Michigan's 11th Congressional District elections, 2014
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November 4, 2014 |
August 5, 2014 |
David Trott |
Kerry Bentivolio |
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Cook Political Report: Likely R[1] Sabato's Crystal Ball: Likely R[2] |
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The 11th Congressional District of Michigan held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Newcomer David Trott (R) defeated challengers Bobby McKenzie (D) and John Tatar (L) in the general election.[3]
Rep. Kerry Bentivolio (R), who was first elected in 2012 after the retirement of Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, faced an uphill battle in the primary election on August 5, 2014. David Trott, a Michigan businessman and lawyer, defeated Bentivolio in the Republican primary after leading in the polls in the months leading up to the primary.
Bentivolio, a reindeer farmer who was endorsed by tea party organizations in his 2012 bid for election, was accused by Trott of refusing to debate the issues and hold town halls for 11th District residents.[4] Former presidential candidate Mitt Romney and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce endorsed Trott for the race. Bentivolio received endorsements from the Tea Party Express and the Republican Liberty Caucus, among others.
Trott defeated Bobby McKenzie in November. McKenzie defeated three other Democratic primary candidates to secure his nomination. Third party candidate John Tatar ran on the ballot with the Libertarian Party. Bentivolio filed in October to run as a write-in candidate stating that it was bolster support for Republicans in the district and not to derail Trott.
| Candidate Filing Deadline | Primary Election | General Election |
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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.[5]<[6]
Voter registration: To vote in the primary, voters must have registered by June 7, 2014. For the general election, the voter registration deadline was October 6, 2014.[7]
- See also: Michigan elections, 2014
Incumbent: Heading into the election the incumbent was Kerry Bentivolio (R), who was first elected in 2012. Bentivolio was defeated by Dave Trott on primary election night. Bentivolio was often referred to as the "accidental congressman" because he was able to win election in 2012 because of ballot access issues former Rep. Thaddeus McCotter unexpectedly had, which prevented him from appearing on the ballot.[8]
Michigan's 11th Congressional District is located in the southeastern region of the lower peninsula of Michigan and includes portions of Oakland and Wayne counties.[9]
Candidates
General election candidates
David Trott
Bobby McKenzie
John Tatar
August 5, 2014, primary results
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Bentivolio write-in
On September 15, 2014, Bentivolio announced that he and his family would be writing in their votes for Bentivolio. When asked if he would launch an official campaign, he was less certain: "I have to weigh really, what am I doing here? If I [run as a] write-in, if it's successful in any way, meaning we get four or five percent of the vote, then then [sic] Democrat wins. And I don't know if I really want to do that," he said.[10]
In October, Bentivolio officially filed to be a write-in candidate for the general election. He stated that his intents were to help draw out more support for Republicans in the district and not to derail Trott.[11]
Elections
General election results
The 11th Congressional District of Michigan held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 4, 2014. Incumbent David Trott (R) defeated challengers Bobby McKenzie (D) and John Tatar (L) in the general election.
