Summary
Current Position: US Representative of MI 3rd District since 2023
Affiliation: Democrat
District: greater Grand Rapids and Muskegon areas, including portions of Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa counties. Redistricting removed Barry, Calhoun, and Ionia counties.
Upcoming Election:
Scholten was a judicial law clerk and attorney adviser for the Board of Immigration Appeals from 2013 to 2017. When the Obama administration ended, she moved back to Grand Rapids and became a staff attorney for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.
OnAir Post: Hillary Scholten MI-03
News
About
Source: Government site
Congresswoman Hillary J. Scholten is honored to serve the people of Michigan’s Third Congressional District, a diverse district that is anchored by the urban centers of Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Grand Haven, and includes suburbs, farmland, and miles of beautiful Lake Michigan shoreline.
Congresswoman Scholten is a fourth-generation West Michigander, a mom, a Christian, and an attorney who proudly served in the U.S. Department of Justice. Her great-great-grandparents emigrated to the United States to find opportunity in West Michigan. Ever since, her parents, grandparents, and extended family have put down deep roots in this community—committed not only to building a better life for themselves and their families, but devoted to creating a better community for all.
A foundation of faith has motivated Congresswoman Scholten’s career in public service and her desire to continue to serve West Michigan in Congress. Inspired by her mother, a dedicated community servant who spent most of her career as a public school teacher at a high-poverty elementary school, Congresswoman Scholten began her own career as a social worker. She worked with people affected by issues of housing and homelessness. During this time, she worked with individuals in the LGBTQ community who were facing homelessness and housing insecurity—often because of their sexual orientation or gender identity. In the early part of her career, she gained insight and expertise into how systems work and far too often don’t for those on the margins in society.
Congresswoman Scholten obtained her law degree from the University of Maryland Thurgood Marshall School of Law, and then went on to clerk for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit in their special unit focused on immigration issues. Following her clerkship, she joined the Justice Department through the Attorney General Honors Program, where she continued to work on matters of immigration and civil rights.
Congresswoman Scholten now serves as the first woman and mother ever to represent Michigan’s Third District in Congress. Bringing new voices to the table is key to making sure our representation is equitable and reflective of the district. She’s building one of the most diverse teams to ever serve West Michigan, both in Washington, D.C., and at home in the district. Service is at the heart of what drives Congresswoman Scholten’s mission to deliver for the district every single day. She’s focused on providing responsive, effective, down-to-earth, accessible representation that meets the practical needs of the district. This includes securing critical infrastructure investments and eliminating transportation barriers in isolated communities, supporting our small business community, improving K-12 education and higher education, and fighting for West Michiganders’ fundamental rights at the federal level.
West Michigan is Congresswoman Scholten’s home. She and her husband, Jesse, are raising their two boys and the family dog, Smoky, on the southeast side of Grand Rapids. You’ll often find her on the sidelines at her kids’ sporting events, walking Smoky, or in line at the grocery store. At the end of the day, Representative Scholten is committed to rolling up her sleeves and getting to work on the issues that matter to working families across the district, because they matter to her and her family, too—that’s what representation is all about.
Personal
Full Name: Hillary Scholten
Gender: Female
Family: Husband: Jesse; 2 Children: James, Wesley
Birth Place: MI
Home City: Grand Rapids, MI
Religion: Christian
Source: Vote Smart
Education
JD, Francis King Carey School of Law, University of Maryland, 2008-2012
BA, Gordon College, 2000-2004
Political Experience
Representative, United States House of Representatives, Michigan, District 3, 2023-Present
Professional Experience
Member, Committee on Small Business
Member, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure
Member, Subcommittee on Aviation
Member, Subcommittee on Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation
Ranking Member, Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure
Member, Subcommittee on Underserved, Agricultural, and Rural Business Development
Member, Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment
Offices
Washington DC Office
1317 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515Phone: (202) 225-3831
Grand Rapids District Office
110 Michigan Street NW
Grand Rapids, MI 49503Phone: (616) 451-8383
Contact
Email: Government
Web Links
Politics
Source: none
Finances
Source: Vote Smart
Committees
Representative Hillary Scholten serves on the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure and the House Committee on Small Business.
The Congresswoman serves on the Transportation and Infrastructure subcommittees on Aviation, Water Resources and Environment, and Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation. Additionally, she serves on the Small Business subcommittees on Contracting and Infrastructure, and Rural Development, Energy, and Supply Chains.
The Congresswoman serves as the Vice-Ranking Member on the Coast Guard Subcommittee and the Ranking Member on the Contracting and Infrastructure Subcommittee.
