Paul Junge, a candidate for the Republican nomination to face U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin in the general election, was named a “Contender” by the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) in its Young Guns program. The NRCC is the campaign arm of House Republicans and the Young Guns program is for candidates in open or challenger seats for which the Republican has a favorable opportunity for victory. Junge is the only candidate in the 8th District to receive recognition from National Republicans for his candidacy.
“I was proud to serve in the Trump Administration fighting to stop illegal immigration, grateful to work in our family business that created hundreds of jobs, and honored to serve as a prosecutor in the domestic violence unit, protecting abused women and children. I am running for Congress to be a conservative leader who will put America First, while Democrat Elissa Slotkin has proven she puts Nancy Pelosi and her liberal agenda first,” said Paul Junge.
“Nancy Pelosi and Elissa Slotkin recklessly delayed critical funding for small businesses and workers during the coronavirus crisis and they led the charge for the partisan impeachment fiasco and radical liberal policies. I will stand with the people of the 8th District, while typical liberal politician Elissa Slotkin stands with Nancy Pelosi,” Junge added.
President Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District by 7 percent, and Romney defeated President Obama by 3 percent.
ABOUT THE RACE
U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a moderate Democrat, flipped the 8th District seat held by Republicans for almost two decades by beating U.S. Rep. Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, in 2018.
Candidates in the Republican primary include Mike Detmer of Howell, a sales manger at an automobile dealership; Alan Hoover, an Iraq veteran and entrepreneur from Ortonville in Oakland County; Paul Junge of Brighton, a former prosecutor and TV news anchor; Kristina Lyke of Fowlerville, an attorney at Lyke Law in East Lansing; and Nikki Snyder, a member of the state Board of Education who doesn’t live in the district, but said she’d move in if elected.
The 8th Congressional District includes all of Livingston and Ingham counties, and northern Oakland County.
