Flint, MI—Congressman Dan Kildee has announced he will seek re-election in Michigan’s newly drawn Eighth Congressional District, part of the congressional map the state’s redistricting commission voted to adopt on Dec. 28.
The new district includes communities Kildee already represents, like Flint, but it also includes the city of Midland and parts of Midland County.
“My record shows that I can bring Republicans and Democrats together, despite incredible partisanship and polarization, to get things done for mid-Michigan,” Kildee said in a press release. “There’s more work to do to support Michigan workers and lower everyday costs for families. That’s why I’m running for re-election, so I can continue working on behalf of Flint, Saginaw, Bay City and Midland families in Congress.”
Kildee’s announcement came hours after the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission voted to adopt a new congressional map for the next 10 years.
Aside from placing Kildee in the same district as another incumbent, Congressman John Moolenaar (R-Midland), the MICRC’s congressional map consolidates Michigan’s current 14 districts down to 13—a response to the state losing a seat due to slow population growth.
When asked if the newly-drawn district will affect Kildee’s attention on Flint, a Kildee campaign spokesperson responded: “No. Congressman Kildee was born and raised in Flint and currently represents his hometown in Congress.”
The spokesperson noted Kildee’s 2016 work to secure a $170 million federal aid package for Flint to respond to the water crisis and establish its ongoing Flint Registry, as well as the congressman’s more recent work to send $100 million in ARPA funding to Flint Public Schools.
Alongside the new congressional district map, the MICRC also voted to adopt Michigan’s new state Senate and House maps, which Flint residents have been weighing in on since June of this year.
According to the Michigan Constitution, after adoption, the MICRC has 30 days to publish the maps along with the reports, data, and reference materials used to draw them.
The maps then become law 60 days after their publication.