Michigan gets two new U.S. House members as Republicans pick up a seat

Michigan voters on Tuesday elected two new U.S. House members to represent mid-Michigan congressional districts after hard-fought campaigns, while Republican U.S. Rep. John James survived a reelection rematch against Democrat Carl Marlinga to retain a suburban Detroit seat.

The battlegrounds in Michigan's 7th, 8th and 10th congressional districts were among the most competitive races in the country, and they resulted in Republicans picking up a Democratic seat in the Lansing area. The GOP will assume a slim 7-6 majority in Michigan's U.S. House delegation.

Despite the one-seat pickup, it didn't immediately help the Republicans retain their narrow majority in the U.S. House. Whether the GOP maintains control and gives President-elect Donald Trump total control of Washington after Republicans retook control of the Senate depends on a few races where the results may not be decided until next week.

Former State Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, won the open 7th District seat in the Lansing area in Tuesday's election, defeating Democratic former state Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr. of East Lansing. The winner was declared early Wednesday morning, with Barrett capturing 50% of the vote to Hertel's 46.5%. Libertarian Rachel Daily captured 3% of the votes, according to unofficial results.

Barrett said it appeared voters in the district had not bought into the "attacks" against him, including on abortion, "and they gave me the benefit of the doubt."

"I'm ready to get to work to continue to build that trust and continue to invest back into my district, because I take the job itself, as representative in Congress, I take that very seriously," Barrett told The Detroit News.

The 7th District encompasses Clinton, Ingham, Livingston and Shiawassee counties and parts of Eaton and Oakland counties.

In the Tri-Cities region of mid-Michigan, Democratic state Sen. Kristen McDonald Rivet triumphed over Republican Paul Junge in the open 8th District U.S. House seat representing Genesee, Saginaw and Bay counties and parts of Midland County.

McDonald Rivet had 51% of the vote and Junge had 45%, with 99% of the vote counted. Kathy Goodwin of the Working Class Party had 2% and Libertarian Steve Barcelo was at 1%.

McDonald Rivet, 54, had framed the choice between her and Junge as “stark.” The first-term state senator and former Bay City commissioner said she’s raised six kids, managed a family budget and cares about the high cost of groceries, while Junge has “relied on his trust fund.”

Junge, 58, a former TV anchor and lawyer by training, pitched himself as the candidate of change. The race was Junge's third time running for a congressional seat in Michigan without success.

In a statement Wednesday, Junge congratulated McDonald Rivet on her victory.

"While unfortunately we came up short at the polls, I was proud of the campaign we ran, highlighting the concerns of working families I heard so often ― out-of-control costs that increasingly put the American Dream out of reach for too many, securing our Southern border and then need for commonsense solutions in Washington," Junge said.

In Macomb County, Republicans held on to a seat in their bid to retain the U.S. House majority.

With Trump at the top of the ticket and carrying Michigan, James fared better in Tuesday's election than two years ago when he eked out a 1,600-vote win over Marlinga, a former Macomb County judge and prosecutor from Sterling Heights.

On Tuesday, James defeated Marlinga by more than 28,000 votes, according to unofficial results, winning 51% support of 10th District voters in southern Macomb County and Rochester and Rochester Hills in Oakland County.

Marlinga won 45% of the vote, while Working Class Party candidate Andrea Kirby won 2.6% and Libertarian candidate Mike Saliba had 1%, according to unofficial results.

Marlinga conceded the race on midday Wednesday after local clerks reported that all ballots had been tallied in Macomb County.

"While this is not the outcome we had hoped for, I am incredibly grateful for the support and dedication of the people who stood by me throughout this campaign. This race was about more than just a seat in Congress — it was about standing up for our shared values," Marlinga said in a statement.

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