District 3: U.S. Rep. Amash secures a fourth term

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash secured a fourth term representing west Michigan’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday.

The libertarian-leaning Republican from the Grand Rapids area defeated Democrat Douglas Smith of Belmont. Unofficial returns showed Amash leading Smith 59 percent to 38 percent, with 92 percent of precincts reporting.

Amash, who initially backed U.S. Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky and then U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas in the Republican presidential primaries, was the first GOP Michigan member of Congress to explicitly say he would not endorse Donald Trump for president after the Republican businessman clinched the party’s nomination.

The 36-year-old congressman withheld his endorsement even as other Michigan Republicans got behind the party’s nominee in the final weeks of Trump's campaign.

klaing@detroitnews.com