Michigan’s 7th Congressional District
A Voter’s Guide to the 7th Congressional Race
Candidates Republican Tim Wahlberg and Democrat Gretchen Driskell
Libertarian Ken Proctor is also on the ballot.
Michigan’s 7th Congressional District is the southeast and south-central part of the state and includes the cities of Monroe, Adrian and Hillsdale. A Republican has won the seat in the vast majority of elections since the early 1990s. The one exception was in 2008 when Democrat Mark Schauer held the seat for a single term. Schauer lost the district to current Congressman Tim Walberg in 2010 by less than five percentage points. Walberg also served a prior term as the 7th Congressional District’s representative from 2007 to 2009.
Republican Congressman Tim Walberg
Walberg has said the key issues he’s focusing on in this election are growing jobs, creating fiscally responsible budgets and abolishing Obamacare. A former pastor, Walberg also lists a strong anti-abortion stance as one of his core values.
Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @RepWalberg
Democratic Challenger Gretchen Driskell
State Rep. Gretchen Driskell (D-Saline) has represented Michigan’s 52nd House District since 2013. Prior to that, she was the 14-year mayor of Saline. Recently, Driskell introduced a so-called “Voter Bill of Rights” as an amendment to the Michigan state constitution. Driskell has said her key issues in this election include an increased emphasis on education, governmental transparency and campaign finance reform.
Follower her on Facebook and on Twitter @GDriskell
Libertarian Ken Proctor
Follow him on Facebook
About the Voters:
Population | 705,141 |
Age Distribution: 18-34 | 20.1% |
Age Distribution: 35-59 | 35.5% |
Age Distribution: 60+ | 21.6% |
Male | 50.1% |
Female | 49.9% |
Race |
White: 91.67% |
Foreign-born | 2.4% |
Education Level |
Less than high school graduate: 9.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, |
Previous Congressional Elections:
2014 General Election Tim Walberg (R) – 53.45% Pam Byrnes (D) – 41.17% |
2012 General Election Tim Walberg (R) 53.34% Kurt Richard Haskell (D) – 43.02% |
Previous WDET Work on Michigan’s 7th Congressional District:
Big Money in the Race for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District
How Are Republican Voters Feeling About This Election?
The Race for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District