IONIA, Mich. — An immigration attorney who served in the Justice Department during President Barack Obama's administration is running for the U.S. House seat held by Justin Amash of Michigan.
Hillary Scholten announced her bid Monday to seek the Democratic nomination for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District. The 37-year-old from Grand Rapids says her goals include fixing the country's "broken" immigration system and curbing gun violence.
Scholten announced her candidacy at 6:30 a.m. Monday on Twitter.
Two other Democrats have said they're seeking to represent the district that includes Grand Rapids, Battle Creek and surrounding areas.
According to the Grand Rapids Bar Association, Scholten graduated with honors from the University of Maryland School of Law in 2012. In 2013, she joined the U.S. Department of Justice as an attorney advisor on the Board of Immigration Appeals (BIA) until joining MIRC in July 2017.
Scholten works at the Michigan Immigration Rights Center at 1550 East Beltline Avenue.
Amash, who had been the only Republican in Congress to call for impeachment proceedings against President Donald Trump, said last week he's leaving the GOP. He'd filed for re-election in 2020 as a Republican in a race that drew primary challengers. Amash plans to run as an independent.
Scholten will have a campaign event at 5 p.m. in Martin Luther King Jr. Park in Grand Rapids.
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