Congresswoman Scholten is also part of the Equality Caucus, the Problem Solvers Caucus, the Heartland Caucus, and the Black Maternal Health Caucus. She serves on the Great Lakes Task Force, the PFAS Task Force, and is a part of the New Democratic Coalition.
New Legislation
Learn more about legislation sponsored and co-sponsored by Congresswoman Scholten.
Issues
Source: Government page
More Information
Services
Source: Government page
District
Source: Wikipedia
Michigan’s 3rd congressional district is a U.S. congressional district in West Michigan. From 2003 to 2013, it consisted of the counties of Barry and Ionia, as well as all except the northwestern portion of Kent, including the city of Grand Rapids. In 2012 redistricting, the district was extended to Battle Creek. In 2022, the district was condensed to the greater Grand Rapids and Muskegon areas, including portions of Kent, Muskegon, and Ottawa counties. Redistricting removed Barry, Calhoun, and Ionia counties.[5]
The district is currently represented by Hillary Scholten, a member of the Democratic Party.
Wikipedia
Hillary Jeanne Scholten (/ˈskoʊltən/ SKOHL-tən; born February 22, 1982)[1][2] is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan’s 3rd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, she represents Grand Rapids and much of the urban core of West Michigan, in a district once represented by former President Gerald Ford.
Early life and career
Scholten grew up in Hudsonville, Michigan. She attended Unity Christian High School and graduated from Gordon College and the University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law.[3]
Scholten was a judicial law clerk and attorney adviser for the Board of Immigration Appeals from 2013 to 2017. When the Obama administration ended, she moved back to Grand Rapids and became a staff attorney for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center.[4]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2020
In July 2019, Scholten announced her candidacy for the United States House of Representatives in Michigan’s 3rd congressional district in the 2020 elections.[3] She was unopposed in the Democratic Party primary.[5] She lost the general election to Republican nominee Peter Meijer,[6] but came the closest a Democrat had come to winning the district since 1982, when incumbent Republican Harold S. Sawyer was held to 51% in what was then the 5th district.[7] It was also only the second time since 1982 that a Democrat had received 40% of the vote; the Democratic nominee received 43% two years earlier.[8]
2022
Scholten ran again in the 2022 elections.[9] She was again unopposed in the Democratic primary. She was initially preparing for a rematch against Peter Meijer, but Meijer lost the Republican primary to a considerably more conservative challenger, former Trump administration official John Gibbs.[10]
Scholten was running in a district that had been made much friendlier to Democrats in redistricting; it had been pushed to the west to grab a large portion of the Lake Michigan shoreline, including Muskegon.[11] Had it existed in 2020, Joe Biden would have won it with 53% of the vote;[12] Donald Trump carried the old 3rd with 51%.[13] Scholten (54.9%) defeated Gibbs (42%) to win election to the 118th United States Congress.[14]
2024
Scholten ran again in the 2024 election. She had token opposition in the Democratic primary, winning 91% of the vote. She went on to win the general election winning 53.7% of the vote against a Republican opponent.[15]
She joined in the calls for Joe Biden to step aside as the Democratic presidential nominee, becoming the first in Michigan’s congressional delegation to do so, leading to retaliation from Biden allies.[16][17]
Caucus memberships
Source:[18]
Committee assignments
Political positions
Scholten joined Vice President and 2024 Democratic Party presidential candidiate Kamala Harris and Governor Gretchen Whitmer, in Harris’s Reproductive Rights Tour who participated in a roundtable discussion in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on the topic of reproductive rights for women, February 2024 at The Fountain Street Church, a historic church in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Harris complimented on Scholten’s grit on a women’s right to choose and praised her for being an advocate for Reproductive Rights.
Scholten supports abortion rights.[21] In a speech opposing the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, she cited Jeremiah 1:5, which states, “I knew you before I formed you and placed you in your mother’s womb”, a verse commonly cited by Christians “to make theological or scriptural arguments in favor of legal protections for preborn children“.[22][23]
Personal life
Scholten’s husband, Jesse Holcomb, is a journalism professor at Calvin University, a Reformed Christian institute. They have two sons, James and Wesley.[3] Scholten is a member of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church where she currently serves as a deacon. [24] Scholten describes herself as a devout Christian who is strong in her faith.[25]
Electoral history
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Peter Meijer | 213,649 | 53.0 | |
| Democratic | Hillary Scholten | 189,769 | 47.0 | |
| Independent | Richard Fuentes (write-in) | 1 | 0.0 | |
| Total votes | 403,419 | 100.0 | ||
| Republican gain from Libertarian | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hillary Scholten | 185,989 | 54.87 | |
| Republican | John Gibbs | 142,229 | 41.96 | |
| Libertarian | Jamie Lewis | 6,634 | 1.96 | |
| Working Class | Louis Palus | 4,136 | 1.22 | |
| Total votes | 338,988 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratic gain from Republican | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Hillary Scholten (incumbent) | 225,400 | 53.7 | |
| Republican | Paul Hudson | 183,896 | 43.8 | |
| Libertarian | Alex Avery | 5,282 | 1.3 | |
| Working Class | Louis Palus | 5,546 | 1.3 | |
| Total votes | 418,841 | 100.0% | ||
References
- ^ “Candidate Conversation: Hillary Scholten (D)”. Inside Elections.
