KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — Congressman Fred Upton is declaring victory in Michigan’s 6th District Congressional race.
He made this announcement on his Twitter page:
I am grateful for the trust – once again – to serve southwest Michigan for another two years. Our country faces enormous challenges & I remain committed to working with the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus to get things done in a closely divided political climate. #MI06
pic.twitter.com/Jz8ELMDjfC
— Fred Upton (@UptonForAllOfUs) November 4, 2020
In a written statement, Upton added, “We absolutely have to come together for another COVID relief package that passes the bipartisan muster to aid our communities, health care providers, small businesses, schools, families, and the most vulnerable. Testing and an FDA-approved vaccine are critical to restoring our way of life. I am set to work with anyone from either party to get the job done. Full steam ahead.”
He said the race was officially declared at 4:30 a.m. Wednesday. Upton has been serving in the U.S. House since 1987.
With 93% reporting, Upton had 195,656 votes or 58.1% while democratic challenger Jon Hoadley was at 127,741 votes or 37.9%.
Hoadley made this statement on his Twitter page:
While we’re disappointed in the results, the number of outstanding ballots are not enough for us to win. Thank you to everyone who came out to vote and to the election workers making sure to count every vote.
— Jon Hoadley (@JonHoadley) November 4, 2020
— ORIGINAL STORY —
KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) — In the November 3 General Election, four candidates are racing to fill the seat of District 60 in the Michigan House.
That seat is currently held by Republican Congressman Fred Upton, who has been serving since 1987. If he wins in the election, he will be serving his 18th consecutive term. In addition to serving as a Congressman, he also served as Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce from 2011 to 2017.
He also serves as a Vice Chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, a bipartisan group “committed to finding common ground on many of the key issues facing the nation,” according to its website.
His Democratic competitor, State Representative Jon Hoadley, currently holds the 60th District State Representative seat. He serves as minority vice chair of the House Appropriations Committee and is also a member of the National Caucus of Environmental Legislators, the National LGBTQ Task Force, and the American State Legislators for Gun Violence Prevention.
In late September, WKZO hosted a live debate between Hoadley and Upton. They discussed topics such as absentee voting, the rural-urban divide, term limits and more.
See below for links:
- Recap article
- Video
- Podcast – Part 1 and Part 2
In addition to Upton and Hoadley, there are also two other candidates running for this Congressional seat and will appear on the ballot on November 3rd.
35-year-old Jeff Depoy is the Libertarian candidate. More on Depoy and his campaign can be found here.
31-year-old John Lawrence is with the Green Party. His Facebook page can be found here.
Hoadley’s 60th District seat is also open to vote on. Kalamazoo County Commissioners Julie Rogers and Stephanie Moore are vying for the position, with Moore running as a write-in candidate. Additionally, Gary Mitchell is the only Republican candidate on the ballot for that position. He has worked as a realtor in the Kalamazoo area for the last four years.
The latest election results can be found here.
— WKZO will update this article as the race develops. —
