Michigan first gained a 9th district in 1873. For most of the next 120 years, it covered most of the western shore counties starting with Muskegon and taking in a portion of Grand Traverse County. From 1983 to 1993, it also included about half of Ottawa County, Montcalm County, half of Ionia County, and two eastern townships of Kent County just outside the Grand Rapids city limits. After the 1990 census, this district essentially became the 2nd district.
The district from 1992 to 2002 was largely based in Pontiac and Flint–essentially, the successor of the old 7th district. The strong Democratic voting record in Flint and Pontiac compensated for the largely Republican leaning of most of the rest of the district's area.
In 2002, this district essentially became the 5th district, while the 9th was reconfigured to take in most of the Oakland County portion of the old 11th district. The only areas that survived in the 9th congressional district across the 2002 redistricting were Pontiac, Waterford, Auburn Hills, some of Orion Township, Oakland Township, Rochester and Rochester Hills. This district was for all practical purposes the one eliminated by the 2012 redistricting. Portions of it were parceled out to four different districts, all of which largely preserved other former districts. The current 9th is mostly the successor of the old 10th district.
The district is currently represented by Lisa McClain.
^James C. McLaughlin died November 29, 1932; the vacancy was not filled.
^ abRobert P. Griffin resigned on May 10, 1966, to be appointed the following day to the United States Senate to fill vacancy caused by the death of Patrick V. McNamara; Guy Vander Jagt was elected simultaneously in a special election November 8, 1966, to fill the unexpired term in the 89th and for a full term in the 90th Congress.