Hillary Scholten

Hillary Jeanne Scholten is a Democratic politician and attorney serving as the U.S. Representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district. First elected in November 2022, she assumed office on January 3, 2023, becoming the first woman and first mother to represent the district in Congress. Scholten was born in Grand Rapids and raised in Hudsonville, Michigan. She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Gordon College in 2004 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law in 2011. Her professional career began in social work, focusing on housing advocacy for the AIDS Action Committee and Catholic Charities. After law school, she clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, specializing in immigration law, and later joined the U.S. Department of Justice as an attorney adviser for the Board of Immigration Appeals from 2013 to 2017. Before her election to Congress, she worked as a staff attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center and served as senior counsel in private practice at a law firm in Grand Rapids.

Scholten's policy platform emphasizes healthcare access, economic relief, and environmental protection. She advocates for the protection and expansion of the Affordable Care Act, supporting measures to cap the cost of prescription drugs and insulin. She is a vocal supporter of reproductive rights, stating that healthcare decisions should remain between women and their doctors. On economic issues, Scholten focuses on lowering household costs for energy and housing, supporting collective bargaining rights, and investing in local infrastructure. Her environmental priorities include safeguarding the Great Lakes, addressing PFAS contamination in drinking water, and transitioning to a clean energy economy through tax credits for renewables and electric vehicle production.