District 10: GOP’s Mitchell succeeds Rep. Miller

Republican Paul Mitchell was elected Tuesday night to the 10th Congressional District seat, to take over for the retiring U.S. Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Township.

The Associated Press has declared Mitchell of Dryden the winner over former state Rep. Frank Accavitti Jr., D-Grosse Pointe Shores. Early returns showed Mitchell leading  Accavitti Jr. by a margin of 62.8 to 32.5 percent with 46 percent of the vote.

District 10 is strongly Republican and covers northern Macomb County and the Thumb counties of Lapeer, St. Clair, Huron and Tuscola counties.

The 59-year-old retired businessman reported raising nearly $3.9 million through Oct. 19 for his congressional run, which included a primary victory over four opponents. Mitchell loaned himself about $3.58 million. Accavitti raised about $30,500, according to his filings with the Federal Election Commission.

The 10th district race marks Mitchell’s second bid for a congressional seat in as many election cycles after he spent $3.6 million in a losing race in mid-Michigan’s 4th Congressional District in 2014 against John Moolenaar of Midland.

Mitchell moved last year into Lapeer County’s Dryden Township,

All told, the retired businessman has spent nearly $7.5 million of his own wealth in pursuit of a U.S. House seat during the past four years.

klaing@detroitnews.com