2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan
The 2008 congressional elections in Michigan were held on November 4, 2008, to determine who would represent the state of Michigan in the United States House of Representatives. Michigan had fifteen seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 111th Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. The election coincided with the 2008 U.S. presidential election.
The 7th and 9th district seats were considered to be competitive. Both seats were occupied by Republicans who lost to Democratic opponents.
The makeup of the Michigan congressional delegation in 2008 consisted of nine Republicans and six Democrats. As a result of the 2008 election, the delegation in 2009/2010 consists of eight Democrats and seven Republicans. The two Democratic Party gains came in the 7th and 9th districts.
District 1
Popular incumbent Bart Stupak was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Conservative state Representative Tom Casperson, from Escanaba, won the Republican primary election over Linda Goldthorpe and Don Hooper. The Libertarian Party nominated Daniel Grow; the U.S. Taxpayers Party nominated Joshua Warren and the Green Party nominated Socialist Jean Treacy. The 1st District is generally socially conservative and strongly pro-union. It covers the entire Upper Peninsula and the northern part of the Lower Peninsula, and is the largest congressional district east of the Mississippi River.District 2
Pete Hoekstra, a conservative incumbent and ranking Republican on the House Intelligence Committee, was challenged by Democrat Fred Johnson, Libertarian Dan Johnson and U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate Ronald Graeser. The district is centered on Michigan's West Shoreline and includes the cities of Muskegon and Holland.District 3
Incumbent Vern Ehlers was re-elected. The district trends Republican and is centered on Grand Rapids. Ehlers was challenged by Democrat Henry Sanchez and Libertarian Erwin Haas.District 4
Republican David Lee Camp was reelected. He was by challenged by Democrat Andrew Concannon, Libertarian Allitta Hren, and U.S. Taxpayer Party candidate John Emerick. This large district stretches from Owosso in the east central part of the state to Traverse City to the extreme northwest part of the Lower Peninsula.District 5
Democrat Dale Kildee ran for re-election in 2008. The Flint area congressman has served for over 30 years. His district is strongly Democratic. Petitions were circulated for Democratic state senator John Gleason to challenge Kildee, but Gleason decided not to run. Kildee is challenged on by Republican candidate by Matt Sawicki of Bay City, Libertarian candidate Leonard Schwartz and Green Party candidate Ken Mathenia of Grand Blanc.District 6
Republican Fred Upton had three opponents, Democrat Don Cooney, Green Edward Pinkney and Libertarian Greg Merle. The sixth district covers the southwest corner of lower Michigan.District 7
The seventh district covers the middle part of southern lower Michigan. Republican incumbent Tim Walberg faced State Senate Minority Leader and Democratic nominee Mark Schauer, Libertarian Ken Proctor, Green Lynn Meadows and independent Sharon Reiner.Walberg was elected in 2006 with a surprisingly thin 49.9% of the vote, despite outspending Democratic opponent Sharon Reiner 20:1. This made Walberg a top target for defeat in 2008 by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Schauer defeated Renier in the August 5 primary, after which Renier ran in the general election as a write-in candidate with no party affiliation.