Peter Meijer, a candidate for Michigan’s Third Congressional District, raised more money in contributions than current representative Justin Amash (I-MI-03) did in the third quarter of 2019.
Meijer raised $310,149 compared to Amash’s $150,144, according to Federal Election Committee filings. “I’m very honored and humbled by the support that I’ve been able to earn over the past three months,” Meijer told MLive.
The war-veteran also gave his campaign a $100,000 loan. The 31-year old is the grandson of Hendrik Meijer, who launched the Meijer grocery stores in the midwest.
Meijer announced his candidacy in July and has almost raised as much money as Amash has collected throughout all of 2019.
In his campaign announcement video, the war veteran said he believes in securing America’s borders and bringing the troops home from the Middle East.
“I’m running for Congress because our politicians spend their time trashing each other online, coming up with excuses and pointing fingers. We should expect more from people who represent us,” he said
Michigan’s Third Congressional District is up for grabs after Amash decided to leave the Republican Party in July. Cook Political Playbook, which is an independent, nonpartisan organization that analyses US elections, views this district as a “toss-up.”
“Michigan’s 3rd CD — once represented by Gerald Ford — has long been a Republican seat, but in recent years it’s grown more professional and competitive. In 2016, Trump took just 52 percent there, a hair under Mitt Romney’s 53 percent,” the Cook Political Book said in a recent article.
In August, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee identified Michigan’s Third Congressional District as a “battleground area” that could be turned blue. However, history shows Republicans have long dominated this area with only two Democrats representing this district since 1965.
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Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Battleground State News. Follow Zachery on Twitter.
Photo “Peter Meijer” by Peter Meijer.
