Incumbency is No Advantage: Michigan's 7th Congressional District

Authors

  • David A. Dulio
  • John S. Klemanski

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15763/issn.2374-7781.2009.30.0.189-212

Abstract

In the four elections from 2002 through 2008, four different candidates were elected to the United States House of Representatives seat representing the Michigan’s 7th congressional district. Such turnover is rare in U.S. House races, where a large majority of incumbents easily win reelection and many districts are not considered to be competitive. In fact, the 7th district is the only one in the nation that has seen this type of turnover in this four-election span. The turnover in representation has occurred even though the district has been considered a leaning Republican district after both the 1992 and 2002 re-districting plans went into effect. The district’s turnover in representatives is due in part to the nature of the district and its voters, but also because of the candidates in each election, and a combination of events that began after the 2002 election.

References

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Published

2009-07-01

Issue

Vol. 30: Summer 2009

Section

Articles

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