This is so sad that another Christian Reform individual from a more conservative part of West Michigan (Hudsonville) for some reason became a far Lefty. it's just unbelievable and sad. She even went to unity Christian. I understand a little bit of knee-jerk against some of the bad Xtreme far right conservatives in West Michigan but to bounce all the way to the left like she did is a little bit inexplicable. ☹️
And then her husband is a professor of journalism at Calvin And undoubtedly is a left-leaning individual given the subject he teaches as well as to whom he's married. It's a sad commentary on West Michigan in general, even though there's still a lot of conservatives there and Trump routinely rallied there because he knew that he had some significant support, but Calvin which also used to be considered conservative is now seemingly moving leftward without any hope of coming back 👎.
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Biography of U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D–Michigan's 3rd District)
Early Life & Education
Born: February 22, 1982, in Michigan; raised in Hudsonville, a suburb of Grand Rapids .
Family background: Her mother was a public school teacher; her father was a sports journalist for The Grand Rapids Press. Her ancestors immigrated from the Netherlands, and she was raised in the Christian Reformed Church .
Education:
Graduated from Unity Christian High School in Hudsonville (Class of 2000) .
Earned a Bachelor of Arts from Gordon College in 2004 .
Received her J.D. in 2011 from the University of Maryland School of Law (Thurgood Marshall School of Law) .
Early Career & Legal Background
Worked as a social worker, including at the AIDS Action Committee and Catholic Charities in Washington D.C., focusing on housing advocacy and assisting LGBTQ+ individuals facing discrimination .
Clerked for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, in a special immigration unit .
Served with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as an attorney advisor for the Board of Immigration Appeals (via the Attorney General's Honors Program) from 2013 to 2017, focusing on immigration and civil rights during the Obama administration .
Upon returning to Michigan, she worked at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center and engaged in private practice—also volunteering for the Time's Up Legal Defense Fund .
Political Career
2020: Ran for Congress in Michigan's 3rd District but was defeated by incumbent Republican Peter Meijer .
2022: Ran again and won, flipping a historically Republican stronghold—the first Democrat and first woman to represent Grand Rapids in Congress since the 1970s .
Her win was part of a strategic midterm effort, aided by redistricting and campaign tactics that positioned her as the Democratic nominee against a Trump-endorsed GOP candidate .
In Office:
Took office on January 3, 2023, serving Michigan's 3rd Congressional District (which includes Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and more) .
Re-elected in 2024 with about 53.7% of the vote .
Historical significance: She is the inaugural female and motherly Representative for her district—bringing fresh representation to West Michigan .
Committee assignments (118th and 119th Congresses): Serves on the Small Business and Transportation & Infrastructure Committees .
Ongoing work: Active legislator—engaged with community issues like clean water, clean energy, and immigrant rights; also involved in broader policy and representation matters .
Personal & Community Perspective
Identifies as a pro-choice Christian, notably introducing herself on the House floor with that phrase during debates—emphasizing her faith and nuanced views on abortion policy .
Her campaign emphasized pragmatic, bipartisan values—reflective of West Michigan's desire for "common-sense solutions," economic stability, healthcare improvements, and democratic values .
Has a strong family presence: married to Jesse (sometimes reported as Scholten/Scholton), with two sons—James and Wesley—and remains deeply rooted in West Michigan community values .
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Summary
Born February 22, 1982, in Hudsonville, MI
Education B.A. (Gordon College), J.D. (University of Maryland)
Early Career Social work, immigration law, DOJ, Michigan advocacy
Political Milestones Elected to U.S. House in 2022; re-elected in 2024
District Michigan's 3rd Congressional District
Committee Roles Small Business; Transportation & Infrastructure
Personal Christian, mother, attorney, community-driven legislator
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Her husband
Jesse Holcomb is an associate professor of journalism and communication at Calvin College (now Calvin University) in Grand Rapids, Michigan .
He earned his B.A. from Gordon College (in Massachusetts) around 2003 and later received a master's from George Washington University's School of Media and Public Affairs in 2009 .
In a profile discussing his move to Calvin, Holcomb mentioned that his decision was influenced by the fact that his wife (Hillary) grew up in the Grand Rapids area and still has family there—not the other way around .
So while Hillary Scholten is a native of Hudsonville, there's no indication that Jesse Holcomb shares that hometown background.
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