GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — West Michigan Republican candidates took a victory lap on Wednesday evening, holding a Unity Reception after the previous night's primary elections.
A crowd of GOP supporters packed the Kent County headquarters in Grand Rapids, while congressional candidate John Gibbs thanked his supporters for their efforts to get him where he is today and congressman Peter Meijer offered his congratulations to Gibbs on a well-run race.
Gibbs says he plans to meet more potential constituents as he and other Republican candidates get to work preparing for November's election.
"It's been my honor to serve this district. It's been the honor of a lifetime to be your Republican nominee in the 2020 cycle. And now that is an honor that we're passing off to John Gibbs, so we can give another round of applause for John," said Meijer.
One of the most high-profile races in this primary election in West Michigan was Peter Meijer and John Gibbs for the third congressional seat in parts of Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon Counties.
Gibbs, who received an endorsement from former President Trump, pulled off an upset on Meijer, the incumbent, by almost 4,000 votes.
Meijer is one of ten republicans who voted in favor of impeaching the 45th president following the January 6th insurrection.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to showcase Gibbs and Trump standing together. The DCCC's reasoning is the chances of beating Gibbs in the general.
"We have polls going back from February showing that we were ahead, so whatever they were gonna do or not do, that didn't make any difference," Gibbs said.
With the primaries now over, Gibbs says he plans to meet more potential constituents as he and other Republican candidates get to work preparing for November's election. Specifically, he plans to address the needs of Michiganders, including high gas prices and inflation.
"I was talking to a group of black pastors, and they were saying that some members of their congregation cannot even work. Their job involves driving because gas prices are now too expensive," Gibbs told FOX 17.
In the past, Gibbs has said the 2020 election was stolen.
When asked whether he would support November's general results, this is what Gibbs had to say:
"I mean, that's what default that you obviously hope the system works and you trust the system. But of course, trust but verify. So that's why you have lots of pull challenges and election inspectors out there. And there's actually quite a robust process that the counties have to deal with irregularities and recounts and things like that."
Meijer did not want to comment following his time addressing the crowd.
Gibbs will now face off against Democratic Candidate Hillary Scholten, who was among Democrats who gathered in Kent County for a similar party.
Scholten says they're going to flip the 3rd district together.
Michigan's general election is on November 8th.
