Michigan’s 11th Congressional District
A Voter’s Guide to the 11th Congressional Race
Candidates Republican Dave Trott and Democrat Anil Kumar
Independent Kerry Bentivolio and Libertarian Jonathan Ray Osment will also be on the ballot.
In order to understand what’s happening now in the race to represent Michigan’s 11th Congressional District, we have to go back a few years. That’s when longtime Republican Congressman Thaddeus McCotter was part of a scandal involving phony petition signatures that ultimately led to his resignation. Democrat David Curson filled a special six-week term in the district. Then in 2012, Republican Kerry Bentivolio was elected. In 2014, Bentivolio ran for re-election but was defeated in the GOP primary by Birmingham businessman David Trott.
Republican Congressman Dave Trott
Incumbent Dave Trott has a bachelor’s degree from University of Michigan, and had a career as a lawyer in Birmingham before turning to politics. According to his website, he spent a semester teaching American government, and he sits on the House Foreign Affairs Committee in Congress.
Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @Trott4Congress
Democrat Anil Kumar
Dr. Anil Kumar, of Bloomfield Hills, is chief of surgery at Crittendon Hospital. In 1984, Kumar immigrated to Detroit from India. He teaches at Michigan State University, Kumar says his three decades of experience in the medical field have made him an expert on healthcare, and that he will “use his expertise to enhance the Affordable Care Act and Medicare.”
Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @_AchheDin
Independent Kerry Bentivolio
Conservative Bentivolio is a Milford native and a Vietnam veteran. He earned a Bachelor of Arts from St. Mary’s College and a Master of Education from Marygrove College. Bentivolio says he served with the military police during Desert Storm, and in Iraq in 2007.
Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @KerryB4Congress
Libertarian Jonathan Ray Osment
Jonathan Ray Osment is a Farmington Hills native. He’s lived in Michigan for most of his life, and graduated from Kalamazoo College. He is a software engineer with an entrepreneurial background, although he currently works for Quicken Loans. He is focused on implementing political reform and creating greater personal freedoms for citizens if he is elected.
Follow him on Facebook and on Twitter @JonathanROsment
About the Voters
| Population | 712,132 |
| Age Distribution: 18-34 | 19.3% |
| Age Distribution: 35-59 | 37.9% |
| Age Distribution: 60+ | 20% |
| Male | 49.1% |
| Female | 50.9% |
| Race |
White: 83.7% |
| Foreign-born | 12.1% |
| Education Level |
Less than high school graduate: 6.0% |
|
Source: U.S. Census Bureau; American Community Survey, |
Previous Congressional Election Results
|
2014 General Election Dave Trott (R) – 55.90% Bobby McKenzie (D) – 40.47% |
2012 General Election Kerry Bentivolio (R) 50.76% Syed Taj (D) – 44.36% |
Previous WDET Work on Michigan’s 11th Congressional District
The 11th District’s Special Election in 2012
Click here for WDET’s 2016 Feature Story on 11th District Candidates
Wayne State University Communication Students Clara Ruffin and Deiontae Nicholas contributed to this coverage.
