Dems search to flip traditionally Republican congressional seat in West Michigan in 2024
Jessica Swartz, a Kalamazoo legal professional, on Wednesday morning launched her marketing campaign as a Democratic contender for Michigan’s 4th Congressional District, in hopes of difficult U.S. Rep. Invoice Huizenga (R-Zeeland) in 2024.
“There’s plenty of blue voters who’re searching for a commonsense politician, a standard sense member of Congress to assist them. There’s additionally fairly just a few average voters who’re simply fed up with the MAGA extremism and are searching for somebody who can sit down and resolve some issues,” Swartz informed the Advance in a Tuesday interview.
Swartz is a West Michigan native who beforehand labored for the U.S. Division of Veterans Affairs earlier than serving as deputy basic counsel for Western Michigan College.
Huizenga, who represented Michigan’s 2nd Congressional District previous to redistricting, was reelected in 2022, defeating Democratic candidate Joseph Alfonso from Holland.
Alongside the 5 different Republican members of Michigan’s congressional delegation, Huizenga final week endorsed former President Donald Trump, in line with an announcement from Trump’s marketing campaign.
Each Huizenga and Alfonso have filed to run once more in 2024, with Huizenga elevating greater than $722,919 within the first half of the 12 months. Alfonso has not filed his second-quarter report but.
Chris Glasser from Kalamazoo, who sought the Democratic nomination in 2022, however ended his marketing campaign after failing to assemble sufficient signatures in time to make the poll, additionally may run once more.
Michigan’s 4th Congressional District represents all of Allegan and Van Buren counties and components of Berrien, Calhoun, Kalamazoo, and Ottawa counties. Previous to redistricting in 2022, Kalamazoo County — which went in favor of Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in every of her elections, and supported President Joe Biden in 2020 — was not a part of the 4th Congressional District.
In its 2023 Partisan Voting Index Map and Checklist, Prepare dinner Political Report gave Michigan’s 4th Congressional District a ranking of R+5, signaling a Republican lean. Nonetheless, Swartz mentioned the district is trending blue.
In April, the Democratic Congressional Marketing campaign Committee introduced it could be concentrating on an open seat in Michigan’s seventh Congressional District, presently held by U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Lansing) who’s working for U.S. Senate subsequent 12 months, and Michigan’s tenth Congressional District held by U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.).
The Nationwide Republican Congressional Committee may even goal the seventh , in addition to the third Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) and the eighth represented by U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Flint).
In her marketing campaign, Swartz mentioned she’s going to give attention to the financial system, the atmosphere and assaults on girls, by working to handle the rising price of dwelling, defending clear ingesting water and the Nice Lakes, and defending the suitable to abortion. Huizenga is against abortion rights.
Swartz mentioned she additionally needed to proceed advancing efforts on infrastructure, noting Huizenga’s vote towards the Infrastructure Funding and Jobs Act of 2021.
Huizenga criticized the bipartisan bundle in a assertion launched after the vote.
“A very bipartisan infrastructure bundle may have garnered widespread assist by specializing in exhausting infrastructure comparable to roads, bridges, highways, pipelines, and rural broadband,” Huizenga mentioned.
“I can’t assist laws that spends greater than needed and opens the door for trillions upon trillions of spending on liberal and socialist priorities,” he mentioned.
Huizenga didn’t instantly return a request for remark.
Swartz additionally highlighted her give attention to discovering commonsense options.
“My objective right here is to unravel issues and assist the individuals within the district, so I’m not going to close down people who find themselves coming to me with nice concepts based mostly on what social gathering they’re in,” she mentioned.
“I need to resolve issues. I don’t need to create extra issues. I’m keen to take a seat down on the desk and take heed to all the individuals in my district and never advocate just for the extremists on the suitable,” Swartz mentioned.
Swartz mentioned her background as a lawyer could be helpful if she’s elected.
“To be able to write the legal guidelines, you want to have the ability to learn them and perceive them and interpret them,” Swartz mentioned.
“I’ve had the chance of making an attempt to interpret for shoppers, each well-written legal guidelines and never very well-written legal guidelines. And , the higher coaching that you’ve in that space, the extra helpful you’ll be capable of be in writing issues which might be comprehensible for individuals,” Swartz mentioned.
Along with her authorized work, Swartz additionally labored with the nonpartisan group Voters Not Politicians in 2018, supporting the group’s push to create an impartial redistricting fee with the Proposal 2 constitutional modification that handed.
“I’ve been a public curiosity legal professional for nearly all of my profession. You already know, I’m very devoted to defending the voters in our district and making authorities work properly. And I feel that these are two issues that my opponent doesn’t essentially have,” Swartz mentioned, referring to Huizenga.
“I’m actually wanting ahead to working exhausting and getting on the market and speaking to the individuals in my district.”
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