Michigan's 1st Congressional District election, 2016

2018 → ← 2014

Michigan's 1st Congressional District

General Election Date November 8, 2016

Primary Date August 2, 2016

November 8 Election Winner: Jack Bergman

Incumbent prior to election: Dan Benishek

Race Ratings Cook Political Report: Lean R Sabato's Crystal Ball: Toss-up Rothenberg & Gonzales: Toss-up/Tilt R

Michigan U.S. House Elections District 1 • District 2 • District 3 • District 4 • District 5 • District 6 • District 7 • District 8 • District 9 • District 10 • District 11 • District 12 • District 13 • District 14

2016 U.S. Senate Elections

The 1st Congressional District of Michigan held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 8, 2016.

Michigan's 1st Congressional District was a battleground district in 2016. Incumbent Dan Benishek (R), who began serving in Congress in 2010, left his seat open by choosing not to seek re-election in 2016. Jack Bergman (R), a retired USMC general, defeated Michigan Democratic Party leader Lon Johnson (D), Diane Bostow (L), and Ellis Boal (G) in the general election on November 8, 2016. Bergman defeated Tom Casperson, a state senator, and Jason Allen, a former state senator in the Republican primary. On the Democratic side, Johnson defeated former Kalkaska County Sheriff Jerry Cannon to win the nomination. The primary elections took place on August 2, 2016.

HIGHLIGHTS

Michigan's 1st Congressional District seat was open following incumbent Dan Benishek's decision to retire.

Heading into the election, Lon Johnson (D) had a lead in fundraising over Jack Bergman (R). However, Bergman was still the favorite in the race.

Candidate Filing Deadline	Primary Election	General Election
April 19, 2016	August 2, 2016	November 8, 2016

Primary: A primary election is an election in which registered voters select a candidate that they believe should be a political party's candidate for elected office to run in the general election. They are also used to choose convention delegates and party leaders. Primaries are state-level and local-level elections that take place prior to a general election. Michigan utilizes an open primary system, in which registered voters do not have to be members of a party to vote in that party's primary.<

Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Dan Benishek (R), who was first elected in 2010. Benishek did not seek re-election in 2016. He had previously announced that he would seek election for a fourth term, despite making a pledge in 2010 to only serve three terms in Congress, but changed his mind in September 2015.

Michigan's 1st Congressional District is located in the far northern portion of the state and includes Alcona, Alger, Alpena, Antrim, Baraga, Benzie, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, Chippewa, Crawford, Delta, Dickinson, Emmet, Gogebic, Grand Traverse, Houghton, Iron, Kalkaska, Keweenaw, Leelanau, Luce, Mackinac, Manistee, Marquette, Menominee, Montmorency, Ontonagon, Oscoda, Otsego, Presque Isle and Schoolcraft counties and areas of Mason County.

Election results

General election

U.S. House, Michigan District 1 General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Jack Bergman	54.9%	197,777
	Democratic	Lon Johnson	40.1%	144,334
	Libertarian	Diane Bostow	3.7%	13,386
	Green	Ellis Boal	1.3%	4,774
Total Votes				360,271
Source: Michigan Secretary of State

Primary election

U.S. House, Michigan District 1 Republican Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Jack Bergman	38.6%	33,632
Tom Casperson	31.9%	27,813
Jason Allen	29.4%	25,607
Total Votes		87,052
Source: Michigan Secretary of State

U.S. House, Michigan District 1 Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Lon Johnson	71.6%	31,677
Jerry Cannon	28.4%	12,539
Total Votes		44,216
Source: Michigan Secretary of State

Candidates

General election candidates:

Jack Bergman a
Lon Johnson
Diane Bostow
Ellis Boal

Primary candidates:

Democratic

Jerry Cannon - Former Kalkaska County Sheriff
Lon Johnson - Michigan Democratic Party leader a

Republican

Jason Allen - Former State Senator
Jack Bergman - Retired USMC General a
Tom Casperson - State Senator

Third Party/Other

Diane Bostow (Libertarian) a

Not running:

Dan Benishek (R) - Incumbent

Race background

Incumbent Dan Benishek was a member of the NRCC's Patriot Program. The program is designed to help raise money and assist vulnerable incumbents seeking re-election. With Benishek's retirement, the seat is likely to be even more vulnerable than initially predicted.

