Democrat Scholten releases first TV ad in Michigan's 3rd District general election

West Michigan Democrat Hillary Scholten's U.S. House campaign is launching its first television ad of the 2022 election cycle Tuesday, focusing on her faith and family.

Scholten is running for Congress in Michigan's 3rd Congressional District against Republican John Gibbs, a former appointee under former President Donald Trump who beat incumbent Rep. Peter Meijer in Aug. 2 primary. The 3rd District is considered the Democrats best chance to pick up a seat in Michigan in a year when Democrats are playing defense and trying to hold to control of the House. 

The 30-second ad shows Scholten in her home, an open Bible in front of her as her children chase each other in the background.

"My day starts here, with coffee and prayer. As a mom of two boys in the year 2022, trust me, both are very necessary," she says. "But faith without works is just empty words, and I've had enough of people in Congress serving themselves."

The campaign is spending at least $100,000 for one week of air time on cable and broadcast TV, and plans to repeat a six-figure ad buy every week until the general election in November.

This is Scholten's second bid for Congress in west Michigan after losing to Meijer in 2020 by six percentage points. That race was one of the most competitive of the cycle and drew millions of dollars in money and attention from outside groups.

The district became more Democratic after the last redistricting cycle and is once again expected to be one of the most competitive in the state. The non-partisan Cook Political Report rated the district "lean Democratic," moving it from a "toss up" after Gibbs emerged from the primary as the GOP nominee. 

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has said the seat is among 38 GOP-held or open seats that it's targeting this fall. 

In the ad, Scholten pledged to work to "get costs under control, bring manufacturing home and stand up to drug companies for price gouging."

During her 2020 campaign, Scholten ran as a problem solver and a Christian led to public service. She wants to reduce the cost of prescription drugs and energy, and supports access to abortion, according to her campaign website.

She is an attorney who previously worked with the U.S. Department of Justice under former President Barack Obama 

Gibbs, a former Catholic missionary in Japan, has also made his faith a central part of his campaign. He has touted his endorsement by Trump and says he wants to bring down inflation. He has not yet released a TV ad. 

Scholten had raised $1.2 million and had $970,641 on hand, according to the most recently available campaign finance filings from mid-July. Gibbs had raised $479,309 and has $145,415 on hand.

rbeggin@detroitnews.com

Twitter: @rbeggin