Paul Junge won the Republican primary for Michigan’s 8th Congressional District and secured the Republican nomination. He now hopes of succeeding retiring Democratic Congressman Dan Kildee.
Junge defeated Mary Draves and Anthony Hudson with 73 percent of the vote, according to the Associated Press, which reported the results.
Four states hold key primary elections on Tuesday, setting the stage for November’s Senate and House showdowns.
Rep. Dan Kildee will leave Congress at the end of his current term.
Junge, who ran twice and lost for the 8th District seat, worked at the Department of Homeland Security under former President Donald Trump and served as investigative counsel to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley.
He campaigned on fighting inflation and the border crisis in his 2024 campaign, noting that the opioid epidemic is “devastating forgotten communities.”
“Stopping inflation and improving the economy for working families is a top priority of my campaign,” Junge told the Midland Daily News, “Just as importantly, I will fight to stop the influx of illegal immigrants and toxic synthetic opioids across our southern border that are devastating forgotten communities across our state and the country.”
What Mike Rogers told Fox News Digital about the Michigan Senate showdown
Draves, who runs an auto repair business with her husband, campaigned on energy independence and border security.
“During President Trump’s presidency, the United States was energy self-sufficient, meaning we were a net exporter of energy. When we have enough energy at home, we don’t have to rely on foreign countries for our energy sources, and we can innovate and grow our businesses at home,” Draves told the Midland Daily News. “The first thing we have to do is stop illegal immigration into our country and stop fentanyl coming across our borders. A strong America is a safe America and a prosperous America.”
Republican Congressional candidate Mary Draves. (Draves campaign)
Hudson, a Texas native and Army veteran, is running for the second time in the 8th Congressional District and has focused his campaign on border security and jobs.
“I’m just a regular American who is upset about where our country is going and wants to run to make the positive changes we need,” Hudson told the Midland Daily News. “I want to bring jobs to Michigan, help bring people back to Michigan and be on the front lines taking on the Chinese companies that[Governor]Gretchen Whitmer is trying to attract to our state.”
Michigan Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer speaks at a United Auto Workers rally on Sept. 15, 2023, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancia, File)
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Jung will now face the winner of the Democratic primary, which will see three candidates vying to replace Kildee.
Kildee had represented Michigan’s 8th Congressional District since 2012, but announced in November that he would not run for re-election.
