GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — As we inch closer to the primary election on Aug. 6, two things might be on your mind — What am I voting for? Why does it matter?
Let's talk about it.
The two biggest elections you'll vote on will decide who shows up on the ballot in November for a seat in the U.S. Senate and in Michigan's 3rd Congressional District.
Starting in the Senate, there are six names on the primary ballot to replace Sen. Debbie Stabenow, whose seat has not been open since she assumed office in 2001.
On the Democratic side, Rep. Elissa Slotkin and Hill Harper will go head-to-head.
Slotkin currently represents Michigan's 7th Congressional District. Harper, an activist and actor, told FOX 17 he wants to go from saving lives on television to doing it in real life.
On the Republican side, you have four candidates to consider: Justin Amash, Mike Rogers, Dr. Sherry O'Donnell and Sandy Pensler.
Pensler, you'll remember, suspended his campaign during former President Trump's rally in Grand Rapids on July 20, throwing his support behind Mike Rogers. This follows an endorsement Rogers already earned from Trump himself.
Despite running as a Republican candidate in 2024, Amash told FOX 17, "Ideologically, I'm a Libertarian. I've always been a Libertarian."
O'Donnell first tried to break into politics with a run for Michigan's 5th Congressional District but lost to incumbent Tim Walberg.
Looking ahead to the general election in November, if a Republican wins this seat, it'll be the first time a Democrat lost a U.S. Senate race in Michigan since 1994.
Over in the U.S. House, history tells a big story in Michigan's 3rd Congressional District.
Democratic incumbent Rep. Hillary Scholten will square off against Salim Al-Shatel.
Al-Shatel, who works in real estate, had an unsuccessful run for the state House in 2022 but is now trying again to represent Michigan at the national level.
Scholten, meantime, took down John Gibbs (R) in the general election in 2022 but lost to Peter Meijer (R) in 2020.
That's when Michigan's 3rd Congressional District looked much different. In 2020, it covered five Michigan counties. Now, it only covers three — parts of Kent, Ottawa and Muskegon. You can see the difference below.
When Scholten won the general election in 2022, she became the first Democrat in more than three decades to represent the region. If she can get past Salim Al-Shatel in the primaries, she'll go up against the winner of the Republican ticket, which is between Paul Hudson and Michael Markey.
All this history can only tell us so much. You will help write a new chapter come Tuesday.
Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, is the primary election in Michigan. For more information, you can check out FOX 17's complete Election Guide.
**This article has been updated to reflect the correct number of counties in Michigan's Congressional 3rd District prior to 2022.
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