# Michigan's 8th congressional district

Michigan's 8th congressional district is a United States congressional district in Central Michigan. The district was first created in 1873, after redistricting following the 1870 census. From 2003 to 2013, it consisted of all of Clinton, Ingham, and Livingston counties, and included the southern portion of Shiawassee and the northern portion of Oakland counties. From 2013 to 2023, the district no longer covered Clinton or Shiawassee counties and instead covered more of Oakland County, including Rochester. In 2023, the district was redrawn to be centered on the city of Flint and the "Tri-Cities" metropolitan area around Saginaw, Midland, Bay City. The district includes all of Saginaw and Bay counties, almost all of Genesee County, and portions of Midland and Tuscola counties.
The district's current representative is Democratic incumbent Kristen McDonald Rivet. According to the Cook Partisan Voting Index, after 2022 redistricting Michigan's 8th is the median district in the country, with 217 districts rated more Democratic and 217 districts rated more Republican.
The district was one of 13 congressional districts that voted for Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election while simultaneously electing a Democrat in the 2024 House of Representatives elections.

## Composition

For the 118th and successive Congresses (based on redistricting following the 2020 census), the district contains all or portions of the following counties and municipalities:
Bay County (19)
    All 19 municipalities
Genessee County (33)
    Argentine Township (part; also 7th; includes Argentine CDP), Atlas Township, Burton, Clayton Charter Township, Clio, Davison, Davison Township, Fenton (shared with Livingston and Oakland counties, part; also 7th), Fenton Charter Township, Flint, Flint Charter Township, Flushing, Flushing Charter Township, Forest Township, Gaines, Gaines Township, Genesee Charter Township, Goodrich, Grand Blanc, Grand Blanc Charter Township, Lennon (shared with Shiawassee County; part; also 7th), Linden, Montrose, Montrose Charter Township, Mount Morris, Mount Morris Charter Township, Mundy Charter Township, Otisville, Otter Lake (shared with Lapeer County; part; also 9th), Richfield Township, Swartz Creek, Thetford Township, Vienna Charter Township
Midland County (13)
    Homer Township, Hope Township, Ingersoll Township, Jerome Township, Larkin Charter Township, Lee Township, Lincoln Township, Midland (shared with Bay County), Midland Charter Township, Mills Township, Mount Haley Township, Porter Township, Sanford
Saginaw County (36)
    All 36 municipalities
Tuscola County (1)
    Arbela Township (part; also 9th)

## Recent election results from statewide races

| Year | Office | Results |
| 2008 | President | Obama 61% - 38% |
| 2012 | President | Obama 58% - 41% |
| 2016 | President | Clinton 48% - 47% |
| 2018 | Senate | Stabenow 53% - 45% |
| 2018 | Governor | Whitmer 55% - 43% |
| 2018 | Attorney General | Nessel 49% - 46% |
| 2020 | President | Biden 50% - 48% |
| 2020 | Senate | Peters 51% - 47% |
| 2022 | Governor | Whitmer 55% - 43% |
| 2022 | Secretary of State | Benson 56% - 41% |
| 2022 | Attorney General | Nessel 54% - 44% |
| 2024 | President | Trump 50% - 48% |
| 2024 | Senate | Slotkin 51% - 49% |

## History

Prior to 1992, the 8th congressional district included the cities of Saginaw and Bay City as well as Huron, Tuscola and Sanilac Counties in the Thumb of Michigan, Arenac county north from Bay County, a total of about half the area of Saginaw County, and small northern portions of Lapeer and St. Clair counties.
This area would largely be transferred to the 5th district after the 1990 census, while most of the old 6th district became the 8th district. Unlike the old 6th district, the 8th did not include Pontiac. To make up for the loss in population, it was pushed further into Lansing (which had previously been split between the 6th and 8th districts), picking up all of Ingham County. It also added the area around Brighton and portions of Washtenaw and Genesee counties.
In the 2002 redistricting, the district gained all of Clinton County about half of Shiawasee County and most of its area in Oakland County while losing its shares of Washtenaw and Genesee counties.
In the 2012 redistricting, the district dropped all of its area in Clinton and Shiawasee counties and was pushed further into Oakland County.
In the 2022 redistricting, the district was shifted to mid-Michigan to include the Tri Cities and Flint.

