For west Michigan Republicans, Paul Hudson in Aug. 6 party primary | Endorsement
West Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District — including portions of Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa counties — flipped blue in 2022 with an upset win by Grand Rapids Democrat Hillary Scholten.
Republicans will look to win the seat back in November, but GOP voters in August must first pick a candidate to go up against the incumbent congresswoman, who won in 2022 by 13 points, in the November general election.
In the GOP primary race, the Detroit Free Press endorses attorney PAUL HUDSON of East Grand Rapids, who says he’s running for office because all too often, the candidates who step forward are self-serving or even narcissistic. But the 3rd is "still Gerald Ford's district," Hudson noted, and he is gambling that west Michigan voters will send a thoughtful, no-nonsense conservative to Washington.
The top vote-getter in the Aug. 6 Republican primary will run against Scholten this fall. The Free Press will make a separate endorsement for the general election.
Editorial:1 tip to change the outcome of elections
A 'commonsense Republican'
Hudson says he is the reasonable, commonsense Republican many voters in the "purple" district may be looking for, with a focus on addressing the national debt, improving border security and easing inflation.
“My basic theory of politics is … when you talk people in the real world, they don’t process the world through a hardcore partisan lens,” Hudson said in an endorsement interview with the Free Press Editorial Board. “It’s just not how they think. I don’t either.”
He says he’s serious about responsible government spending and would take on leaders of either party who fail to pursue serious cutbacks. At the same time, he supports federal initiatives that are essential to Michigan like the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative.
His positions on police reforms and the war in Gaza leave something to be desired in the realm of empathy and familiarity with mistreated populations.
But in many areas he demonstrates refreshing departures from entrenched positions Republicans of the past held onto for too long.
Hudson said he respects the will of Michigan voters when it comes to protecting abortion rights and would not support any sort of federal abortion ban, and he expressed support for LGBTQ+ communities.
“To me, it’s pretty simple,” he said. “Let’s treat everybody with respect and dignity. I’m a strong supporter of the LGBTQ+ community and they would have a voice in my office just like everybody else.”
At the end of the last reporting period, Hudson had raised $518, 471.
Hudson works for Miller Canfield as the law firm's chair of appeals. He said he’s argued hundreds of appeals in state and federal courts, often defending law enforcement officers. He ran unsuccessfully for Michigan Supreme Court in 2022, finishing in fourth place with more than 800,000 votes.
His primary opponent, Michael Markey, is a financial advisor with similar conservative beliefs. At the end of the same period, Markey reported $580,442. But some of Markey's policy plans — like requiring potential home buyers to spend significantly more to purchase a home — could have disastrous effects on both the economy and access to homeownership.
Hudson is simply more qualified.
How to vote
Local clerks will mail absentee ballots to Michigan voters on June 27. Registered voters may cast ballots early, in person, from July 27 to Aug. 4 — check with your local clerk for the location of early voting sites and ballot dropboxes. And, of course, you can vote — and register to vote — in person on Aug. 6, Election Day.
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