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Dave Trott |
56.2% | 140,435 | |
| Democratic | Bobby McKenzie | 40.7% | 101,681 | |
| Libertarian | John Tatar | 3.1% | 7,711 | |
| Total Votes | 249,827 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State | ||||
Primary results
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Anil Kumar | 31.8% | 12,479 | ||
| Bobby McKenzie |
34.3% | 13,441 | ||
| Bill Roberts | 7.4% | 2,906 | ||
| Nancy Skinner | 26.5% | 10,371 | ||
| Total Votes | 39,197 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State |
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| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kerry Bentivolio Incumbent | 33.6% | 21,254 | ||
| David Trott |
66.4% | 42,008 | ||
| Total Votes | 63,262 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State |
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Race background
Primary election
In contrast to the narrative of the 2010 and 2012 elections of tea party candidates challenging incumbent, more establishment candidates, businessman and Republican Party leader David Trott engaged and beat Rep. Bentivolio, who received a conservative ranking of 100 percent in 2014 from FreedomWorks' Congressional Scorecard, in a primary battle.[12] Rep. Bentivolio lost in the Republican primary on August 5, 2014. Trott had excellent initial fundraising numbers and led in the polls throughout the months leading up to the election.[13]
2012
The 2012 election race in Michigan's 11th district was a close race, with Kerry Bentivolio securing victory with a 6.4% margin of victory. According to the analysis by FairVote, the district's composition became more favorable to Republicans following the 2010 redistricting, shifting from a 2% edge for Democrats to a 6% edge for Republicans. Bentivolio faced off against Syed Taj in the Republican primary, as a result of incumbent Thaddeus McCotter's inability to garner enough signatures for his petition for nomination. Bentivolio was supported by the National Republican Congressional Committee's Young Guns program, which aimed to help incoming Republicans. Bentivolio was outspent by his opponent, spending $482,219 compared to Taj's $677,582.[14]
Polls
General election
| Bobby McKenzie vs. David Trott | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Bobby McKenzie | David Trott | Undecided | Margin of Error | Sample Size | ||||||||||||||
| Tulchin Research (August 20-24, 2014) | 40% | 44% | 16% | +/-4.38 | 500 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Primary election
| Kerry Bentivolio vs. Dave Trott | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poll | Kerry Bentivolio | Dave Trott | Undecided | Margin of Error | Sample Size | ||||||||||||||
| National Research Inc. (June 22-23, 2014) | 21% | 39% | 40% | +/-4.9 | 400 | ||||||||||||||
| WXYZ/Detroit Free Press (July 12-13, 2014) | 31% | 53% | 16% | +/-3.5 | 822 | ||||||||||||||
| Note: A "0%" finding means the candidate was not a part of the poll. The polls above may not reflect all polls that have been conducted in this race. Those displayed are a random sampling chosen by Ballotpedia staff. If you would like to nominate another poll for inclusion in the table, send an email to editor@ballotpedia.org | |||||||||||||||||||
Endorsements
| Michigan's 11th Congressional District Republican Contested Primary | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Endorsement/Contribution | Kerry Bentivolio | Dave Trott | |||||
| Tea Party Express | February 19, 2014 | ||||||
| U.S. Chamber of Commerce | April 14, 2014 | ||||||
| Mitt Romney | June 10, 2014 | ||||||
Issues
Government shutdown
- See also: United States budget debate, 2013
Campaign contributions
Kerry Bentivolio
| Kerry Bentivolio (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| April Quarterly[20] | April 16, 2013 | $0.00 | $40,850.17 | $(5,100.68) | $35,749.49 | ||||
| July Quarterly[21] | July 15, 2013 | $35,749.49 | $65,491.76 | $(63,480.72) | $37,760.53 | ||||
| October Quarterly[22] | October 15, 2013 | $37,760.53 | $59,177.00 | $(58,259.92) | $38,677.61 | ||||
| Year-End[23] | January 31, 2014 | $38,677.61 | $127,165.25 | $(36,633.12) | $129,209.74 | ||||
| Pre-Primary[24] | July 16, 2014 | $167,942 | $9,685 | $(52,486) | $125,141 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $302,369.18 | $(215,960.44) | ||||||||
David Trott
| David Trott (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| October Quarterly[25] | October 15, 2013 | $0.00 | $648,519.32 | $(196,098.01) | $452,421.31 | ||||
| Year-End[26] | January 31, 2014 | $452,421.31 | $450,564.97 | $(192,257.09) | $710,729.19 | ||||
| April Quarterly[27] | April 15, 2014 | $710,729.19 | $587,335.50 | $(256,543.33) | $1,041,521.36 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $1,686,419.79 | $(644,898.43) | ||||||||
Bobby McKenzie
| Bobby McKenzie (2014) Campaign Finance Reports | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Report | Date Filed | Beginning Balance | Total Contributions for Reporting Period | Expenditures | Cash on Hand | ||||
