Justin Amash Leaves GOP After Advocating Trump Impeachment: Here Are The Candidates To Replace Him

By Brandon Hall
(Email Him At WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

With Rep. Justin Amash out of the Republican Party, the GOP primary for his 3rd District seat is now open.

An endorsement from President Trump could easily decide this race, which is sure to be one of the hottest in the country in 2020.

Here are the declared candidates so far:

State Rep. Jim Lower

Lower, a second term State Rep., was the first legislator to challenge Amash, earning him significant attention online, as well as earned media, including Fox & Friends.

Both major polls commissioned so far show Lower leading the field by nearly 20%, however, that was before Amash bowed out.

Lower hails from far outside the district's population hub, Grand Rapids, which could be a challenge down the stretch.

Joel Langlois

Joel Langlois, who declared his candidacy earlier this week, is the only candidate with any real longstanding ties to President Trump.

The outsider businessman, who owns Grand Rapids area staples the DeltaPlex, as well as the Intersection, hosted the President in 2015 for a rally. 

That rally infamously saw Mr. Trump say Hillary had been "schlonged" by President Obama in the 2008 primary.

Langlois has never held elected office before. Combined with his status as a political outsider and businessman, he would be well suited for the general after the primary. 

His early support of President Trump should give him a major advantage, as the other candidates can't boast the same cred.

Lynn Afendoulis

Afendoulis, a first term State Rep. who took office less than 7 months ago, previously worked at Peter Secchia's Universal Forest Products before entering politics last year.

She has a Conservative record in the House so far, but statements blasting President Trump in 2016 saying we "shouldn't elect a President this year" have caused big league concerns.

Tom Norton

Norton, a grassroots favorite, was the first to challenge Amash, even before Lower.

Norton was a member of the Army National Guard from 2008 to 2014. He also served as a trustee and president of the Sand Lake Village Council from 2014 to 2018.

Norton  will trail in fundraising, but he will hit the doors and have a decent amount of volunteers, count on that.

Peter Meijer

A few months ago, Peter Meijer was a top donor to Rep. Justin Amash, writing him a check for nearly $3,000.

Meijer, who has spent recent years living in New York, is known in political circles for his extremely moderate views, as well as his hostility towards President Trump. He is also a proponent of electing Vets to public office.

Meijer has nothing to do with running the popular store chain that features his famous last name. A recent poll of the race shows Meijer in last place...

If he can make it out of the primary, Meijer could prove to be a strong general election candidate, though for different reasons than Langlois.

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com
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