Rep. Dan Kildee won't seek reelection, giving GOP an opening in Congress

Washington ― Michigan U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, a Flint-area Democrat whose family has represented Michigan in Congress since 1977, said Thursday he won't seek reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives.

His retirement after six terms will present an opening for House Republicans to try to flip his highly competitive seat in Michigan's 8th District that covers Genesee, Bay and Saginaw counties and portions of Midland County. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report promptly shifted the seat from "leans" Democrat to a tossup.

The decision to retire at the end of his term followed Kildee's scare with serious but curable cancer, squamous cell carcinoma, earlier this year. Kildee in April underwent surgery to remove a tumor on his tonsil during a procedure at the George Washington University Hospital.

Kildee is now cancer free, he said in a Thursday interview, and had been doing everything to prepare to run again, "but just in the back of my mind, it just didn't feel the same."

"It's not my health, but it's the process of reflection during the period of my recovery caused me to think hard about how I want to spend my time. I love Michigan. I love home. And this place has never been home ― Washington," Kildee told The Detroit News.

"I want to be there full time. It was one of those decisions that, while I struggled with it as I was making it, once I settled it in my mind, it just confirmed that it was right."

Kildee added that the antics around the Capitol in the last few days, with certain Republican members challenging one another to fist fights, "has done nothing to dissuade me of that."

"You're always weighing continuing to do this work versus the desire to go home. The environment has become increasingly difficult here, so it does factor in," the congressman added. "I still feel like I've been able to be successful, but as compared to being back home — back home looks really good."

Kildee, who was first elected to public office at 18 years old, said he's unlikely to run for office again, including for governor of Michigan.

"I don’t see that happening," he said. "I never say never, but I don’t see any prospect for me doing that again."

'Huge advocate' for Flint

Kildee, 65, is the nephew of the late U.S. Rep. Dale Kildee, who spent 36 years in Congress and whom Dan succeeded in 2013. Together, they will have represented the Flint area for nearly a half-century at the end of Dan Kildee's current term.

Kildee was never one who wanted to be “wheeled out of there” and is leaving at the peak of his time in public service, said former state Sen. Jim Ananich, D-Flint.

“Life and the quality of Congress has gotten worse as he has gotten better,” Ananich said. “…It’s got to be frustrating for someone who is always looking to help people.”

Kildee has been a “huge advocate” for Flint, but also an adviser and mentor to Ananich over the past 25 years, the former Senate Democratic Leader said.

“There’s been nobody in my lifetime and probably before that who put the interests of Flint ahead of him,” Ananich said.

Ananich, when asked if he would run for the seat, said he'd likely make a decision next week. "But I'm pretty happy in my life right now," he said.

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Lansing Democrat and most senior member of Michigan's delegation, said Kildee "embodies everything we want our public servants to be."

"His love for his hometown of Flint, his district, and the state of Michigan is so clear and shows up in all of his work in Congress. During the water crisis in Flint, he worked around the clock to make sure families had resources, clean drinking water and access to care," Stabenow said.

Republican Rep. John Moolenaar, a long-time friend to Kildee, said he always enjoyed playing in the Congressional Baseball Game with him.

"Now Dan will have more time to enjoy BLTs from Tony’s," Moolenaar said. "I wish him and his family all the best during his final year in Congress and in retirement."

GOP eyes Kildee's district

Kildee's reelection last fall was considered the toughest campaign of his career as he sought a sixth term in office and defeated Republican Paul Junge by more than 10 percentage points.

The newly drawn district still slightly favors Democrats, but is more competitive since redistricting and has been a top target for Republicans.

"Democrats are in shambles as their list of swing-district Democrats who are racing for the exits continues to grow," said Mike Marinella, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee. "Republicans are looking forward to flipping this seat red.”

President Joe Biden would have won the 8th District by 2 percentage points in 2020 over Republican former President Donald Trump under the new boundaries.

Republican Martin Blank, a trauma surgeon, launched a campaign last month for the 8th District. Blank spent more than 23 years in the U.S. Army and Army Reserve and held leadership positions, including chief of three forward surgical teams, two of which were deployed to Afghanistan, according to his campaign.

Kildee said he’s confident that Michigan would re-elect Biden and elect a Democrat to succeed him in the 8th District after he retires.

"It’s a tough seat. We’ve proven that with a good campaign and a good candidate, we were able to win," Kildee told The News. "We've demonstrated that if you give the voters a good choice, they'll take it. I don't know who yet will emerge, but there's a lot of talented people that could do this job. My hope is to do whatever I can to help a Democrat hold this seat."

From nonprofit to Congress

Kildee grew up in Flint. Before heading to Washington, he led a local nonprofit that revamped vacant and deteriorating properties for community use and served in Genesee County government.

He serves as chief deputy whip in the House and is a member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee and the Budget Committee. He is also a part of the Democratic Party's leadership in the House, serving as co-chair of the Democrats' Steering and Policy Committee.

Kildee's priorities in the House have included trade issues, domestic manufacturing, health care costs, the Great Lakes and clean water, including replacing lead pipes and cleaning up toxic PFAS chemicals. Last year, he pushed legislation to restore pension benefits for over 20,000 salaried Delphi retirees and said he still hopes to get that passed before he retires.

In terms of his legacy, Kildee pointed to his work with the delegation to secure federal relief for Flint during the lead-contaminated water crisis there in 2015-2016.

"Being able to navigate $170 million in relief for Flint through a Republican-led Congress was tough — it was really not an easy thing to do and we got it done, and I feel like that was an important moment," Kildee said.

The congressman noted he also advocated for the release of political prisoners in Iran. The U.S. government secured the release of four Americans in 2016, including Kildee's constituent Amir Hekmati.

He also cited his role in the Inflation Reduction Act and the Chips and Science Act, particularly around electric vehicles and transitioning to renewable energy with the various tax credit elements that he helped to write.

“For the remainder of my term, I will continue bringing the same passion, work ethic and drive to help our community and my constituents. My congressional offices will remain open and available to assist anyone in the district who needs help," Kildee said in a statement.

“While I’m stepping back from elected office at the end of my term, I’m most definitely not retiring. I’m looking forward to a new chapter continuing to serve Flint and mid-Michigan, just outside of elected office.”

mburke@detroitnews.com

Staff writers Craig Mauger and Riley Beggin contributed.