Rep. Justin Amash: Challenger Brian Ellis running on unpopular issues in Third District race
By Andrew Krietz
on June 09, 2014 at 3:28 PM
GRAND RAPIDS, MI — It's been a relatively quiet spring from U.S. Rep. Justin Amash's campaign, though it's better not to expect the same ahead of the Aug. 5 primary.
The incumbent Republican said he'll soon be gearing up to defend his bid for reelection against challenger Brian Ellis, who has been running advertisements against the congressman on West Michigan television for months. As the summer heats up, expect the rhetoric among the camps to increase, too.
Toward the end of May, the Michigan Information and Research Service, or MIRS tracked Amash and Ellis at 42 percent over 23 percent, respectively.
Amash, R-Cascade Township, told MLive and The Grand Rapids Press late last week that his lead is sustainable while the Ellis campaign has tried to paint the lead as one that is shrinking with each new poll.
Both agree MIRS' survey parallels internal numbers measured by each of the campaigns.
"I feel very confident going into election day," Amash said. "If I were Ellis, I wouldn't be bragging about being down 19 points."
The race is marked by the candidates' widely different ideologies, and it already has been highlighted by national media outlets as mirroring the national rift between tea party and "establishment" Republicans.
...
