Who is running against Debbie Dingell in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District?

Michigan’s 6th Congressional District, which favors Democrats, includes Ann Arbor and the rest of Washtenaw County, along with parts of Wayne and Oakland counties. Photo credit: State of Michigan.

Editor’s note: This story was corrected June 22, 2024, to accurately reflect information about Heather Smiley. A previous version incorrectly attributed to her some details about a different political candidate with the same name.

by Lauren Gibbons (Bridge Michigan)

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell is the favorite for a sixth term in Congress.

The Ann Arbor Democrat represents the 6th Congressional District, which covers Ann Arbor and the rest of Washtenaw County along with portions of western Wayne County and most of the city of Novi in Oakland County.

It is solidly Democratic: Hillary Clinton beat former President Donald Trump in the district by 21 percentage points in 2016, and President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the region by nearly 27 percentage points.

Dingell, a five-term incumbent and widow of the late U.S. Rep. John Dingell, defeated Republican challenger Whittney Williams 66% to 34% in 2022.

Dingell and Republican Heather Smiley filed required petition signatures by the April 23 deadline. Both will run unopposed in the Aug. 6 primary and go head-to-head in the Nov. 5 general election. Third parties can also nominate candidates at conventions later in the year.

Democrats

Debbie Dingell: Dingell, of Ann Arbor, has served in Congress since 2015. She moved to Ann Arbor after her longtime home of Dearborn was drawn into a different district. She is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. While in Congress, Dingell has worked on Great Lakes protection efforts as co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force and is a member of dozens of other congressional caucuses.  Before her congressional career, Dingell was an executive at General Motors Corp. and president of the GM Foundation. Her priorities include supporting manufacturing, lowering prescription drug costs, reducing gun violence and limiting domestic abusers’ access to guns. She’s well-known for her efforts to work across party lines.

Republicans

Heather Smiley: Smiley, of Riverview, is a retired Ford employee who worked for the company for 32 years in various union and salaried positions. She has also volunteered as a first responder and youth program leader. According to her campaign website, Smiley is a lifelong conservative who decided to run for office because she believes the government has “progressively gone astray.” If elected,  Smiley’s priorities include supporting law enforcement, preserving voting integrity, addressing wasteful spending and restoring border security.

This article is being republished through a syndication agreement with Bridge Michigan. Bridge Michigan is Michigan’s largest nonprofit news service and one of the nation’s leading and largest nonprofit civic news providers. Their coverage is nonpartisan, fact-based, and data-driven. Find them online at https://www.bridgemi.com/.

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by Sara Swanson

Sara Swanson is an editor, writer and founder of the Manchester Mirror.