“Hillary Scholten has dedicated her life to helping others, whether it’s advocating for women and children at Mel Trotter Ministries or working to keep her community safe at the Department of Justice. With an independent-minded message, Hillary is the Democrat to flip this rapidly changing suburban district come November.” – DCCC Chairwoman Cheri Bustos
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To: Interested Parties
From: Courtney Rice DCCC Regional Press Secretary
Date: August 5, 2020
Subject: The Case Against Peter Meijer
As a woman of deep faith, Hillary Scholten has dedicated her life to helping others. Her experiences growing up led her to believe that everyone deserves a fair shot, regardless of your family’s wealth or status. That’s why she worked at Mel Trotter Industries, helping homeless women and children get back on their feet, and at the Department of Justice during the Obama Administration, giving a voice to the voiceless. She’s running for Congress to make sure that the federal government works for everyone in West Michigan – whether it’s making health care more affordable, guaranteeing a quality education, or protecting Michigan’s water.
Peter Meijer is running to be a prop for the Washington Republican agenda. Whether it’s wanting to repeal the protections afforded to Michiganders in the Affordable Care Act or not supporting unemployment insurance during an economic recession, he’s out of step with what families in the 3rd District need.
Polling conducted by the DCCC shows a generic Democrat leading a generic Republican by two-points. Additionally, internal campaign polling from mid-June shows Scholten leading Peter Meijer, and former VP Biden leading President Trump 49-44%. Thanks to changing demographics and a cash-on-hand advantage, Hillary Scholten is in a strong position to win in this highly competitive race come November.
WHAT THEY’RE SAYING
HEADLINE: MI3 candidate Scholten is ‘focused on serving the district’ [Ionia Sentinel-Standard, 07/15/20]
“Rep. Justin Amash’s decision to forgo reelection to seek the Libertarian Party’s nomination for president opens up a competitive seat that both parties have targeted since he left the Republican Party last summer.” [National Journal, 04/29/20]
HEADLINE: Internal poll shows Democrats with slight advantage for Amash seat [National Journal, 04/29/20]
HEADLINE: Democrat Hillary Scholten outraises Republican rivals in West Michigan congressional race [MLive, 07/16/20]
Peter Meijer: Bad for Working Families in West Michigan
FOLLOWING THE REPUBLICAN SWAMP PLAYBOOK
Peter Meijer is already rubbing elbows with Washington Republicans. In the primary, he was endorsed by GOP Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and GOP Minority Whip Steve Scalise, both of whom support the lawsuit to dismantle the Affordable Care Act. What’s more, the DeVos family singled him out in the primary and donated more than $30,000 to his campaign. If McCarthy, Scalise, the DeVos family, and other Washington Republicans were so eager to push Meijer through the primary, Michiganders are right to wonder whether they expect him to follow their dangerous agenda in Congress, including gutting health care protections. In fact, Meijer has promised to “fully repeal” the Affordable Care Act, which guarantees young people can stay on their parent’s insurance until age 26 and that people with pre-existing conditions like asthma or a pregnancy won’t be charged more or kicked off their insurance.
In Congress, Scholten will be an independent voice for West Michigan – not beholden to either party. She’s committed to making sure everyone in her district has access to affordable health care, a quality education, and clean drinking water.
OUT OF TOUCH WITH WORKING FAMILIES
Looking at Peter Meijer’s public statements, it’s clear that he is out of touch with the working- and middle-class families in West Michigan that he hopes to represent. During a recent Q&A, Meijer derisively referred to unemployment insurance as an “unemployment bonus” – clearly failing to appreciate that many in the district and across the country are struggling to make ends meet because of the current economic situation caused by the pandemic. Meijer also doesn’t support a $15-dollar minimum wage, saying that it wouldn’t help address costs that families face like health care, housing, and education.
In contrast, when Scholten was young, her mother worked at a high-poverty school, giving Scholten firsthand knowledge about how the social programs that Meijer dismisses can make the difference for many families. Her deep-rooted faith led her to a lifetime of helping other people, from leading the kids program at Mel Trotter Ministries, a non-profit that helps homeless women and their children get back on their feet, to her work advocating for the voiceless at the Department of Justice.
PATH TO VICTORY
Located in and around the cities of Grand Rapids and Battle Creek, Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District will be highly competitive in November thanks to the changing demographics of the district and Congressman Justin Amash’s decision to not run for reelection. Recent elections prove that the district is trending in Democrats’ favor. Now-Governor Whitmer greatly improved upon the last gubernatorial candidate’s numbers in this district, 49.8% in 2018 from 38.0% in 2014. Whitmer also improved upon Hillary Clinton’s 2016 performance by 4.8 points. Additionally, the 2018 Democratic House candidate improved upon the 2016 Democratic House nominee’s performance, 44.2% from 38.7%. Senator Stabenow performed well in this district (47.7% of the major party vote) in 2018, as well.
Heading into the general election, Scholten has more cash-on-hand than Meijer, $572,033.91 to $406,778.82 and raised over $100,000 more at the end of the last FEC quarter filing period. Scholten’s financial advantage, coupled with the district’s shift toward Democrats and Scholten’s independent-minded message of making sure the system works for middle-class families, not the wealthy and well-connected, will carry her to victory in November.
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