Debbie Dingell, Heather Smiley face off again in rematch for Michigan's 6th District race
Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell is seeking another term in Michigan's 6th Congressional District, facing Republican Heather Smiley in a rematch of the 2024 race.
Four third-party candidates are also running: Clyde Shabazz (Green Party), Tim Teagan (Libertarian Party), Michael Mickevicius (U.S. Taxpayers Party) and Linda Rayburn (Working Class Party). Shabazz also ran in 2024.
Both Dingell and Smiley ran unopposed in their primaries. In 2024, Dingell defeated Smiley by more than 122,000 votes, receiving 62% of the vote.
Dingell has represented the 6th District since Michigan's congressional map was redrawn in 2022. Before the map changed, the district was represented by longtime Republican Rep. Fred Upton, whose territory covered much of southwestern Michigan, including Kalamazoo. Upton did not seek reelection in 2022 after 18 terms in Congress.
The district includes all of Washtenaw County, the city of Milan, portions of Northville, Novi and Flat Rock, as well as Novi Township, Belleville, Brownstown Charter Township, Canton Charter Township, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile Township, Huron Charter Township, Plymouth, Plymouth Charter Township, Riverview, Rockwood, Sumpter Township, Trenton, Van Buren Charter Township and Woodhaven.
The candidates
Dingell serves as chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee. She also sits on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee.
Dingell has served in the U.S. House since 2015, succeeding her late husband, John Dingell, who left office that year and was the longest-serving member of the House in U.S. history.
Before Congress, Dingell was an executive at General Motors and served on the Wayne State University board of governors.
Smiley spent more than 30 years at Ford Motor Co., where she held roles in analytics, customer service, business reengineering and transformation, product development, and strategy and planning, her campaign site says. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Central Michigan University.
This is Smiley's second time running for the state's 6th district seat.
Key issues
Dingell's campaign says its priorities include affordability, expanding health care coverage, lowering prescription drug costs, making reforms at Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Great Lakes ecosystem, investing in education, supporting equality for all and veterans' resources.
Smiley's campaign says its platform focuses on national sovereignty, including border security and remediation; economic strength, including unleashing the free market, reciprocal trade and fiscal responsibility; and citizen rights, including voting integrity and constitutional adherence.