GOP Congressional Nomination on the Line in Western Michigan

In western Michigan, voters headed to the polls on Aug. 2 to determine if the 3rd Congressional District’s Republican nominee will be first-term Rep. Peter Meijer, who voted to impeach (former) president Donald Trump, or challenger John Gibbs, who is endorsed by Trump.

The winner will face Hillary Scholten in the general election on Nov. 8.

Scholten was unopposed in the Democratic primary.

Michigan’s 3rd District has a different look after newly drawn maps from redistricting. The district, which includes Grand Rapids, has not seen a Democratic congressional member since 1993.

With the new map, organizations like the Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rate the general election as a toss-up.

Rep. Peter Meijer inserts his ballot into the voting machine in Grand Rapids on Aug. 2. (Jeff Louderback/The Epoch Times)

Three days after he was sworn into the 117th Congress, Meijer was one of 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump over the U.S. Capitol breach on Jan. 6, 2021.

Whether that looms large or did not deter Meijer’s chances for another term will be known when results are announced tonight.

Accompanied by his wife and other family members, Meijer cast his vote in the morning of Aug. 2.

Or he attempted to do so, at least.

With a contingent of TV cameras and reporters standing nearby, a poll worker stood with Meijer as he inserted his ballot into the machine. It kept getting returned, and the poll worker said there was a paper jam.

A few minutes later, poll workers resolved the problem. Meijer placed his ballot in the machine once again, and this time it was accepted. He smiled and high-fived an exasperated poll worker.

Moments later, Meijer and his family stood in front of reporters outside the precinct at Forest Hills Baptist Church in Grand

*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases