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  • 21 Aug, 2019

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Michigan's 7th Congressional District

Michigan's 7th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Southern Michigan and portions of Central Michigan. The current district, drawn in 2022, centers around Lansing, Michigan's state capital, and includes all of Clinton, Shiawassee, Ingham, and Livingston counties, as well as portions of Eaton, Gennessee, and Oakland counties.

The district is currently represented by Democrat Elissa Slotkin, who previously represented the old 8th district. The previous incarnation of this district was represented by Republican Tim Walberg, who now represents the state's 5th congressional district.

The district was identified as a presidential bellwether by Sabato's Crystal Ball, having voted for the Electoral College winner in the past four presidential elections as of 2020.

Composition

# County Seat Population
37 Clinton St. Johns 79,720
45 Eaton Charlotte 108,820
49 Gennessee Flint 401,522
65 Ingham Mason 284,637
93 Livingtson Howell 196,757
125 Oakland Pontiac 1,270,426
155 Shiawassee Corunna 68,025

Cities, townships, villages, and CDPs of 10,000 or more people

2,500 – 10,000 people

Recent election results in presidential races

Election results from presidential races
Year Office Results
2020 President Biden 49.6 - 48.6%
2016 President Trump 48.8 - 45.1%
2012 President Obama 50.1 - 48.8%
2008 President Obama 52 - 46%
2004 President Bush 54 - 45%
2000 President Bush 51 - 46%
1996 President Clinton 46 - 43%
1992 President Clinton 38 - 37%

History

The 7th congressional district was formed in 1872 covering the Thumb of Michigan. It had Tuscola, Huron, Sanilac, Lapeer, St. Clair, and Macomb Counties. In 1882 Tuscola County was removed from the district but everything else remained the same. In 1892 Grosse Point and Hamtramck Townships, the latter one today mainly within the city boundaries of Detroit were moved into the 7th district.

In 1912 Tuscola County was put back in the 7th district, but it may have lost its Wayne County areas. It was definitely deprived of these areas by 1932. In 1964 the 7th district experienced its most drastic redistricting yet. Only Lapeer County was retained from the old district while Genesee County was added. In 1972 the district was redrawn again, losing Lapeer County as well as a few outlying parts of Genesee County. In 1982 most of Lapeer County was put back in the 7th district. The northern tier of townships in Genesee County were moved to the 8th district. Burns Township in Shiawasee County and all the northern tier of townships in Oakland County with the exception of Brandon Township were also put in the district.

After 1992 this old 7th district constituted a large part of the new 9th district. The current 7th has no connection with the pre-1992 seventh congressional district. If populations and not just areas are considered, it is primarily an heir of the previous 3rd district. Most of the area came from the old 2nd district, and some of John Dingell's old 16th district was also included.

All of Eaton and Calhoun Counties were preserved from the 3rd to the 7th district. Half of the area of Barry County that had been in the old 3rd was retained. From the old 4th was drawn most of Branch County. The rest of Branch County and Hillsdale County, the southwestern portion of Washtenaw County and western Lenawee County, and most of Jackson County were taken from the old 2nd district. Even though most of the area of the old second was put in the new 7th, most of its population was moved into the 13th, From Ann Arbor to Plymouth, Livonia, and Northville. The portion of Lenawee County that had been in the 16th was absorbed, and a small part of the Washtenaw County area of the 15th district and the part of the old 6th that had been in Jackson County. Thus the new 7th district incorporated areas from six old districts.

The 2002 redistricting is best seen as a shift from the 3rd district to the 2nd district legacy. With the loss of its quadrant in Barry County and a small section of Calhoun County, the district lost affinity to the 3rd of yore. It took back the portion of Washtenaw County that had been lost to the 8th district, and shed the part of Washtenaw County that had come from the old 15th district. Although none of Wayne County was included in the new district, it did have Salem Township which not only borders Wayne County but is largely in a Wayne County-headquartered school district. From 2004 to 2013, the district contained of all of Branch, Eaton, Hillsdale, Jackson, and Lenawee counties, and included most of Calhoun and much of western and northern Washtenaw counties.

In the 2012 redistricting, the district gained Monroe County as well as the portion of Washtenaw County around Saline.

