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John Moolenaar

John Moolenaar
Official portrait, 2022
Chair of the House Committee on the Chinese Communist Party
Incumbent
Assumed office
April 24, 2024
Preceded byMike Gallagher
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 3, 2015
Preceded byDave Camp (4th district)
Bill Huizenga (2nd district)
Constituency4th district (2015–2023)
2nd district (2023–present)
Member of the Michigan Senate
from the 36th district
In office
January 1, 2011 – December 31, 2014
Preceded byTony Stamas
Succeeded byJim Stamas
Member of the Michigan House of Representatives
from the 98th district
In office
January 1, 2003 – December 31, 2008
Preceded byTony Stamas
Succeeded byJim Stamas
Personal details
Born
John Robert Moolenaar

(1961-05-08) May 8, 1961 (age 64)
Midland, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
EducationHope College (BS)
Harvard University (MPA)
WebsiteHouse website
Campaign website
Moolenaar's voice
Moolenaar supporting the Sustainable Chemistry Research and Development Act.
Recorded December 9, 2019

John Robert Moolenaar (/ˈmoʊlənɑːr/ MOHL-ən-ar; born May 8, 1961)[citation needed] is an American chemist and politician serving as a U.S. representative from Michigan since 2015, representing the 4th district from 2015 to 2023 and the 2nd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Republican Party, he served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2003 to 2008 and the Michigan Senate from 2011 to 2014.[1]

Early life and education

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Moolenaar was born on May 8, 1961, in Midland, Michigan.[2] His family is of Dutch ancestry. He graduated from Hope College in 1983 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry.[3] He later earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Harvard University in 1989.[3]

Career

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Moolenaar worked at Dow Chemical Company as a chemist for eight months before entering politics.[4] He was a member of the Midland City Council from 1997 to 2000. He was elected to the Michigan House of Representatives in 2002, where he served three terms.

Moolenaar ran for the 36th district in the 2010 Michigan Senate election. He was elected with 63.79% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Andy Neumann.[5]

Moolenaar did not run for reelection to the state Senate in 2014, choosing instead to run for U.S. House. He was succeeded in the Senate by Republican Jim Stamas.[6] Moolenaar won the August 5 Republican primary for Michigan's 4th congressional district with 52.40% of the vote, defeating Paul Mitchell and Peter Konetchy.[7] In the general election, he won 56.49% of the vote, defeating Democratic candidate Jeff Holmes, Libertarian candidate Will Tyler White, and U.S. Taxpayers' Party candidate George Zimmer.[6]

Moolenaar was renominated without contest in 2016,[8] winning the general with 61.62% of the vote against Democratic candidate Debra Wirth and four third-party candidates.[9] In 2018, Moolenaar again faced no primary opposition,[10] defeating Democrat Jerry Hilliard with 62.62% of the vote in the general election.[11] In 2020, he faced a rematch against Hilliard, winning this time with 65.00% of the vote.[12][13]

For his first four terms, Moolenaar represented a district stretching across a large swath of Northern and Mid-Michigan, from just outside Traverse City through Midland and the outer suburbs of Saginaw, then sweeping southward to grab the outer suburbs of Lansing. However, during the 2020 United States redistricting cycle following the 2020 census, Michigan's congressional map was significantly redrawn. The old 4th was dismantled and split between three neighboring districts, with Moolenaar's home in Midland drawn into the Flint/Saginaw-based 8th district. Meanwhile, the 2nd district, represented by fellow Republican Bill Huizenga, shifted east to take in much of Moolenaar's former territory in central Michigan. Moolenaar moved to Caledonia, an outer suburb of Grand Rapids, and ran for reelection in the new 2nd district. Huizenga had his home drawn into the new 4th district (previously the 6th district) and ran for reelection there.[14] Moolenaar faced Tom Norton in the Republican primary for the new seat, winning renomination with 65.20% of the vote. In the general election, he faced Hilliard for the third time, winning with 63.68% of the vote.[15] In 2024, Moolenaar won the Republican primary uncontested,[16] and defeated Democratic candidate Michael Lynch with 65.14% of the vote.[17]

U.S. House of Representatives

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Committee assignments

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For the 118th Congress:[18]

