MICHIGAN, USA — ABC News has called the race for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District in favor of incumbent U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten. She defeated Republican challenger Paul Hudson.
This is Congresswoman Scholten’s second election. She defeated Republican John Gibbs in 2022 with 54% percent of the vote.
Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District encompasses parts of Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon counties in West Michigan.
Rep. Scholten opened up a 10-point lead in the race late on Election Day and ABC News projected her as the winner a little before 1 a.m. Wednesday.
It was redrawn in 2022 to remove Barry, Calhoun and Ionia Counties. It was condensed to cover greater Grand Rapids, Muskegon and chunks of Kent and Ottawa counties.
Scholten was first elected to the House in 2022. She was the first Democrat in decades to represent the area and the first woman to do so.
Hudson is an attorney who ran a campaign focused on tackling inflation, lowering taxes, and securing the border.
Hudson conceded the race.
"I just called Hillary Scholten to offer my congratulations on the win and best wishes for her next term serving West Michigan. It was a disappointing result but, as they say, the next best thing to playing and winning is playing and losing. I am proud of the campaign we ran and it was the honor of a lifetime to be part of this great American process.
My deepest thanks to all of the supporters, volunteers, campaign staff, friends, and family who believed in this thing from the start. I hope I made you proud, and I look forward to finding ways to serve in the future," he shared on Facebook.