## List of members representing the district

| Member | Party | Years | Cong ress | Electoral history |
| District created March 4, 1873 |||||
| Nathan B. Bradley (Bay City) | Republican | March 4, 1873 – March 3, 1877 | 43rd 44th | Elected in 1872. Re-elected in 1874. Retired. |
| Charles C. Ellsworth (Greenville) | Republican | March 4, 1877 – March 3, 1879 | 45th | Elected in 1876. Retired. |
| Roswell G. Horr (East Saginaw) | Republican | March 4, 1879 – March 3, 1885 | 46th 47th 48th | Elected in 1878. Re-elected in 1880. Re-elected in 1882. Lost re-election. |
| Timothy E. Tarsney (East Saginaw) | Democratic | March 4, 1885 – March 3, 1889 | 49th 50th | Elected in 1884. Re-elected in 1886. Lost re-election. |
| Aaron T. Bliss (Saginaw) | Republican | March 4, 1889 – March 3, 1891 | 51st | Elected in 1888. Lost re-election. |
| Henry M. Youmans (Saginaw) | Democratic | March 4, 1891 – March 3, 1893 | 52nd | Elected in 1890. Lost re-election. |
| William S. Linton (Saginaw) | Republican | March 4, 1893 – March 3, 1897 | 53rd 54th | Elected in 1892. Re-elected in 1894. Lost re-election. |
| Ferdinand Brucker (Saginaw) | Democratic | March 4, 1897 – March 3, 1899 | 55th | Elected in 1896. Lost re-election. |
| Joseph W. Fordney (Saginaw) | Republican | March 4, 1899 – March 3, 1923 | 56th 57th 58th 59th 60th 61st 62nd 63rd 64th 65th 66th 67th | Elected in 1898. Re-elected in 1900. Re-elected in 1902. Re-elected in 1904. Re-elected in 1906. Re-elected in 1908. Re-elected in 1910. Re-elected in 1912. Re-elected in 1914. Re-elected in 1916. Re-elected in 1918. Re-elected in 1920. Retired. |
| Bird J. Vincent (Saginaw) | Republican | March 4, 1923 – July 18, 1931 | 68th 69th 70th 71st 72nd | Elected in 1922. Re-elected in 1924. Re-elected in 1926. Re-elected in 1928. Re-elected in 1930. Died. |
| Vacant | Vacant | July 18, 1931 – November 3, 1931 | 72nd | |
| Michael J. Hart (Saginaw) | Democratic | November 3, 1931 – January 3, 1935 | 72nd 73rd | Elected to finish Vincent's term. Re-elected in 1932. Lost re-election. |
| Fred L. Crawford (Saginaw) | Republican | January 3, 1935 – January 3, 1953 | 74th 75th 76th 77th 78th 79th 80th 81st 82nd | Elected in 1934. Re-elected in 1936. Re-elected in 1938. Re-elected in 1940. Re-elected in 1942. Re-elected in 1944. Re-elected in 1946. Re-elected in 1948. Re-elected in 1950. Lost renomination. |
| Alvin M. Bentley (Owosso) | Republican | January 3, 1953 – January 3, 1961 | 83rd 84th 85th 86th | Elected in 1952. Re-elected in 1954. Re-elected in 1956. Re-elected in 1958. Retired to run for U.S. Senator. |
| James Harvey (Saginaw) | Republican | January 3, 1961 – January 31, 1974 | 87th 88th 89th 90th 91st 92nd 93rd | Elected in 1960. Re-elected in 1962. Re-elected in 1964. Re-elected in 1966. Re-elected in 1968. Re-elected in 1970. Re-elected in 1972. Re-elected in 1974. Resigned to become judge of the Eastern District of Michigan. |
| Vacant | Vacant | January 31, 1974 – April 23, 1974 | 93rd | |
| J. Bob Traxler (Bay City) | Democratic | April 23, 1974 – January 3, 1993 | 93rd 94th 95th 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th 101st 102nd | Elected to finish Harvey's term. Re-elected in 1976. Re-elected in 1978. Re-elected in 1980. Re-elected in 1982. Re-elected in 1984. Re-elected in 1986. Re-elected in 1988. Re-elected in 1990. Retired. |
| Bob Carr (East Lansing) | Democratic | January 3, 1993 – January 3, 1995 | 103rd | Redistricted from the 6th district and re-elected in 1992. Retired to run for U.S. Senator. |
| Dick Chrysler (Brighton) | Republican | January 3, 1995 – January 3, 1997 | 104th | Elected in 1994. Lost re-election. |
| Debbie Stabenow (Lansing) | Democratic | January 3, 1997 – January 3, 2001 | 105th 106th | Elected in 1996. Re-elected in 1998. Retired to run for U.S. Senator. |
| Mike Rogers (Brighton) | Republican | January 3, 2001 – January 3, 2015 | 107th 108th 109th 110th 111th 112th 113th | Elected in 2000. Re-elected in 2002. Re-elected in 2004. Re-elected in 2006. Re-elected in 2008. Re-elected in 2010. Re-elected in 2012. Retired. |
| Mike Bishop (Rochester) | Republican | January 3, 2015 – January 3, 2019 | 114th 115th | Elected in 2014. Re-elected in 2016. Lost re-election. |
| Elissa Slotkin (Holly) | Democratic | January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2023 | 116th 117th | Elected in 2018. Re-elected in 2020. Redistricted to the 7th district. |
| Dan Kildee (Flint Township) | Democratic | January 3, 2023 – January 3, 2025 | 118th | Redistricted from the 5th district and re-elected in 2022. Retired. |
| Kristen McDonald Rivet (Bay City) | Democratic | January 3, 2025 – present | 119th | Elected in 2024. |

