The michigan delegation
congressional officials …
Michigan is a diverse and dynamic congressional delegation.
Of the 15 members in the 2022-2023 class, seven are female, and eight are male. Three are minority representation through the end of the year. Four are lawyers, one holds a doctorate, while eleven Master’s degrees have been conferred to delegation members.
Several members of the Michigan congressional delegation are military members with combat duty. One of the veterans rose to the rank of Lieutenant General.
The average tenure for the delegation is 3.6 terms, assuming everyone completes their service through the end of 2024. The longest-serving member has been in Congress since 2000.
Three members of the Michigan delegation are freshmen in the House, and one of the Senators is up for election but is retiring.
When you look at these profiles, we have given each a letter grade for their effort this Congress, based on various factors, which you will find in What Is Thomas Looking For? These letter grades are probably pretty familiar to you if you have ever been a school student (we hope the answer to that is we all have!).
If you see a meager score for a particular member, it will probably be due to one or two key factors: ethics challenges or anti-democratic behavior.
Republicans have been hit hard on their lack of pushback on former President Trump and their support of election denying in the 2020 presidential campaign. The unanswered soaring deficit on their watch, the dismantling of allied relationships around the globe, and opposition to funding anti-authoritarian initiatives. The denial of climate change weighs heavily on us as well. We make no secret that transparency and Government in the Sunshine are important to us, and we further argue that some have been awful stewards of this category. For example, three of the 15 Michigan delegation members voted to overturn the 2020 presidential election results the same evening as Trump supporters stormed the United States Capitol.
Democrats have been hit hard for their lack of progress on key matters because they do control the United States Senate and have a razor-close margin in the U.S. House of Representatives. They have not been, in our opinion, innovative or necessarily insistent on finding rational, reasonable solutions to the problems plaguing the American public today. We want to see more and better.
Both have been dinged for being too partisan and not collaborative where evident. In our opinion, being too doctrinaire and an obstructionist to good government in the 21st century is unacceptable.
We are also indicating what we believe today might be the outcome of these Members’ 2024 elections. The overwhelming majority of House members were re-elected in 2022.
Our prospect ratings fall into three categories:
Safe Bet - which means what it means. These members of Congress are running strong and look to be overwhelming prospects for re-election at this time. However, we reserve the right to re-categorize their chances if necessary.
It’s A Race - this race is too close to call, and we can not reasonably predict who will win this seat.
Nudging - means the seat is leaning one way or another for this candidate. We have just a small number of current members of Congress in this category. Stay tuned!
So, would you like to meet these fascinating Michiganders? If so, keep reading on!
what is thomas looking for?
There are several vulnerable races Thomas is watching in Michigan for 2024:
MIS1 - Debbie Stebanow’s Senate seat (Incumbent D)
MI03 - Hillary Scholten’s seat (Incumbent D)
MI07 - Elissa Slotkin’s open seat (Incumbent D)
MI08 - Dan Kildee’s open seat (Incumbent D)
the senators
Credit: US Sen. Debbie Stabenow
United States Senator debbie stabenow (D)
The senior senator from Michigan, four-term Senator Debbie Stabenow, is planning to retire at the end of her current term, opening the seat for new candidates in the 2024 election. The Senator is chair of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee; and a member of the Budget Committee; Energy and Natural Resources Committee; and Finance Committee. She earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Michigan State University and is the mother of two.
Thomas Take: Not Running for Re-Election in 2024 (Open Seat) - Nudging Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Sen. Gary Peters
United states senator gary peters (d)
Michigan’s junior senator is serving in his second term and is a member of the Armed Services Committee; the Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee; the Joint Economic Committee; and chairs the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. Senator Peters is a veteran of both the Navy and Marine Corps rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. The married father of three graduated from Alma College, and holds Master’s degrees from the University of Detroit, Wayne State University where he also earned his law degree, and Michigan State University.
Thomas Take: Not Up For Re-Election in 2024
Thomas Rank: A
the representatives
Credit: US Rep. Jack Bergman
district 1 - u.s. rep. jack bergman (r)
Congressman Jack Bergman represents northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula. He is serving his fourth term in the U.S. House and also has the distinction of being a Lieutenant General in the United States Marine Corps. The married father of five is a member of the Armed Services Committee, the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, and the Budget Committee. He graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College and has a graduate degree from the University of West Florida.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
district 2 - U.S. Rep. john moolenaar (r)
Congressman John Moolenaar represents a district that encompasses the western portion of Michigan and is serving in his fifth term in Congress. A graduate of Hope College with an MBA degree from Harvard University, Moolenaar is married and the father of six. He is a member of the Appropriations Committee and the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party Committee.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. John Moolenaar
Credit: U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten
District 3 - U.S. Rep. hillary scholten (d)
Hillary Scholten is a member of the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Committee on Small Business. A freshman member of the House, Congresswoman Scholten represents the Grand Rapids area and parts of western Michigan. A graduate of Gordon College with a law degree from the University of Maryland, the Congresswoman is married and the mother of two.
