Scholten weighs in on Senate race, backing Slotkin

Washington — U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin has picked up another endorsement from the Michigan congressional delegation in her quest to be a senator, this time from U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten of Grand Rapids.

Slotkin, a Holly Democrat in her third term, is running for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in the race to succeed retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Lansing. Both Slotkin and Scholten represent competitive U.S. House districts that they flipped from Republican control and are members of the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus on Capitol Hill.

"Over the last 11 months as her colleague, I’ve seen her move mountains on behalf of the communities she represents," Scholten said of Slotkin.

"Her commitment to actually getting things done and giving a voice to all of her constituents put her in a league of her own, and I know she’s exactly the person we need representing Michigan in the U.S. Senate. There’s no one better prepared to make a difference for our state starting on day one.”

Scholten and Michigan Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks, D-Grand Rapids, topped a list of 34 officials in west Michigan who formally endorsed Slotkin on Thursday, according to Slotkin's campaign.

Brinks highlighted Slotkin's work "protecting our democracy," women’s reproductive rights and addressing gun violence.

Others on the list include former U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer of Portage and multiple state lawmakers, county and local officials. Scholten is the second member of the Michigan delegation to endorse Slotkin after U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens of Birmingham in June.

Slotkin was the first to announce in the race to succeed Stabenow and has led the field in fundraising by far with $8.8 million raised and $5 million in the bank as of Sept. 30.

The announcement came as one of Slotkin's opponents, the actor Hill Harper, rolled out a major endorsement by Wayne County Executive Warren Evans — an influential figure in the Black community in Metro Detroit.

"Hill Harper has the vision and the commitment that Michigan needs in the U.S. Senate," Evans said in a statement.

"His career, spanning from impactful storytelling to active social advocacy, shows a dedication to the betterment of society that is both inspiring and essential in today’s political landscape. Hill understands the challenges Michiganders face and is prepared to address them head-on."

Former state Rep. Leslie Love of Detroit, Dearborn businessman Nasser Beydoun and attorney Zack Burns of Ann Arbor, and Michigan State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh of Saginaw are also running in the Democratic primary.

On the Republican side, former U.S. Reps. Mike Rogers of Brighton and Peter Meijer of Grand Rapids Township recently launched bids, as well as former Detroit Police Chief James Craig.

Other GOP candidates include Romulus attorney Alexandria Taylor, former Berrien County Commissioner Ezra Scott, State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder of Dexter, and Michael Hoover of Laingsburg, formerly of Dow Chemical Co.

mburke@detroitnews.com

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