Lon Johnson was one of the initial members of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's Red to Blue Program. The program "highlights top Democratic campaigns across the country, and offers them financial, communications, grassroots, and strategic support."

Jason Allen and Tom Casperson were members of the NRCC's Young Guns Program in 2016. The Young Guns program "supports and mentors challenger and open-seat candidates in races across the country."

Benishek's retirement

Incumbent Benishek chose to retire instead of run for re-election to a fourth term in Congress in 2016. Prior to his announcement on September 15, 2015, Benishek had stated that he would seek re-election, despite an initial claim he made in 2010 to limit himself to only three terms in office. Benishek addressed the issue in a statement. "Serving Northern Michigan has been – and continues to be – a privilege, and it is my sincere hope that the voters of the 1st district will allow me to continue representing them and their families. I recognize this conflicts with past statements I made when first running for office. After serving our veterans for 20-years as a doctor in our local VA hospitals, and now as the only Michigan member on the House Veterans Committee, I know that there is more work that must be done to ensure veterans are getting the benefits they have earned. But the fight to hold bureaucrats in Washington accountable won’t happen over night – it was a problem a long time in the making and will take a long time to undo. I believe I bring a unique perspective to overcoming those challenges as well as others facing families throughout the 1st District, and my hope is voters will agree." Benishek provided little explanation as to why he again changed his mind and decided to retire but said he would be able to "focus my time and attention" on helping veterans and families in Michigan's 1st congressional district.

Endorsements

Lon Johnson

• Bart Stupak - "I support Lon Johnson because he will work to create a U.P. and Northern Michigan where our families can stay and succeed."

Media

Jack Bergman

"Send a Marine" - Bergman ad, released June 2016

Lon Johnson

Support

"Haven't Changed" - Johnson's first ad, released July 2016

"Independence" - Johnson campaign ad, released September 2016

"Fight" - Johnson campaign ad, released September 2016

"Distracted" - Johnson campaign ad, released October 2016

Opposition

"It's All an Act" - NRCC ad opposing Johnson, released September 2016

"What It's Done" - NRCC ad opposing Johnson, released October 2016

"Not One of Us" - NRCC ad opposing Johnson, released October 2016

"Bergman Fights" - NRCC ad opposing Johnson, released October 2016

Campaign themes

Jack Bergman

“	Jobs and Opportunity: Every Michigander knows that freedom leads to prosperity. We need streamlined regulations that help create jobs and economic growth. A less cumbersome regulatory system will mean higher wages for workers across our congressional district and more opportunity for all. Taxes: We need tax reform that simplifies and lowers the tax rate for everyone. I support a fairer system that eliminates deductions for special interests who hire lobbying firms. This will help keep taxes low for everyone and create a more free and prosperous nation. Balance the Budget: Our debt is over $18 trillion, and we owe a substantial portion of that to China. Our children and grandchildren will be saddled with a bill that will lead to a worsened standard of living. That is not acceptable and why I support a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution. The president and Congress should not be allowed to spend away our future because they are afraid to make difficult decisions today. Pro-life: The first inalienable right described in the Declaration of Independence is the right to life, and the job of Congress is to protect our rights, not take them away. That includes the lives of those yet unborn. Rather than treating pregnancy or children as a problem, we should work together to create a society that welcomes them into our communities with loving and open arms. We must remember that every person is a unique child of God, full of potential. As a member of Congress, I will protect the unborn and move the pro-life message forward. The Second Amendment: For over two centuries the Second Amendment has guaranteed that our fellow citizens have the right to protect themselves. The right to bear arms is not just about hunting or target practice—it’s about being a free nation. I will protect the Second Amendment.	”
—Jack Bergman's campaign website, http://www.bergmanforcongress.com/issues

