Debbie Dingell faces Heather Smiley in Michigan 6th Congressional District election

• U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell of Ann Arbor is a strong favorite to win re-election in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District
• One Republican challenger, Heather Smiley, filed to run against Dingell
• The district is solidly Democratic, with local voters backing Joe Biden over Donald Trump by a wide margin in 2020

Democratic U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell is the favorite for a sixth term in Congress but will face a challenge from Republican Heather Smiley in the Nov. 5 general election. 

The Ann Arbor Democrat represents the 6th Congressional District, which covers Ann Arbor and the rest of Washtenaw County along with portions of western Wayne County and most of the city of Novi in Oakland County. 

It is solidly Democratic: Hillary Clinton beat former President Donald Trump in the district by 21 percentage points in 2016, and President Joe Biden defeated Trump in the region by nearly 27 percentage points. 

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Dingell, a five-term incumbent and widow of the late U.S. Rep. John Dingell, defeated Republican challenger Whittney Williams 66% to 34% in 2022.

She and Smiley both ran uncontested in the Aug. 6 primary to advance to the Nov. 5 general election. 

Here is a closer look at each of the candidates:

Democrat - Debbie Dingell: Dingell, of Ann Arbor, has served in Congress since 2015. She moved to Ann Arbor after her longtime home of Dearborn was drawn into a different district. She is a member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, the House Committee on Natural Resources and the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. While in Congress, Dingell has worked on Great Lakes protection efforts as co-chair of the Great Lakes Task Force and is a member of dozens of other congressional caucuses.  Before her congressional career, Dingell was an executive at General Motors Corp. and president of the GM Foundation. Her priorities include supporting manufacturing, lowering prescription drug costs, reducing gun violence and limiting domestic abusers’ access to guns. She’s well-known for her efforts to work across party lines.  

Republican - Heather Smiley: Smiley, of Riverview, is a retired Ford employee who worked for the company for 32 years in various union and salaried positions. She has also volunteered as a first responder and youth program leader. According to her campaign website, Smiley is a lifelong conservative who decided to run for office because she believes the government has “progressively gone astray.” If elected,  Smiley’s priorities include supporting law enforcement, preserving voting integrity, addressing wasteful spending and restoring border security. 

Libertarian - Bill Krebaum: Krebaum, who lists an Ann Arbor address on campaign filings, was nominated at convention by the Libertarian Party of Michigan. The party advocates for personal liberty over government intervention and considers taxation "theft," according to its platform.

Green - Clyde Shabazz: Shabazz, who lists a Detroit address in campaign finance filings, was nominated at convention by the Green Party of Michigan. Among other things, he has proposed $1,000 universal basic income checks for all Americans, and an additional $1,500 for Black reparations. Shabazz ran for the U.S. House in 2020 in the then-14th Congressional District but finished with less than 1% of the general election vote.