As vulnerable Rep. Mike Bishop readies himself for the most challenging election of his career, having been outraised in the past two quarters by a Democratic challenger while election forecasters shift this seat in favor of Democrats, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) released the following statement on his dim re-election prospects:
“Mike Bishop can try to distance himself from the Washington swamp, but he’s voted time and time again to line the pockets of the wealthy donors who bankroll his campaign,” said DCCC Spokeswoman Rachel Irwin. “In D.C., he’s very cozy with big pharmaceutical companies, big banks and oil companies, while voting against the interests of his own constituents. Mike Bishop has lost his way in Washington and it’s time to replace him with a selfless leader who represents Michigan values.”
- Since being elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014, Bishop has accepted nearly a million dollars from corporate PACs and then voted their way in Washington. Mike Bishop voted to pass a tax law that slashes taxes for pharmaceutical companies and drug makers, big oil companies and Wall Street banks, while raising taxes on 86 million middle class families.
- After taking tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry, Mike Bishop has repeatedly voted to gut protections for clean air and water, voted against protecting the Great Lakes and voted against helping preserve public lands.
- Bishop has been largely absent from the district, refusing to hold public town halls with his constituents.
- Given the results in PA-18 and the lack of success in selling the GOP tax scam, Mike Bishop is more vulnerable than ever heading into 2018. With the entry of national security leader Elissa Slotkin in the race, nonpartisan election forecasters have shifted this seat in favor of Democrats, with CNN rating this race a “toss-up.”