Paul Junge, a former news anchor and lawyer, was leading by double digits late Tuesday in the 8th Congressional District Primary.
Junge is running against Matt Seely (a long-time business owner and a GOP advocate) and Candice Miller (a local businesswoman, with no connection to the former Macomb County Congresswoman and Michigan secretary d’état with the same name).
Junge was 56% ahead of Seely’s 22%, and Miller’s 22% with around 30% of precincts reporting. Soon after 10:45, Junge issued a press release declaring victory.
Junge stated in the release that “We will move again in the right direction by empowering Michigan families, and small businesses rather than letting liberal politician Dan Kildee continue causing damage to our economy and family budgets.”
They want to challenge Dan Kildee, the Democratic U.S. Rep. from Flint Township in the fall Democratic U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee. Kildee has been the local House representative for over nine years and is considered vulnerable by the GOP after redistricting.
Junge reached Junge Tuesday, shortly after the polls close. He said that he was “feeling confident.”
He said, “We are patiently waiting, but I feel like tonight we could win,”
This district, which includes parts of Bay, Midland and Saginaw counties, is one of the most competitive in the state.
Junge is running for Congress again after losing to Democrat U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Lansing by less than 4 percentage point in 2020. Junge stated that he would promote limited government and protect the private enterprise.
Seely is running to Congress for the first time to bring back jobs to the manufacturing sector. Miller stated in a press release, that her campaign is focused on cutting government spending and providing quality education without indoctrination.
Junge and Seely both stated that reducing inflation and decreasing gas prices would be their top priorities if they were elected.
Junge, Seely, and Trump are all supporters. Trump has not yet endorsed either of the candidates.
Analysts believe that a GOP challenger to Kildee will have a difficult task. Kildee benefits from long-term recognition and substantially more money than any other challenger.
Junge has spent less than $883,000 this cycle as per the latest campaign finance report, July 13. Seely has spent approximately $90,000. Kildee, who doesn’t have a primary opponent, has spent approximately $1.3 million.
Junge, 55 years old, was born in Ann Arbor. He attended high school in California and college in California. Junge was a former prosecutor and TV news anchor and then moved to Washington, D.C., to become the Senate Judiciary Committee’s investigative counsel.
His family’s business, All Star Maintenance which manages military housing, has also employed him. Trump’s U.S. He joined Trump’s U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in 2018, before running against Slotkin 2020.
Junge stated that his number one priority if elected, will be to lower inflation. Junge said that he doesn’t believe Trump’s unsubstantiated claims of winning the 2020 election but that he would like officials to do more to address public concerns and increase confidence in elections.
Seely, 58 years old, is the owner of a Detroit-based manufacturing firm that makes custom parts for the construction industry and material handling. He was previously a Grosse Pointe Shores city councilman and helped organize protests against safety measures for coronavirus.
He stated that he wants to create jobs by advocating for innovative manufacturing solutions and infrastructure solutions, working closely with companies to bring them to the region, and reducing government spending.
Seely stated that he doesn’t believe the 2020 presidential election was fair. Junge and Seely both support Roe v. Wade’s ruling by the Supreme Court, but they would not seek a federal ban. Instead, each state should decide their own abortion policies.
Miller didn’t respond to our request for interviews but she did provide a press release that announced her campaign. She stated that she wanted to improve infrastructure and end “governmental mandates”.
She stated that the future generation was being taught to hate America and to fear Washington. Washington also wants to control all things we do. “I’m fed up.”
Junge was defeated by Slotkin in 2020 by 3.6 per cent points in the 8th District. This old district represents portions of Oakland, Ingham, and Livingston counties. Trump won this area by a narrow margin.
President Joe Biden won the new 8th District by approximately 2 percentage points. However, in midterm elections, after a new president takes office, the opposition party often wins competitive seats. The non-partisan Cook Political Report labels the new 8th District a tossup district.