- ^ McVicar, Brian (October 2, 2020). “Democrat Hillary Scholten Raises $1.5M in Race to Replace Congressman Amash, Tops GOP Rival Meijer”. MLive. Retrieved November 2, 2020.
- ^ a b c Nann Burke, Melissa (July 8, 2019). “Democrat Scholten joins race for Amash’s seat in U.S. House”. The Detroit News. Detroitnews.com. Retrieved October 31, 2020.
- ^ “Immigration attorney jumps into Democratic primary for 3rd Congressional District”. mlive. July 8, 2019. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ^ Rod, Marc (August 3, 2020). “The race to succeed Rep. Justin Amash heats up”. Jewish Insider.
- ^ Boucher, Dave. “Peter Meijer defeats Hillary Scholten in west Michigan congressional race”. Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ^ “MI District 5 Race – Nov 02, 1982”. Our Campaigns.
- ^ “Our Campaigns – MI District 03 Race – Nov 06, 2018”.
- ^ “Hillary Scholten jumping into Democratic primary to replace Rep. Peter Meijer in Congress”. mlive. February 1, 2022. Retrieved June 16, 2022.
- ^ “Peter Meijer concedes to John Gibbs in Republican primary for 3rd Congressional District race”. Michigan Radio. August 3, 2022.
- ^ Nisa Khan; Emma Ruberg (February 14, 2022). “The changes to Michigan’s congressional map, district by district”. Michigan Radio.
- ^ Nir, David (November 14, 2022). “Daily Kos presidential results by congressional district”. Daily Kos.
- ^ Nir, David (November 19, 2020). “Presidential election results by congressional district”. Daily Kos.
- ^ “Scholten defeats Gibbs for Grand Rapids Congress seat”. Freep.com. November 9, 2022. Retrieved November 9, 2022.
- ^ Booth-Singleton, DeJanay (November 6, 2024). “Rep. Hillary Scholten wins re-election in Michigan’s 3rd District, CBS News projects – CBS Detroit”. www.cbsnews.com. Retrieved November 12, 2024.
- ^ Detroit News (July 11, 2024). “Democratic Michigan congresswoman joins calls for Biden to ‘step aside’ as nominee”.
- ^ Politico (July 18, 2024). “Biden allies retaliated against a Dem who called for him to step aside”.
- ^ “Committees and Caucuses”. Representative Hillary Scholten. January 3, 2023. Retrieved March 25, 2023.
- ^ “Endorsed Candidates”. NewDem Action Fund. Retrieved December 3, 2022.
- ^ a b “Congresswoman Hillary Scholten Appointed to the Transportation and Infrastructure and Small Business Committees”. Representative Hillary Scholten. January 31, 2023. Retrieved March 7, 2023.
- ^ McVicar, Brian; Frick, Melissa (November 9, 2022). “Hillary Scholten defeats Trump-backed John Gibbs for West Michigan congressional seat”. mlive. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Kamman, Samantha; Reporter, Christian Post (January 13, 2023). “Democrat cites Jeremiah 1:5 to defend abortion: ‘It doesn’t say the government’s womb’“. The Christian Post. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
- ^ Saksa, Jim (September 14, 2023). “For Hillary Scholten, faith (and Jerry Ford) led the way to Congress – Roll Call”. rollcall.com. Retrieved May 6, 2024.
- ^ Rani, Rikha Sharma (August 3, 2020). “Could These Evangelical Democrats Change the Party?”. POLITICO. Retrieved December 6, 2022.
- ^ “Representative Hillary Scholten”. scholtenforms.house.gov. Retrieved October 15, 2024.
- ^ “2020 Michigan Election Results Official”. Michigan Secretary of State. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
- ^ “2022 Michigan Election Results – General”. Michigan Secretary of State. November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
External links
- Congresswoman Hillary Scholten official U.S. House website
- Hillary Scholten for Congress campaign website
- Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
- Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
- Legislation sponsored at the Library of Congress
- Profile at Vote Smart
- Appearances on C-SPAN
