Clerks start mailing out absentee ballots for Michigan’s August primary Thursday.
The race for mid-Michigan’s 8th Congressional District is getting a lot of attention.
Without a Kildee on the November ballot, Republicans have high hopes of winning a seat Democrats have held for more than half a century.
Last month, the three candidates in the 8th District Republican primary were out shaking hands at the city of Burton’s Memorial Day parade, introducing themselves to voters.
“Hi, I’m Paul. Nice to see you today,” Paul Junge said as he leaned forward to shake the hand a man sitting in a folding chair watching the parade pass by.
In Paul Junge’s case, it’s about re-introducing himself to voters. Junge was the GOP’s nominee for the 8th district seat in 2022. He lost to Democratic incumbent Dan Kildee.
But Kildee’s decision to retire from Congress has put in play the seat held by members of the Kildee family since the 1970s.
Paul Junge believes the redrawn district showed in 2022 that it’s tougher for Democrats to hold on to the mid-Michigan district that covers Flint, Saginaw, Bay City, and Midland.
“I’m very comfortable making the case that I’m going to make, be a conservative voice,” said Junge, “I’m going to stand up for working class families. We’re going to battle this inflation that Joe Biden has inflicted on us. We’re going to secure the border.”
While Junge talks a lot about his experience as a Trump administration immigration official and as a prosecutor, he’s also been spending a lot of money on TV ads attacking his opponent Mary Draves.
“Mary Draves may play a Republican on TV. But the real Mary Draves is a true blue liberal, climate activist, Whitmer ally, Democrat donor….”
Mary Draves is a former Dow Chemical executive, including a stint as the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer. She’s donated to a few Democratic candidates, but more she’s often supported Republicans.
Draves insists she’s a conservative Republican.
“We need to look at energy independence. We need to have a secure border. We absolutely need to bring more jobs back to this community. And I’m the one to do that,” said Draves.
Anthony Hudson is the third Republican in the race. The trucking company owner’s campaign has largely gone unnoticed. Well, it had largely gone unnoticed. Until a few weeks ago, when a video featuring an AI generated endorsement from the late Martin Luther King junior posted on TikTok.
“I came back from the dead to say something. As I was saying, I have another dream that Anthony Hudson will be the 8th district’s next congressman. Yes, I have a dream again….”
Hudson at first apologized for the bizarre video, but later embraced it, saying the civil rights icon probably would have endorsed him.
Back at that Memorial Day parade in Burton, Hudson stressed what makes him different from his Republican rivals in the 8th district.
“As a veteran, as a truck driver, I’ve spent my entire adult life pushing the country forward behind the wheel of a semi. We can do the same job in office. And I think the people understand that,” said Hudson.
Paul Rozycki is a retired political science professor at Mott Community College. The longtime observer of Flint regional politics said Republicans have a very good chance of winning the congressional seat, given the strength former President Donald Trump has shown in parts of Bay, Saginaw, and Genesee Counties.
“Most of the polling organizations are calling the 8th District a toss-up district,” said Rozycki, “I suspect you’re going to see some serious outside money come pumping into the area…particularly if they have a very competitive candidate.”
If republicans are successful in flipping the 8th District seat, it will be the first time the GOP has represented Flint in Congress since Don Riegle switched parties in 1973.
