# Michigan's 97th House of Representatives district

Michigan's 97th House of Representatives district (also referred to as Michigan's 97th House district) is a legislative district within the Michigan House of Representatives located in parts of Bay, Genesee, Saginaw, and Tuscola counties. The district was created in 1965, when the Michigan House of Representatives district naming scheme changed from a county-based system to a numerical one.

## List of representatives

| Representative | Party | Dates | Residence | Notes |
| F. Charles Raap | Democratic | 1965–1966 | Ravenna | |
| Edgar A. Geerlings | Republican | 1967–1986 | Muskegon | |
| Debbie Farhat | Democratic | 1987–1988 | Muskegon | |
| Nancy L. Crandall | Republican | 1989–1990 | Norton Shores | |
| Paul Baade | Democratic | 1991–1992 | Roosevelt Park | |
| Howard Wetters | Democratic | 1993–1998 | Kawkawlin | |
| Joseph Rivet | Democratic | 1999–2002 | Bay City | |
| Jennifer Elkins | Democratic | 2003–2004 | Lake | |
| Tim Moore | Republican | 2005–2010 | Farwell | Resigned. |
| Joel Johnson | Republican | 2011–2016 | Clare | |
| Jason Wentworth | Republican | 2017–2022 | Clare | |
| Matthew Bierlein | Republican | 2023–present | Vassar | |

## Recent elections

2018 Michigan House of Representatives election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jason Wentworth | 22,476 | 67.85 |
| | Democratic | Celia Young-Wenkel | 10,652 | 32.15 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 33,128 | 100 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2016 Michigan House of Representatives election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Jason Wentworth | 24,124 | 64.85% |
| | Democratic | Bob Townsend | 13,074 | 35.15% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 37,198 | 100.00% |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2014 Michigan House of Representatives election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joel Johnson | 16,570 | 63.10 |
| | Democratic | Mark Lightfoot | 9,688 | 36.90 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 26,258 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2012 Michigan House of Representatives election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joel Johnson | 23,295 | 61.82 |
| | Democratic | Chris Breznau | 14,387 | 38.18 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 37,682 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2010 Michigan House of Representatives election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Joel Johnson | 16,819 | 58.26 |
| | Democratic | Mark Lightfoot | 10,657 | 36.92 |
| | Libertarian | Brandon Dickhausen | 1,392 | 4.82 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 28,868 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |
2008 Michigan House of Representatives election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Tim Moore | 25,996 | 60.63 |
| | Democratic | Kathy Wilton | 16,877 | 39.37 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 42,873 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

## Historical district boundaries

| Description | Apportionment Plan |
| Muskegon County (part) Casnovia Township Cedar Creek Township Dalton Township Egelston Township Fruitland Township Fruitport Township Holton Township Laketon Township Moorland Township Muskegon Township (part) North Muskegon Norton Township Ravenna Township Roosevelt Park Sullivan Township | 1964 Apportionment Plan |
| Muskegon County (part) Excluding Fruitland Township Fruitport Township (part) Laketon Township Montague Montague Township Muskegon Muskegon Heights Muskegon Township North Muskegon White River Township Ottawa County (part) Excluding Holland (part) Hudsonville Georgetown Township (part) Jamestown Township Zeeland Township | 1972 Apportionment Plan |
| Muskegon County (part) Blue Lake Township Casnovia Township Cedar Creek Township Dalton Township Egelston Township Fruitport Township Holton Township Moorland Township Muskegon Heights Norton Shores Ravenna Township Roosevelt Park Sullivan Township | 1982 Apportionment Plan |
| Bay County (part) Auburn Bangor Township Beaver Township Fraser Township Garfield Township Gibson Township Kawkawlin Township Midland Mount Forest Township Pinconning Pinconning Township Williams Township | 1992 Apportionment Plan |
| Arenac County Bay County (part) Fraser Township Garfield Township Gibson Township Kawkawlin Township Mount Forest Township Pinconning Pinconning Township Clare County Gladwin County | 2001 Apportionment Plan |
| Arenac County Clare County Gladwin County Osceola County (part) Evart Evart Township Hersey Township Highland Township Marion Township Middle Branch Township Orient Township Osceola Township Sherman Township Sylvan Township | 2011 Apportionment Plan |