Lon Johnson

“	Don’t Privatize Social Security and Medicare: As your congressman, I will defend these programs from politicians like Jack Bergman who want to sell out our seniors and send their Social Security and Medicare dollars to Wall Street. I will speak out and speak up for seniors. I will protect, preserve and strengthen Medicare and Social Security by supporting legislation that enhances these programs in the best interests of today’s seniors and future generations as well. Seniors who have paid into these programs their entire lives have earned those benefits upon their retirement. Strengthening our Economy: Nationally, the economy continues to slowly recover from the Great Recession. Here in the U.P. and Northern Michigan, we’ve seen positive signs of job growth, but we still rank relatively low compared to the rest of the nation. We still have a long way to go in order to rebuild our economy. Respecting and Helping our Veterans: Veterans have served and sacrificed for our country. But too many veterans today are being denied the basic services they have earned and been promised. Further, many veterans suffer from mental and physical disabilities received serving our country. Too many veterans remain jobless and homeless. Our elected officials have a responsibility to serve our veterans and ensure that the nation pays them back for their service. Rejecting the Trans-Pacific Partnership: Northern Michigan already has to compete to keep jobs here. The TPP would force us to compete with other countries which lack laws regarding workers’ rights, environmental protections and wages that are as low as $1 per hour. As your congressman I will fight against this disastrous trade deal... The need for high-speed internet: Forty percent of the businesses across the state that want high speed internet service don’t have access to it, putting them at a competitive disadvantage. But the problem is even more acute in the Upper Peninsula, where broadband isn’t widely available. This is not acceptable.	”
—Lon Johnson's campaign website

Campaign contributions

---

Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

---

Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Lon Johnson

---

Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

Jack Bergman

---

Source: This graphic was generated using data from the FEC.

---

The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may not represent all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer, and campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

---

District history

2014

See also: Michigan's 1st Congressional District elections, 2014

The 1st Congressional District of Michigan held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Dan Benishek (R) defeated Jerry Cannon (D), Ellis Boal (G) and Loel Gnadt (L) in the general election.

U.S. House, Michigan District 1 General Election, 2014

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Dan Benishek Incumbent	52.1%	130,414
	Democratic	Jerry Cannon	45.3%	113,263
	Libertarian	Loel Robert Gnadt	1.5%	3,823
	Green	Ellis Boal	1.1%	2,631
Total Votes				250,131
Source: Michigan Secretary of State

2012

See also: Michigan's 1st Congressional District elections, 2012

The 1st Congressional District of Michigan held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Dan Benishek (R) won the election in the district.

U.S. House, Michigan District 1 General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Gary McDowell	47.6%	165,179
	Republican	Dan Benishek Incumbent	48.1%	167,060
	Libertarian	Emily Salvette	3.1%	10,630
	Green	Ellis Boal	1.2%	4,168
Total Votes				347,037
Source: Michigan Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election"

Important dates and deadlines

See also: Michigan elections, 2016

The calendar below lists important dates for political candidates in Michigan in 2016.

Dates and requirements for candidates in 2016
Deadline	Event type	Event description
February 12, 2016	Campaign finance	Pre-election report due
February 23, 2016	Election date	Election
March 21, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for incumbent judges seeking re-election to file for the state primary
March 24, 2016	Campaign finance	Post-election report due
April 19, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for partisan and nonpartisan candidates (other than incumbent judges) to file for the state primary
April 22, 2016	Campaign finance	Pre-election report due
May 3, 2016	Election date	Election
June 2, 2016	Campaign finance	Post-election report due
July 21, 2016	Ballot access	Deadline for unaffiliated candidates to file for the general election
July 22, 2016	Campaign finance	Pre-election report due
August 2, 2016	Election date	Primary election
September 1, 2016	Campaign finance	Post-election report due
October 28, 2016	Campaign finance	Pre-election report due
November 8, 2016	Election date	General election
December 8, 2016	Campaign finance	Post-election report due
Sources: Michigan Secretary of State, "2015 and 2016 Campaign Finance Filing Schedule," accessed July 1, 2015 Michigan Secretary of State, ,"2016 Michigan Election Dates," accessed January 16, 2016

See also

• United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2016
• United States House of Representatives elections, 2016

Footnotes

For information about public policy issues in the 2016 elections, see: Public policy in the 2016 elections!

[show]

Michigan's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

Gary Peters (D)

Debbie Stabenow (D)

Representatives

District 1

Jack Bergman (R)

District 2

John Moolenaar (R)

District 3

Hillary Scholten (D)

District 4

Bill Huizenga (R)

District 5

Tim Walberg (R)

District 6

Debbie Dingell (D)

District 7

Elissa Slotkin (D)

District 8

Dan Kildee (D)

District 9

Lisa McClain (R)

District 10

John James (R)

District 11

Haley Stevens (D)

District 12

Rashida Tlaib (D)

District 13

Shri Thanedar (D)

Democratic Party (9)

Republican Party (6)