By press time, Stabenow received about 57 percent of the general vote against her Republican challenger Pete Hoekstra, who received about 39 percent of the vote, according the Associated Press.

Rogers received about 59 percent of the general vote against his Democrat challenger Lance Enderle also by press time, according to the analytics. Enderle received about 36 percent of the vote.

“I am deeply honored and so grateful to Michigan voters,” Stabenow said in a statement. ““Now, I’m ready to get back to work bringing together Republicans and Democrats to get things done. To have a middle class, to create jobs here, we need to do what we do best – make things and grow things.”

Rogers jokingly commented to the crowd at the GOP watch party at the Lansing Center just minutes before he was declared the winner his race that Tuesday he was going to bed and waking up feeling a winner, as opposed to past elections when he thought he had lost at night but had won by the morning.

Hoekstra and Enderle were unavailable for comment by press time.
This will be the third term for Stabenow, who ran unopposed in the Democratic primary. Hoekstra previously served nine terms as the U.S. Representative for Michigan’s second congressional district and lost a gubernatorial primary bid in 2010.

Rogers has served as Congressman for Michigan’s Eight Congressional District since 2001. Enderle has not held any previous offices.

Matt Grossmann, assistant professor of political science, said prior to the election’s conclusion that incumbents often have the upper hand, however Republicans thought Pete Hoekstra would be a good contender for Stabenow’s position but “Stabenow has held a lead all along.”

“People are very down on Congress except for their own congressperson that they re-elect,” said Douglas Roberts, professor of social science and director of the Institute for Public Policy and Social Research. “It’s a very odd phenomenon in our society.”

Roberts accurately predicted the incumbents to both win by more than 55 percent of the vote.

Also on the ballot with Stabenow and Hoekstra was Libertarian Scotty Boman, who’s number appeared to be blocked after the results came out.

Boman said on Monday he knew it was “very unlikely” he would win but said his race for the position was important to move the party forward.

Libertarian candidate for the 8th Congressional District Daniel Goebal expressed frustration not with his loss but rather Rogers’ win.

“(People) don’t seem to know what’s going on,” Goebal said. “I didn’t have the money to expose what he’s doing.”

Goebal said Rogers, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, is a “warmonger” and said Rogers has taken actions and positions that would incite war in the Middle East.

Despite the outcome, ASMSU Vice President for Governmental Affairs Dylan Miller said students should keep a close eye on those in these positions as they can have a large impact.

ASMSU is MSU’s undergraduate student government.

Miller said, specifically, the Congress has a large impact on foreign policy issues and the cost of higher education — both highly relevant issues for students of MSU, with its large international student population.

“It’s hard to say how (their election) doesn’t directly impact students,” Miller said.