Meijer defeats Scholten for Grand Rapids area seat in Congress

Republican Peter Meijer defeated Democrat Hillary Scholten on Wednesday in the west Michigan race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Justin Amash in Congress, according to unofficial results. 

Meijer was leading 53%-47% with 99% of precincts reporting late Wednesday.

Meijer said Wednesday evening that he'd heard from Scholten, who "shared congratulations for our victory." 

"I likewise want to congratulate Hillary on running an incredibly strong and focused campaign — we may differ in approach, but we share common ground in wanting to see West Michigan thrive," Meijer said on Twitter. 

"I also want to thank not just those in West Michigan who put their faith and trust in me, but also to all who cast their vote and participated in this historic election. I’m honored & ready to get to work on behalf of all West Michiganders, and will not let you down."

Scholten conceded the race but said the energy behind her campaign points to how the "tides are changing in West Michigan."

"We may not have won tonight, but this isn’t the end of our fight for a better and bright West Michigan for all — including low cost, accessible health care, clean water, and an economy that works for everyone," Scholten said. 

"To every single person who knocked doors or made calls or supported our campaign: You helped move this community forward. You helped lay the foundation for progress and change in West Michigan."

Meijer won Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, where the retirement of Republican-turned-Libertarian Amash created an open seat. 

The final tally was held up in Grand Rapids, which was still counting roughly 59,000 absentee ballots during the day Wednesday, city spokesman Steve Guitar told The Detroit News. 

Meijer's campaign said earlier Wednesday that he was awaiting a final decision or concession from Scholten before calling the race. 

“The good people of West Michigan deserve to have their voices fully heard," Meijer spokesman Noah Sadlier said.

Late Tuesday, Scholten touted her campaign's momentum, noting that with record turnout, the outcome might not be known until later Wednesday. 

"We are on the brink of making history by electing the first woman ever to represent this district and the first Democrat in almost half a century," Scholten told reporters after polls closed. 

"If I had a nickel for every person who said there's no way you are going to flip Michigan's 3rd Congressional District, I could have funded this campaign from the beginning. ... West Michigan is ready for change."

Late Tuesday, Meijer said returns were coming in better than expected, noting he had jumped into the lead early and had held it through the night. 

"We knew the early in-person reporting would favor us. But even as absentees have gotten mixed in as well we’re still looking and feeling very strong," he told reporters on a Tuesdaycall.

The contest for Michigan's 3rd District intensified in recent weeks as outside groups spent millions on broadcast ads in the market, hoping to influence the race to decide who represents the Grand Rapids area in Congress. 

The candidates each raised over $3 million for their campaigns, though Scholten had a cash edge going into the last three weeks with $431,483 in the bank to Meijer's $154,645, according to disclosure reports through Oct. 14.

Both Scholten, 38, and Meijer, 32, are millennials and political newcomers with careers in public service. 

Meijer of Grand Rapids Township is the grandson of retailer Frederik Meijer. He served in Iraq with the U.S. Army, worked as a conflict analyst in Afghanistan and has a background in disaster relief. 

Democrat Hillary Scholten, 38, of Grand Rapids is an attorney and former Department of Justice adviser during President Barack Obama's administration who most recently worked for the nonprofit Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. 

Amash held the seat for five terms. A Democrat hasn't been elected to represent the area in Congress since 1974 when attorney Richard Vander Veen won a special election to succeed Ford, who stepped down to become vice president.

Michigan's 3rd District includes Ionia, Barry and Calhoun counties along with portions of Kent and Montcalm counties. While Grand Rapids and Battle Creek are favorable to Democrats, the rural areas outside them are conservative. 

President Donald Trump won the district by 9 percentage points in 2016, but affluent, well-educated Kent County is trending more Democratic with Grand Rapids suburbs moving away from the Republican party after souring on Trump.

Meijer won the Republican primary in August with 50% of the vote over four opponents.

He wants to see more civility, new ideas and less partisanship in Washington, arguing his background in the U.S. Army and humanitarian aid work would serve him in Congress because his career has been about "trying to make order out of chaos."

Scholten, an evangelical and mother of two school-age sons, grew up in a Republican household but during her career in social work and as a public interest lawyer, she found the GOP no longer aligned with her faith values, she said. 

The pair of traded barbs on everything from PFAS contamination and abortion to mask mandates and health care. 

Meijer's campaign and GOP allies have criticized Scholten for taking donations from "Hollywood liberals" and other contributions from outside Michigan, trying to tie her to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and progressive causes. 

Scholten has called on Meijer to more fully disclose his financial holdings, with Democratic ads prominently mentioning his $50 million trust fund to suggest he can't understand middle-class struggles.

Scholten hit Meijer over his pledge to support a repeal of the Affordable Care Act, claiming he's endangering the popular provisions protecting coverage for people with preexisting medical conditions.

Meijer stressed he would not support repealing the federal law without a "workable" replacement that protects preexisting conditions and expands access. He said the system has failed to be "affordable" as promised in its name. 

Scholten does not support the single-payer Medicare for All proposal but favors giving Americans the option to purchase health coverage through Medicare — often called a “public option.” Meijer said that's the "first step towards a more socialized health care system."

The 3rd District race has been in the national spotlight for months, in part due to a quirk in how the electoral college works.

In the unlikely scenario where neither President Donald Trump nor Democrat Joe Biden wins a majority of electoral votes, the decision on who becomes president goes to the state delegations of the U.S. House in January, after new members are sworn into office. 

That's where the 3rd District winner could be important: Republicans control the delegation majority in 26 states, and Democrats have 22 states, and under the 12th Amendment each would get one vote. 

Michigan is one of two state delegations that's essentially tied between Republicans and Democrats, according to an analysis by the Washington Post. 

Michigan's delegation tipped in favor of the Democrats last year after Amash left the GOP and later joined the Libertarian Party.

Meijer as the winner in the 3rd District will return the delegation to a 7-7 split. 

Given recent polls showing Biden ahead, analyst Nathan Gonzales, publisher of Insider Elections, is "increasingly skeptical" that the electoral college will be close enough to kick the presidential decision to Congress, he said.

mburke@detroitnews.com