District 4: Rep. John Moolenaar wins second term

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar won a second two-year term representing mid-Michigan’s 4th Congressional District on Tuesday.

Unofficial returns showed the Midland Republican defeating Deborah Wirth, D-Dewitt, 63 percent to 31 percent, with 80 percent of precincts reporting.

Moolenaar is a former state senator who first won election to Congress in November 2014, replacing former Rep. Dave Camp, also a Republican.

In late September, the 55-year-old congressman co-sponsored with U.S. Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Flint Township, an amendment to a water resources spending bill that authorized $170 million for infrastructure improvements for communities such as Flint with public health emergencies due to contaminated drinking water.

The GOP-controlled House approved the amendment and bill, setting up negotiations with the Senate after the election about the amount of federal aid Flint may receive.

Moolenaar waited until the party’s national convention in July to endorse GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump. In early October, he said Trump “should make a full and sincere apology” for lewd comments he made in 2005 about unwanted groping of women but Moolenaar didn’t rescind his endorsement.

klaing@detroitnews.com