Former GOP Rep. Mike Bishop ‘strongly considering’ comeback bid

Former GOP Rep. Mike Bishop (Mich.) is mulling waging a comeback bid after losing his House seat in the 2018 midterms.

A source familiar with the matter confirmed to The Hill that Bishop, who served in the House for two terms before losing his seat to Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), is “seriously considering” another House campaign. The source advised that Bishop is likely to wait to see how Michigan’s congressional lines are ultimately drawn before making a final decision.

When reached by The Hill, Bishop confirmed that he is “very interested” in another campaign but insisted he would await the results of the map drawing process by Michigan’s redistricting commission.

“I feel very optimistic about the direction the commission is going,” he said. “Realistically, I have to wait for them to conclude, and that’s just a function of time.”

The redistricting process in Michigan has hit snags, with individual members of the state’s commission in charge of drawing maps submitting their own proposals for how to delineate congressional and state legislative districts. 

Three commissioners as of Monday had submitted personal propositions for the various state and federal chambers, which are in addition to nine collaborative maps commissioners introduced last week — three each for the state House, state Senate and U.S. House of Representatives. 

The proposals will now be subjected to a 45-day public comment period before the panel holds a vote. To pass, a map must get the support of the majority of the 13-member commission, including from at least two Democratic, two Republican and two independent members.

Should Bishop run, he would likely try to launch his comeback in a district based in Oakland and Macomb counties outside of Detroit. The district he represented included much of Oakland County, and he has long had ties to the area, including representing it in the state Senate.

“I feel comfortable that I’m a good fit to represent” the two counties, Bishop said.

Bishop lost his seat in a tight House race in 2018, falling short by under 4 points to Slotkin. Democrats were swept into the House majority that year, largely on the support of suburban voters.