Caucus memberships

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Political positions

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In December 2020, Moolenaar was one of 126 Republican members of the House of Representatives to sign an amicus brief in support of Texas v. Pennsylvania, a lawsuit filed at the United States Supreme Court contesting the results of the 2020 presidential election, in which Joe Biden defeated[23] incumbent Donald Trump. The Supreme Court declined to hear the case on the basis that Texas lacked standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge the results of an election held by another state.[24][25][26]

In 2022, Moolenaar voted against the Respect for Marriage Act.[27]

References

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  1. ^ 2011-2012 Michigan Manual: State Senator John Moolenaar
  2. ^ "John Moolenaar [1961]". New Netherland Institute. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  3. ^ a b "MOOLENAAR, John". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress. Retrieved May 17, 2024.
  4. ^ "Biography". house.gov. December 11, 2012. Retrieved May 29, 2015.
  5. ^ "2010 Michigan Election Results - General". Michigan Secretary of State. September 28, 2016. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  6. ^ a b "2014 Michigan Election Results - General". Michigan Secretary of State. September 28, 2016. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  7. ^ "2014 Michigan Election Results - State Primary". Michigan Secretary of State. September 28, 2016. Archived from the original on December 3, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  8. ^ "2016 Michigan Election Results - State Primary". Michigan Secretary of State. October 17, 2016. Archived from the original on September 30, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  9. ^ "2016 Michigan Election Results - General". Michigan Secretary of State. November 28, 2016. Archived from the original on February 12, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  10. ^ "2018 Michigan Election Results - State Primary". Michigan Secretary of State. September 27, 2018. Archived from the original on February 10, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  11. ^ "2018 Michigan Election Results - General". Michigan Secretary of State. November 26, 2018. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  12. ^ "2020 Michigan Election Results - State Primary". Michigan Secretary of State. August 24, 2018. Archived from the original on December 4, 2024. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  13. ^ "2020 Michigan Election Results - General". Michigan Secretary of State. November 23, 2020. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  14. ^ Khan, Nisa; Ruberg, Emma (February 15, 2022). "The changes to Michigan's congressional map, district by district". Michigan Public. Retrieved February 25, 2025.
  15. ^ "2022 Michigan Election Results - General". Michigan Secretary of State. November 28, 2022. Archived from the original on November 29, 2022. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
  16. ^ "2024 Michigan Election Results - State Primary". Michigan Secretary of State. August 26, 2024. Archived from the original on January 3, 2025. Retrieved January 3, 2025.
  17. ^ "2024 Michigan Election Results - General". Michigan Secretary of State. November 22, 2024. Archived from the original on November 24, 2024. Retrieved November 24, 2024.
  18. ^ "Committees and Caucuses | Congressman John Moolenaar". January 3, 2021.
  19. ^ "Member List". Republican Study Committee. Archived from the original on January 1, 2019. Retrieved January 2, 2018.
  20. ^ "Members". Republican Main Street Partnership. Archived from the original on August 26, 2018. Retrieved January 25, 2018.
  21. ^ "Members". U.S. - Japan Caucus. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
  22. ^ "Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute".
  23. ^ Blood, Michael R.; Riccardi, Nicholas (December 5, 2020). "Biden officially secures enough electors to become president". AP News. Archived from the original on December 8, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  24. ^ Liptak, Adam (December 11, 2020). "Supreme Court Rejects Texas Suit Seeking to Subvert Election". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  25. ^ "Order in Pending Case" (PDF). Supreme Court of the United States. December 11, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on December 11, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  26. ^ Diaz, Daniella. "Brief from 126 Republicans supporting Texas lawsuit in Supreme Court". CNN. Archived from the original on December 12, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
  27. ^ Bobic, Igor (July 19, 2022). "These 157 House Republicans Voted Against Protections For Same-Sex Marriage". Huffington Post. Retrieved July 20, 2022.
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U.S. House of Representatives
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan's 4th congressional district
2015–2023 		Succeeded by
Preceded by Member of the U.S. House of Representatives
from Michigan's 2nd congressional district
2023–present 		Incumbent
Preceded by Chair of the House Chinese Communist Party Committee
2024–present
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded by United States representatives by seniority
142nd 		Succeeded by