Hudson won the Republican nomination for Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – East Grand Rapids attorney Paul Hudson defeated a fellow Republican on Tuesday for a shot at the 3rd Congressional District seat this fall.

Hudson defeated Grand Haven financial adviser Michael Markey Jr. in the Aug. 6 Republican primary 54 percent to 46 percent, according to unofficial results from The Associated Press.

The winner means Hudson will move on to the November general election, where he will face incumbent U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, D-Grand Rapids, for the 3rd Congressional District seat.

The congressional district encompasses portions of Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa counties, including the cities of Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood, Grand Haven and Muskegon.

Scholten defended his seat in the Democratic primary against real estate agent Salim Al-Shatel on Tuesday.

Scholten, an immigration attorney who served in the U.S. Department of Justice during President Barack Obama’s administration, is the first Democrat to represent Grand Rapids in Congress since 1977.

She won the 2022 seat by 13 points over Republican John Gibbs, a former Trump administration official.

Federal campaign finance filings showed a large number of West Michigan Republican donors and business leaders rallying around Hudson instead of Markey in the months leading up to the primary.

As of July 17, Scholten had $2,422,100 in cash on hand to enter the primary. Hudson had $306,035 in cash on hand to enter the primary.