List of members representing the district

Representative Party Years Cong
ress
Election history
District created March 4, 1873

Omar D. Conger
(Port Huron)
Republican March 4, 1873 –
March 3, 1881
43rd
44th
45th
46th
Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 1872.
Re-elected in 1874.
Re-elected in 1876.
Re-elected in 1878.
Re-elected in 1880.
Resigned when elected U.S. Senator.
Vacant March 4, 1881 –
April 5, 1881
47th

John Tyler Rich
(Elba)
Republican April 5, 1881 –
March 3, 1883
Elected to finish Conger's term.
Lost re-election.

Ezra C. Carleton
(Port Huron)
Democratic March 4, 1883 –
March 3, 1887
48th
49th
Elected in 1882.
Re-elected in 1884.
Retired.

Justin Rice Whiting
(St. Clair)
Democratic March 4, 1887 –
March 3, 1895
50th
51st
52nd
53rd
Elected in 1886.
Re-elected in 1888.
Re-elected in 1890.
Re-elected in 1892.
Retired.

Horace G. Snover
(Port Austin)
Republican March 4, 1895 –
March 3, 1899
54th
55th
Elected in 1894.
Re-elected in 1896.
Retired.

Edgar Weeks
(Mount Clemens)
Republican March 4, 1899 –
March 3, 1903
56th
57th
Elected in 1898.
Re-elected in 1900.
Lost renomination.

Henry McMorran
(Port Huron)
Republican March 4, 1903 –
March 3, 1913
58th
59th
60th
61st
62nd
Elected in 1902.
Re-elected in 1904.
Re-elected in 1906.
Re-elected in 1908.
Re-elected in 1910.
Retired.

Louis C. Cramton
(Lapeer)
Republican March 4, 1913 –
March 3, 1931
63rd
64th
65th
66th
67th
68th
69th
70th
71st
Elected in 1912.
Re-elected in 1914.
Re-elected in 1916.
Re-elected in 1918.
Re-elected in 1920.
Re-elected in 1922.
Re-elected in 1924.
Re-elected in 1926.
Re-elected in 1928.
Lost renomination.

Jesse P. Wolcott
(Port Huron)
Republican March 4, 1931 –
January 3, 1957
72nd
73rd
74th
75th
76th
77th
78th
79th
80th
81st
82nd
83rd
84th
Elected in 1930.
Re-elected in 1932.
Re-elected in 1934.
Re-elected in 1936.
Re-elected in 1938.
Re-elected in 1940.
Re-elected in 1942.
Re-elected in 1944.
Re-elected in 1946.
Re-elected in 1948.
Re-elected in 1950.
Re-elected in 1952.
Re-elected in 1954.
Retired.

Robert J. McIntosh
(Port Huron)
Republican January 3, 1957 –
January 3, 1959
85th Elected in 1956.
Lost re-election.

James G. O'Hara
(Utica)
Democratic January 3, 1959 –
January 3, 1965
86th
87th
88th
Elected in 1958.
Re-elected in 1960.
Re-elected in 1962.
Redistricted to the 12th district.

John C. Mackie
(Flint)
Democratic January 3, 1965 –
January 3, 1967
89th Elected in 1964.
Lost re-election.

Donald Riegle
(Flint)
Republican January 3, 1967 –
February 27, 1973
90th
91st
92nd
93rd
94th
Elected in 1966.
Re-elected in 1968.
Re-elected in 1970.
Re-elected in 1972.
Elected as a Republican and changed political affiliation in 1973.
Democratic February 27, 1973 –
December 30, 1976
Re-elected in 1974.
Retired to run for U.S. Senator and resigned following early appointment.
Vacant December 30, 1976 –
January 3, 1977
94th

Dale Kildee
(Flint)
Democratic January 3, 1977 –
January 3, 1993
95th
96th
97th
98th
99th
100th
101st
102nd
Elected in 1976.
Re-elected in 1978.
Re-elected in 1980.
Re-elected in 1982.
Re-elected in 1984.
Re-elected in 1986.
Re-elected in 1988.
Re-elected in 1990.
Redistricted to the 9th district.

Nick Smith
(Addison)
Republican January 3, 1993 –
January 3, 2005
103rd
104th
105th
106th
107th
108th
Elected in 1992.
Re-elected in 1994.
Re-elected in 1996.
Re-elected in 1998.
Re-elected in 2000.
Re-elected in 2002.
Retired.

