Michigan — 3rd District

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — A nonpartisan political newsletter has downgraded a West Michigan congressional seat from “solid Democratic” to “likely Democratic” after longtime meteorologist Terri DeBoer entered the race as a Republican challenger to U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten, D‑Grand Rapids.

The newsletter Inside Elections said DeBoer, who spent nearly 30‑years as a meteorologist at Grand Rapids NBC affiliate WOOD‑TV, is the GOP’s “most credible candidate against Scholten” since the congresswoman was first elected in 2022.

“On-air personalities have a strong electoral record and often begin races with built-in favorable name identification,” according to the newsletter. “But DeBoer will have to work hard to overcome the partisan lean of the district, which has zoomed toward Democrats over the past decade.”

Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District includes portions of Kent, Muskegon and Ottawa counties, encompassing the cities of Grand Rapids, Wyoming, Kentwood, Grand Haven and Muskegon.

Once a conservative stronghold that elected Republicans such as Vern Ehlers, Justin Amash and Peter Meijer, the district has trended Democratic since it was redrawn in 2021.

Scholten, an immigration attorney who served in the U.S. Department of Justice during President Barack Obama’s administration, has won both of her congressional races by comfortable margins.

She defeated Republican John Gibbs 55% to 42% in 2022 and Republican Paul Hudson 54% to 44% in 2024.

Asked about the rating change for the district, DeBoer, a mother of three who lives in Byron Center, said she’s “grateful and excited by the overwhelming amount of support we’ve seen from West Michigan since getting in this race one week ago.”

“Voters are tired of the same old politicians putting special interests ahead of their families,” she said. “They want a fighter who will work to bring down the cost of living and keep our communities safe.”

DeBoer, who has never held public office, announced her congressional bid in an exclusive interview with Fox News on March 5. Casting herself as a political “outsider,” she said she would bring fresh ideas to Washington to address issues facing everyday West Michiganders.

According to her campaign website, DeBoer’s top priorities include securing U.S. borders, protecting Social Security, combating waste and fraud in the nation’s health care system, defending parental rights and lowering the cost of living.

DeBoer retired from WOOD‑TV in 2023 before returning to meteorology at FOX 17. She announced her retirement from FOX 17 on Feb. 18.

Scholten said she takes “any challenge to my seat seriously, and it certainly is significant that Inside Elections sought to move us back into battleground territory.”

“However, I am so proud of the results that I have delivered for the Third District over the last two terms, from returning hard-earned taxpayers dollars back to my constituents, to prioritizing lower health care and living costs and investing in critical infrastructure like roads and water systems,” she said. “I feel confident West Michigan will send me back for a third term, because this great work is just getting started.”

Before advancing to the general election, DeBoer must first win the August Republican primary. Federal Election Commission records show one other Republican, J. Allen Fiorletta of Grand Rapids, is also seeking the seat.

John Sellek, CEO of Harbor Strategic Public Affairs, a Lansing‑based public relations firm, said DeBoer’s entry into the race is a “coup for Republicans” because of her high name recognition among voters.

“This saves Republicans a lot of money, because her name ID and her awareness in the community is already really high,” he said. “So that’s a real plus, and that really helps the Republicans.”

He said the pressure now falls on DeBoer to translate her strong name recognition into a clear political message.

“The pressure now is on the DeBoer campaign to go take it from the first level of name ID and awareness — ‘Oh, yeah, I know her, I like her on tv’ — to what is she about, what’s her messaging, what’s going to be her key issues,” Sellek said.