Republican Kerry Bentivolio has moved on in the special election to replace Thaddeus McCotter in Michigan’s eleventh district.
Bentivolio was one of four Republicans vying to serve out the remainder of McCotter’s term in Congress.
He topped former State Senator Nancy Cassis and two others in the suburban Detroit district. He faces David Curson, the only Democrat on the ballot, in the special November general election.
McCotter, a Republican, resigned in July. State officials said that made a special election necessary, even though the winner will serve only a few weeks.
Novi resident Dan Williams came out to vote in the special election, but he wasn’t happy about it.
“It’s ridiculous, the amount of money it costs to have a special election for such a short period of time,” Williams said. “But we just have to go through with it. We just can’t have a vacated seat.
It really was embarrassing for our district to have this situation.”
Officials say the special election will cost 11th district municipalities, as well as Wayne and Oakland counties, around $650,000.
Bentivolio, a Tea Party activist and former teacher, also won the regular August primary for the newly-redrawn eleventh Congressional district.
He faces Democrat Syed Taj in the November general election.