Thomas Take: Nudging Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
District 4 - U.S. Rep. bill huizenga (r)
Representing southwestern Michigan including the Kalamazoo and Battle Creek areas, seven-term Congressman Bill Huizenga serves on the Financial Services Committee. He is married, the father of five, and graduated from Calvin University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Bill Huizenga
Credit: US Rep. Tim Walberg
district 5 - U.S. rep. tim walberg (r)
Congressman Tim Walberg is a seven-term member of the U.S. House who represents the Lower Peninsula area of Michigan. A pastor by occupation, Congressman Walberg graduated from Taylor University and earned his Master’s degree from Wheaton College. The married father of three serves on the Education and the Workforce Committee and the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
district 6 - U.S. rep. debbie dingell (d)
The sixth district runs through southeastern Michigan and is represented by five-term Congresswoman Debbie Dingell. A member of the Natural Resources Committee and the Committee on Energy and Commerce, Dingell is the widow of John Dingell who chaired Energy and Commerce for many years and holds the record for being the longest-serving member of Congress in history. Congresswoman Dingell earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Georgetown University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: A
Credit: US Rep. Debbie Dingell
Credit: US Rep. Elissa Slotkin
district 7 - U.S. rep. elissa slotkin (d)
Three-term U.S. Representative Elissa Slotkin represents the Lansing area and western suburbs of Detroit. A member of the Armed Services Committee, the Homeland Security Committee, and the Veterans’ Affairs Committee, Slotkin has announced that she is a candidate for the open Senate seat being vacated by Debbie Stabenow. The Congresswoman was a former CIA officer before being elected to Congress as well as a National Security Council staff member under President George W. Bush and staff member in the Department of Defense and Department of State under President Barrack Obama. She graduated from Cornell University and earned her graduate degree from Columbia University.
Thomas Take: Not Running for Re-Election in 2024 (Open Seat Running for the Senate) - Nudging Republican
Thomas Rank: B
district 8 - U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee (D)
Congressman Dan Kildee represents central Michigan in the U.S. House and is a member of the Ways and Means Committee and the Committee on the Budget. The married father of three graduated from the University of Michigan and has announced that he will not be seeking re-election in 2024.
Thomas Take: Not Seeking Re-Election in 2024 (Open Seat) - Nudging Republican
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. Dan Kildee
Credit: US Rep. Lisa McClain
district 9 - U.S. rep. lisa mcclain (R)
Representing the northern metro area of Detroit, Congresswoman Lisa McClain is a two-term member of the House who serves on the Armed Services Committee, the Budget Committee, and the Oversight and Accountability Committee. The married mother of four graduated from Northwood University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Republican
Thomas Rank: D
district 10 - u.s. rep. John james (r)
First-term member of Congress John James serves a district that runs in the Lower Peninsula of Michigan. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, with graduate degrees from the University of Michigan and Penn State University, Congressman James serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Education Committee. He twice ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2018 and 2020 before being elected to the House. An Iraq War veteran, James is married and the father of three.
Thomas Take: Nudging Republican
Thomas Rank: B
Credit: US Rep. John James
Credit: US Rep. Haley Stevens
district 11 - U.S. Rep. haley stevens (d)
Congresswoman Haley Stevens is a three-term member of Congress who serves a district north of Detroit. A member of the Education and the Workforce Committee; the Science, Space and Technology Committee; and the Strategic Competition Between the United States and Chinese Communist Party Committee, Stevens earned her undergraduate and graduate degrees from American University.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: B
district 12 - U.S. Rep. rashida tlaib (D)
Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib is a three-term member of Congress representing the Michigan inner cities of Detroit and Dearborn. A graduate of Wayne State University with a law degree from Cooley Law School, Tlaib serves on the Finance Committee, the Natural Resources Committee, and the Oversight and Reform Committee. A Palestinian-American, Congresswoman Tlaib was censured by the full House of Representatives in 2023 for controversial comments she made about President Biden and genocide. She is the mother of two.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: F
Credit: US Rep. Rashida Tlaib
Credit: US Rep. Shri Thanedar
district 13 - U.S. Rep. shri thanedar (d)
A graduate of the University of Akron with a Ph.D., as well as a graduate degree from the University of Mumbai, and an undergraduate degree from Karnataka University, Indian-born Shri Thanedar represents Wayne County in Congress. The married father of two who was a businessman before election to Congress and was a Socialist at one time now serves on the Homeland Security Committee and the Small Business Committee.
Thomas Take: Safe Bet Democrat
Thomas Rank: C