Joe Schwarz
(Battle Creek)
Republican January 3, 2005 –
January 3, 2007
109th Elected in 2004.
Lost renomination.

Tim Walberg
(Tipton)
Republican January 3, 2007 –
January 3, 2009
110th Elected in 2006.
Lost re-election.

Mark Schauer
(Battle Creek)
Democratic January 3, 2009 –
January 3, 2011
111th Elected in 2008.
Lost re-election.

Tim Walberg
(Tipton)
Republican January 3, 2011 –
January 3, 2023
112th
113th
114th
115th
116th
117th
Elected in 2010.
Re-elected in 2012.
Re-elected in 2014.
Re-elected in 2016.
Re-elected in 2018.
Re-elected in 2020.
Redistricted to the 5th district.

Elissa Slotkin
(Lansing)
Democratic January 3, 2023 –
present
118th Redistricted from the 8th district and re-elected in 2022.
Retiring at end of term to run for U.S. Senator.

Recent election results

2012

Michigan's 7th congressional district, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Walberg (incumbent) 169,668 53.3
Democratic Kurt R. Haskell 136,849 43.0
Libertarian Ken Proctor 8,088 2.6
Green Richard Wunsch 3,464 1.1
Total votes 318,069 100.0
Republican hold

2014

Michigan's 7th congressional district, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Walberg (incumbent) 119,564 53.4
Democratic Pam Byrnes 92,083 41.2
Libertarian Ken Proctor 4,531 2.0
Independent David Swartout 4,369 2.0
Constitution Rick Strawcutter 3,138 1.4
Total votes 223,685 100.0
Republican hold

2016

Michigan's 7th congressional district, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Walberg (incumbent) 184,321 55.1
Democratic Gretchen Driskell 134,010 40.0
Libertarian Ken Proctor 16,476 4.9
Total votes 334,807 100.0
Republican hold

2018

Michigan's 7th congressional district, 2018
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Walberg (incumbent) 158,730 53.8
Democratic Gretchen Driskell 136,330 46.2
Total votes 295,060 100.0
Republican hold

2020

Michigan's 7th congressional district, 2020
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Tim Walberg (incumbent) 227,524 58.7
Democratic Gretchen Driskell 159,743 41.3
Total votes 387,627 100.0
Republican hold

2022

Michigan's 7th congressional district, 2022
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Elissa Slotkin (incumbent) 192,809 51.7
Republican Tom Barrett 172,624 46.3
Libertarian Leah Dailey 7,275 1.9
Total votes 372,708 100.0
Democratic hold

Historical district boundaries

1993–2003
2003–2013
2013–2023

See also

Notes

  1. ^ "2022 Cook Partisan Voting Index (Cook PVI) District List". The Cook Political Report. January 7, 2023. Retrieved January 7, 2023.
  2. ^ "The changes to Michigan's congressional map, district by district". Michigan Radio. February 15, 2022. Retrieved January 9, 2023.
  3. ^ "Districts of Change, Part Two: Looking Beyond the Straight-Party Districts".
  4. ^ "Daily Kos Elections' presidential results by congressional district for 2020". Daily Kos. November 14, 2022. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
  5. ^ A number of candidates were elected as fusion candidates, but were seated in Congress with the Democratic Party: Ezra C. Carleton in 1882 and 1884 and Justin R. Whiting in 1886, 1888, and 1890 (he was elected as a Democrat in 1892).
  6. ^ "2012 Michigan House Results". Politico.
  7. ^ "2014 Michigan Official General Election Results - 11/04/2014".
  8. ^ "2016 Michigan Election Results - Official Results". Michigan Department of State. November 8, 2016. Retrieved December 9, 2016.
  9. ^ Johnson, Cheryl L. (February 28, 2019). "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 6, 2018". Clerk of the U.S. House of Representatives. Retrieved April 27, 2019.
  10. ^ "2020 Michigan Election Results Official". Michigan Secretary of State. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  11. ^ "2022 Michigan Election Results". Michigan Department of State. November 8, 2022. Retrieved July 8, 2024.

References

42°05′37″N 84°18′18″W / 42.09361°N 84.30500°W / 42.09361; -84.30500