Top Michigan education official running for Kildee’s House seat

Michigan’s State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh announced her bid for the state’s 8th Congressional District on Monday, becoming the first Democrat to launch a campaign for the seat following news that Rep. Dan Kildee (D-Mich.) would not seek reelection. 

Pugh also announced that she would be dropping her Senate bid. 

“Voters in the 8th district are grappling with many of the same challenges I’ve heard all across the state over the past six months,” Pugh said in a statement. “First and foremost they want economic dignity and safe communities, and they want leaders with the courage to fight for democracy and the freedoms we all hold dear like reproductive choice.”

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The development comes weeks after Kildee announced he was retiring from Congress, saying that a cancer diagnosis earlier this year led him to reassess his career future. Kildee has served in Congress since 2013. 

Kildee’s decision comes as Republicans have elevated the 8th Congressional District to a top target going into 2024. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report subsequently moved the district from “lean Democrat” to “toss-up.” 

Martin Blank, a Republican and a trauma surgeon, launched his bid for the seat last month.