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041020 Political Note #282 Hillary Scholten MI CD 03
2020 General Election
(This note is business as usual. While the country deals with COVID-19, we also need to prepare for the election in November. This Note is intended to help achieve a Democratic victory.)
Under ordinary circumstances, a Democrat would have no chance in this rural, conservative district. The largest city, Grand Rapids, has fewer than 200,000 people. Battle Creek has slightly more than 50,000 people. Democratic candidates rarely receive more than forty percent of the vote.
33% in 2000
28.3% in 2002
31.5% in 2004
34.6% in 2006
35.4% in 2008
37.5% in 2010
44.2% in 2012
39% in 2014
37.5% in 2016
43.2% in 2018
The picture has been getting better for Democrats. Kind of. That’s not why Hillary Scholten https://www.hillaryscholten.com has a shot in this election. She will be running against a Republican and a really strong Independent candidate – the incumbent, Justin Amash.
On the Fourth of July, 2019, Jordan Amash declared his independence from the Republican Party. He had represented MI 03 as a Republican since 2010. He was dismayed, however, by the behavior of President Trump, whose conduct he believed was impeachable. He was dismayed by Congress, which he sees as having lost its capacity to act as an independent body. He will be one of Hillary Scholten’s formidable opponents.
Four Republicans are running to be nominated. MI 03 has been a Republican District for some time – on the Congressional level and the presidential level. GW Bush received 59% and 60% of the vote in the district in his winning elections. John McCain edged out Barack Obama 49-48 in 2012. But Republicans have won every time since 1992. Whoever achieves the Republican nomination will be formidable.
If Hillary Scholten can achieve 42% of the vote, even 38% of the vote, she could be the next Member of Congress from MI 03. Hillary Scholten brings religion to the conversation. In a story in Grand Rapids’ Calvin University Chimes, she explains: “My faith has always motivated me to action. The example of Christ was not just to read and internalize. It was an act of service…” She clarified the ends toward which she serves: “Our faith teaches that every person and every other living thing has inherent worth and dignity. It also teaches that we are called to uphold that dignity and protect it through the work of our hands.” These comments are important to Calvin University’s community. The University website explains that every faculty member is a Christian.
Hillary Scholten is appealing. Look at her website. Read her “about” section. Hillary Scholten is one of the few politicians who really gives you a picture of who she is. And that picture is appealing. You’d like to know her. Here is what she says about herself:
Initially, she explains her great grandparents came to Grand Rapids from the Netherlands, her mom was an elementary school teacher, her dad a sportswriter and editor, and she is raising her two young sons in her Christian faith, to think critically, and to stand for what is right. She continues to address growing up in West Michigan:
“….my mon’s work at a high-poverty school put us in touch with struggling families and students facing difficult times. We opened our home to these families in ways big and small. Seeing these families working hard, playing by the rules, and still living in poverty, disturbed me and refused to let me ignore the injustices right in front of me. So I took the lessons I learned from my mom, and from my church , and dedicated my life to helping others. I led the kids summer program at Mel Trotter Ministries, a non-profit that helps homeless woman and their children (among others) get back on their feet. I later earned a degree in social work and became a case worker for the Aids Action Committee, where I helped members of the LGBQ+ community who faced housing discrimination.
“Seeing time and again throughout my life that the system is rigged for the wealthy and well-connected I realized that in order to make real change, we had to change the system. That’s why I went to law school, clerked for the US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, and later worked for the Department of Justice (DOJ) under the Obama Administration. At the DOJ, our goal was to create strong, fair, and moral immigration policies. But when President Trump was elected, chaos took over. Carefully crafted policies focused on keeping Americans safe were overruled by late night Tweets. While Washington dissolved further into partisan bickering, I joined the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center to handle our growing imigration crisis, protect Michigan families, and defend our Constitution. I also served as a volunteer attorney for Times Up Legal Defense Fund, an organization that provides legal service to women who face sexual harassment in the work place.
“We need fresh perspectives in Congress. We need leaders who have seen first-hand how policies impact people. My experience working with homeless families at Mel Trotter Ministries… , advocating for working families while experiencing employment violations while working as an attorney here in Grand Rapids, and advising the Department of Justice on immigration policies during the Obama Administration has given me deep and broad knowledge of the ways our laws work – and more often don’t – for everyday people.
“I’m running for Congress because we need a leader who is committed to putting forth common sense solutions for the pressing problems facing West Michigan, from housing shortages to a national immigration crisis that is felt daily on a local level. I’m running to make our schools even stronger. I’m running because our health system is broken. I’m running because everyone deserves clean, running water. I’m running because it is time for women and girls in West Michigan saw themselves reflected in national leadership. I’m running to be a voice for West Michigan. AND I HOPE YOU’LL JOIN ME.”
Hillary Scholten is an authentic American voice. We don’t get them often enough. We certainly don’t get them often enough running for Congress. Circumstances have created an opportunity for her. She can make the most of the opportunity. She’s in the ball park raising money. At the start of the year, she had $200,000 on hand – a little more than each of the Republicans running except for Peter Meijer, who had over $500,000. The incumbent had more than $700,000. Help Hillary Scholten https://www.hillaryscholten.com make a run. Increase her campaign funding. She’s been endorsed by Emily’s List, so she’ll get some outside organizational support, too – especially if she can show that she is competing.
Below are Congressional seats Democrats are trying to flip from incumbent Republicans. The ones with asterisks ran in 2018* In 2018, Democrats flipped 40 Republican seats in the House. Let’s flip 20 more.
Congress
Arizona 06 Hiral Tipirneni* to beat incumbent David Schweikert
Arkansas 02. Joyce Elliott to beat incumbent French Hill
California 50 Ammar Campa-Hajjar* to win this now open Rep seat
Florida 16 Margaret Good to beat incumbent Vern Buchanan
Illinois 13 Betsy D Londrigen* to beat incumbent Rodney Davis
Indiana 05 Christina Hale to win this open Republican seat
Iowa 04 JD Scholten* to beat incumbent Steve King
Kansas 02 Michelle De La Isla to beat incumbent Steve Watkins
Michigan 03. Hillary Scholten to defeat incumbent Independent Justin Amash and the Republican nominee
Michigan 06 Jon Hoadley to beat incumbent Fred Upton
Minnesota 01 Dan Feehan* to beat incumbent Jim Hagedorn
Missouri 02 Jill Schupp to beat incumbent Ann Wagner
New York 02 Jackie Gordon to win this open Republican seat
New York 21 Tedra Cobb* to beat incumbent Elise Stefanic
Ohio 04 Mike Larsen to beat incumbent Jim Jordan
Pennsylvania 10 Eugene DePasquale to beat incumbent Scott Perry
Texas 02 Sima Ladjervardian to beat incumbent Dan Crenshaw
Texas 21 Wendy Davis to beat incumbent Chip Roy
Texas 22 Sri Preston Kalkuri to win this open Republican seat
Texas 23 Gina Ortiz Jones* to win this open Republican seat
Washington 03 Carolyn Long* to beat incumbent Jaime Herrera Beutler