| Year-End[28] | January 27, 2014 | $0 | $106,826.17 | $(1,928.56) | $104,897.61 | ||||
| April Quarterly[29] | March 28, 2014 | $104,897.61 | $133,034.72 | $(72,946.21) | $164,986.12 | ||||
| Running totals | |||||||||
| $239,860.89 | $(74,874.77) | ||||||||
District history
| Candidate ballot access |
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| Find detailed information on ballot access requirements in all 50 states and Washington, D.C. |
2012
The 11th Congressional District of Michigan held an election for the U.S. House of Representatives on November 6, 2012. Kerry Bentivolio won the election in the district.[30]
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Syed Taj | 44.4% | 158,879 | |
| Republican | Kerry Bentivolio |
50.8% | 181,788 | |
| Libertarian | John Tatar | 2.7% | 9,637 | |
| Green | Steven Paul Duke | 1.3% | 4,569 | |
| NLP | Daniel Johnson | 0.9% | 3,251 | |
| Write-in | James Van Gilder | 0% | 14 | |
| Write-in | Ralph Sherman | 0% | 1 | |
| Total Votes | 358,139 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State "Official Election Results, 2012 General Election" | ||||
2010
On November 2, 2010, Thaddeus McCotter won re-election to the United States House. He defeated Natalie Mosher (D) and John Tatar (L) in the general election.[31]
| U.S. House, Michigan District 11 General Election, 2010 | ||||
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| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Thaddeus McCotter incumbent |
59.3% | 141,224 | |
| Democratic | Natalie Mosher | 38.5% | 91,710 | |
| Libertarian | John Tatar | 2.2% | 5,353 | |
| Total Votes | 238,287 | |||
See also
- United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan, 2014
- United States House of Representatives elections, 2014
- David Trott
- Bobby McKenzie
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Cook Political Report, "2014 HOUSE RACE RATINGS FOR JULY 26, 2014," accessed July 31, 2014
- ↑ Sabato's Crystal Ball, "2014 House Races," accessed July 31, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "House Elections Results," accessed November 11, 2014
- ↑ Crains Detroit, "One term in, and Bentivolio challenged," July 22, 2014
- ↑ NCSL,"State Primary Election Types," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Michigan.gov,"Questions and Answers: Michigan’s Presidential Primary," accessed October 7, 2024
- ↑ Michigan Department of State Website, "Registering to Vote: Step 2," accessed January 3, 2014
- ↑ The Huffington Post, "Kerry Bentivolio, 'Accidental Congressman,' Loses Primary To Romney-Backed David Trott," August 6, 2014
- ↑ United States Census Bureau, "Counties by Congressional Districts," accessed June 8, 2016
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Rep. Kerry Bentivolio ‘seriously considering’ write-in campaign," September 15, 2014
- ↑ ABC 7 News, "Congressman Kerry Bentivolio files to run as write-in candidate," October 3, 2014
- ↑ FreedomWorks.org, "Kerry L. Bentivolio," accessed May 8, 2014
- ↑ M Live, "Bentivolio gets Tea Party endorsement as he faces fundraising juggernaut and ambitious Democrats," February 19, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "2012 Race: Michigan District 11," accessed August 2014
- ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Buzzfeed, "Government Shutdown: How We Got Here," accessed October 1, 2013
- ↑ Clerk of the U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 504," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ The Washington Post, "Reid, McConnell propose bipartisan Senate bill to end shutdown, extend borrowing," accessed October 16, 2013
- ↑ U.S. House, "Final vote results for Roll Call 550," accessed October 31, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Kerry Bentivolio April Quarterly," accessed July 30, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Kerry Bentivolio July Quarterly," accessed July 30, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Kerry Bentivolio October Quarterly," accessed October 22, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Kerry Bentivolio Year-End," accessed February 10, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Kerry Bentivolio Pre-Primary Report," accessed April 21, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "David Trott October Quarterly," accessed October 30, 2013
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "David Trott Year-End," accessed February 11, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "David Trott April Quarterly," accessed April 21, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Bobby McKenzie Year-End," accessed February 11, 2014
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Bobby McKenzie April Quarterly," accessed April 21, 2014
- ↑ Politico, "2012 Election Map, Michigan," accessed November 3, 2012
- ↑ U.S. Congress House Clerk, "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 2, 2010," accessed March 28, 2013
