler (write-in)	2	0.0
Total votes			326,283	100.0
	Republican hold

2014

Michigan's 3rd congressional district, 2014^[9]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Justin Amash (incumbent)	125,754	57.9
	Democratic	Bob Goodrich	84,720	39.0
	Green	Tonya Duncan	6,691	3.1
Total votes			217,165	100.0
	Republican hold

2016

Michigan's 3rd congressional district, 2016^[10]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Justin Amash (incumbent)	203,545	59.5
	Democratic	Douglas Smith	128,400	37.5
	Constitution	Ted Gerrard	10,420	3.0
Total votes			342,365	100.0
	Republican hold

2018

Michigan's 3rd congressional district, 2018^[11]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Justin Amash (incumbent)	169,107	54.4
	Democratic	Cathy Albro	134,185	43.2
	Constitution	Ted Gerrard	7,445	2.4
	Independent	Joe Farrington (write-in)	3	0.0
Total votes			310,740	100.0
	Republican hold

2020

Michigan's 3rd congressional district, 2020^[12]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Peter Meijer	213,649	53.0
	Democratic	Hillary Scholten	189,769	47.0
	Independent	Richard Fuentes (write-in)	1	0.0
Total votes			403,419	100.0
	Republican gain from Libertarian

2022

Michigan's 3rd congressional district, 2022^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Hillary Scholten	186,109	54.84
	Republican	John Gibbs	142,321	41.9
Total votes
	Democratic gain from Republican

Notes

^ MICHIGAN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS BY URBAN AND RURAL POPULATION AND LAND AREA
^ "My Congressional District".
^ "My Congressional District".
^ "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.
^ https://www.michigan.gov/micrc/mapping-process/final-maps
^ https://www.woodtv.com/news/elections/democrat-hillary-scholten-wins-3rd-congressional-district/
^ In 1896, Albert M. Todd and Ferdinand Brucker were elected on the "Democratic Peoples Union Silver" ticket, a union of elements from the Democratic Party and Populist Party. They were seated as part of the Democratic Party in Congress.
^ "2012 Michigan House Results". Politico.
^ "2014 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/04/2014".
^ "2016 Michigan Election Results - Official Results". Michigan Department of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
^ "Michigan Election Results 2018: Live Midterm Map by County & Analysis". Politico.
^ "2020 Michigan Election Results Official". Michigan Secretary of State. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
^ "Michigan Third Congressional District Primary Election Results". The New York Times. August 2, 2022.

References

Govtrack.us for the 3rd District – Lists current Senators and representative, and map showing district outline
The Political graveyard: U.S. Representatives from Michigan, 1807–2003
"U.S. Representatives 1837–2003" (PDF). legislature.mi.gov. Michigan Legislature. Michigan Manual 2003–2004
Martis, Kenneth C. (1989). The Historical Atlas of Political Parties in the United States Congress. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Martis, Kenneth C. (1982). The Historical Atlas of United States Congressional Districts. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company.
Congressional Biographical Directory of the United States 1774–present

42°43′12″N 85°14′14″W / 42.72000°N 85.23722°W / 42.72000; -85.23722

[1] MICHIGAN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICTS BY URBAN AND RURAL POPULATION AND LAND AREA

[2] "My Congressional District".

[3] "My Congressional District".

[Cook-4] "Partisan Voting Index – Districts of the 115th Congress" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. April 7, 2017. Retrieved April 7, 2017.

[5] ttps://www.michigan.gov/micrc/mapping-process/final-maps

[6] ttps://www.woodtv.com/news/elections/democrat-hillary-scholten-wins-3rd-congressional-district/

[Todd-7] In 1896, Albert M. Todd and Ferdinand Brucker were elected on the "Democratic Peoples Union Silver" ticket, a union of elements from the Democratic Party and Populist Party. They were seated as part of the Democratic Party in Congress.

[8] "2012 Michigan House Results". Politico.

[Generalelection-9] "2014 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/04/2014".

[GeneralElection-10] "2016 Michigan Election Results - Official Results". Michigan Department of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.

[11] "Michigan Election Results 2018: Live Midterm Map by County & Analysis". Politico.

[MIgenr-12] "2020 Michigan Election Results Official". Michigan Secretary of State. Retrieved November 23, 2020.

[13] "Michigan Third Congressional District Primary Election Results". The New York Times. August 2, 2022.

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Michigan's 3rd congressional district
From 2013 to 2023 From 2023 Interactive map of district boundaries, with Muskegon, Ottawa, and Kent counties highlighted in red. In the 2020 redistricting cycle, the 3rd district (violet) loses its territory south and east of Kent County, while absorbing parts of Muskegon and Ottawa counties from the 2nd district (turquoise).
Representative	Peter Meijer R–Grand Rapids
Distribution	68.54% urban^[1] 31.46% rural
Population (2021)	756,944^[2]
Median household income	$69,607^[3]
Ethnicity	79.8% White 8.6% Black 6.9% Hispanic 2.5% Two or more races 1.8% Asian 0.4% other
Cook PVI	R+3^[4]