page_title: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan
section_title: District 3
hierarchical_section_title: 2010 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan / District 3
caption_attribution_description: portrait of Congressman Justin Amash (R-MI).
context_page_description: Elections were held on November 2, 2010, to determine Michigan's 15 members of the United States House of Representatives. Representatives were elected for two-year terms to serve in the 112th United States Congress from January 3, 2011 until January 3, 2013. Primary elections were held on August 3, 2010.
  Of the 15 elections, the 1st, 7th and 9th districts were rated as competitive by Sabato's Crystal Ball, CQ Politics and The Rothenberg Political Report, while The Cook Political Report rated the 1st, 3rd, 7th and 9th districts as competitive. Three of Michigan's fifteen incumbents did not seek re-election. Of the twelve who did, one was not renominated by her party, and one was unsuccessful in the general election.
  In total, nine Republicans and six Democrats were elected. A total of 3,194,901 votes were cast, of which 1,671,707 were for Republicans, 1,415,212 were for Democrats, 43,279 were for Libertarian Party candidates, 27,273 were for U.S. Taxpayers Party candidates, 25,739 were for Green Party candidates, 11,238 were for independent candidates, 409 were for a Natural Law Party candidate and 44 were for write-in candidates.
context_section_description: The 3rd district included Grand Rapids and Wyoming. The district's population was 80 percent white, 8 percent Hispanic and 8 percent black (see Race and ethnicity in the United States Census); 88 percent were high school graduates and 28 percent had received a bachelor's degree or higher. Its median income was $51,386. In the 2008 presidential election, Republican nominee John McCain and Democratic nominee Barack Obama each received 49 percent of the vote in the district. In 2010 the district had a Cook Partisan Voting Index of R+6.
  Republican Vern Ehlers, who took office in 1993, was the incumbent. Ehlers was re-elected in 2008 with 61 percent of the vote. In 2010 Ehlers retired rather than seeking re-election. The candidates in the general election were Republican nominee Justin Amash, a member of the Michigan House of Representatives; Democratic nominee Patrick Miles Jr., a lawyer; U.S. Taxpayers Party nominee Ted Gerrard, an electrician; Libertarian Party nominee James Rogers, a technical consultant in the fields of renewable energy and HVAC; and Green Party nominee Charlie Shick, an employee in the field of warehouse inventory control.
  Bill Hardiman, a member of the Michigan Senate; Steve Heacock, a former Kent County commissioner; Louise "Ellie" Johnson, an attorney; and Bob Overbeek, a United States Air Force veteran, also sought the Republican nomination. Terri Lynn Land, the Secretary of State of Michigan; and Dick Posthumus, a former Lieutenant Governor of Michigan; both said in February 2010 that they would not seek the Republican nomination. In a poll of 485 likely voters, conducted by The Grand Rapids Press between July 26 and 30, 2010, 28 percent of respondents favored Amash, while 23 percent supported Hardiman, 17 percent backed Heacock, and 26 percent were undecided. Paul Mayhue, a former Kent County commissioner, also sought the Democratic nomination.
  Amash raised $1,103,513 and spent $1,093,007. Miles raised $990,599 and spent $988,091. Gerrard raised $1,405 and spent $2,082. Rogers raised $7,920 and spent $8,611. Hardiman raised $209,236 and spent $202,459. Heacock raised $393,212 and spent the same amount. Overbeek raised $9,213 and spent $6,789. Mayhue raised $11,636 and spent $9,773.
  In a poll of 1,006 registered voters, conducted by We Ask America in August 2010, 51 percent of respondents supported Amash while 30 percent favored Miles and 19 percent chose "Other/Unsure". A poll of 400 likely voters, conducted by EPIC/MRA between October 16 and 19, 2010, found Amash leading with 46 percent to Miles's 37 percent, while 8 percent supported other candidates and 9 percent were undecided. A poll of 400 likely voters, conducted by Public Opinion Strategies on October 19 and 20, 2010, found Amash leading with 49 percent to Miles's 30 percent.
  In October 2010 The Cook Political Report rated the race as "Likely Republican". Prior to the election FiveThirtyEight's forecast gave Amash a 99 percent chance of winning, and projected that he would receive 59 percent of the vote to Miles's 38 percent. On election day Amash was elected with 60 percent of the vote to Miles's 37 percent. In July 2012 Miles was confirmed as the United States Attorney for the Western District of Michigan. Amash was re-elected in November of that year and in 2014.
caption: Justin Amash, who was elected as the U.S. Representative for the 3rd district
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