## Recent election results
### 2012

Michigan's 8th congressional district, 2012 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mike Rogers (incumbent) | 202,217 | 58.6 |
| | Democratic | Lance Enderle | 128,657 | 37.3 |
| | Libertarian | Daniel Goebel | 8,083 | 2.3 |
| | Independent | Preston Brooks | 6,097 | 1.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 345,054 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2014

Michigan's 8th congressional district, 2014 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mike Bishop | 132,739 | 54.6 |
| | Democratic | Eric Schertzing | 102,269 | 42.1 |
| | Libertarian | James Weeks | 4,557 | 1.9 |
| | Green | Jim Casha | 1,880 | 0.8 |
| | Natural Law | Jeremy Burgess | 1,680 | 0.7 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 243,125 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2016

Michigan's 8th congressional district, 2016 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | Mike Bishop (incumbent) | 205,629 | 56.0 |
| | Democratic | Suzanna Shkreli | 143,791 | 39.2 |
| | Libertarian | Jeff Wood | 9,619 | 2.6 |
| | Green | Maria Green | 5,679 | 1.6 |
| | Natural Law | Jeremy Burgess | 2,250 | 0.6 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 366,968 | 100.0 |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold | Republican hold |

### 2018

Michigan's 8th congressional district, 2018 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Elissa Slotkin | 172,880 | 50.6 |
| | Republican | Mike Bishop (incumbent) | 159,782 | 46.8 |
| | Libertarian | Brian Ellison | 6,302 | 1.8 |
| | Constitution | David Lillis | 2,629 | 0.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 341,593 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican | Democratic gain from Republican |

### 2020

Michigan's 8th congressional district, 2020 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Elissa Slotkin (incumbent) | 217,922 | 50.9 |
| | Republican | Paul Junge | 202,525 | 47.3 |
| | Libertarian | Joe Hartman | 7,897 | 1.8 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 428,344 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2022

Michigan's 8th congressional district, 2022 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Dan Kildee (incumbent) | 178,322 | 53.1 |
| | Republican | Paul Junge | 143,850 | 42.8 |
| | Working Class | Kathy Goodwin | 9,077 | 2.7 |
| | Libertarian | David Canny | 4,580 | 1.3 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 335,829 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |

### 2024

Michigan's 8th congressional district, 2024 :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Kristen McDonald Rivet | 217,490 | 51.3 |
| | Republican | Paul Junge | 189,317 | 44.6 |
| | Working Class | Kathy Goodwin | 8,492 | 2.0 |
| | Libertarian | Steve Barcelo | 4,768 | 1.1 |
| | Constitution | James Allen Little | 2,681 | 0.6 |
| | Green | Jim Casha | 1,602 | 0.4 |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 424,350 | 100.0 |
| | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold | Democratic hold |