November 4, 2026
Local News National Politics

Dingell Defeats Smiley To Retain Southeast Michigan House Seat

  • November 4, 2026
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Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell secured a seventh term in Congress, defeating Republican Heather Smiley in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District.

Dingell Defeats Smiley To Retain Southeast Michigan House Seat

Democratic Rep. Debbie Dingell won reelection in Michigan’s 6th Congressional District, defeating Republican challenger Heather Smiley. The race was called by the Associated Press on Tuesday evening.

Dingell campaigned on expanding access to health care, lowering prescription drug costs and supporting American manufacturing and workers. During her latest term, she introduced legislation to expand home and community-based care and strengthen the caregiving workforce, along with a proposal to add long-term home care coverage to Medicare. Smiley, a retired Ford employee, emphasized government accountability and called for data center policies that protect local control, the environment and affordable, reliable energy.

The Cook Political Report rated the district Solid Democratic heading into the election. The southeast Michigan district includes Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti and Canton, combining communities in Washtenaw and Wayne counties. First elected in 2014, Dingell secured her seventh consecutive two-year term, keeping the seat in Democratic hands.