Debbie Dingell and Heather Smiley are squaring off again for Michigan's 6th Congressional District, a rematch of their 2024 contest in a district that covers all of Washtenaw County along with parts of Wayne, Oakland and Monroe counties. Dingell, the Democratic incumbent, is seeking another term after winning the seat by more than 122,000 votes two years ago, while Smiley, a Republican, is making her second run at the seat. Four third-party candidates are also on the ballot this cycle.
According to CBS Detroit, both Dingell and Smiley ran unopposed in their respective primaries, setting up a direct repeat of the 2024 matchup. That contest wasn't particularly close: Dingell received 62% of the vote to Smiley's share, according to the same report, which also notes Dingell's margin of victory topped 122,000 votes. WDET describes District 6 as, in recent history, a predominately blue district, a trend the 2024 results appear to bear out.
A District Shaped by Redistricting
Michigan's 6th District takes in all of Washtenaw County, along with western and southern Wayne County, a portion of southwestern Oakland County, and the city of Milan in Monroe County, per Michigan Advance. CBS Detroit reports the district also includes portions of Northville, Novi and Flat Rock, plus Novi Township, Belleville, Brownstown Charter Township, Canton Charter Township, Gibraltar, Grosse Ile Township, Huron Charter Township, Plymouth, Plymouth Charter Township, Riverview, Rockwood, Sumpter Township, Trenton, Van Buren Charter Township and Woodhaven.
Dingell has represented the 6th District since Michigan redrew its congressional map in 2022, according to CBS Detroit's report. Before the redistricting, the area was represented by Fred Upton, who did not seek reelection after 18 terms in Congress, the station notes. Dingell herself has served in the U.S. House since 2015, when she succeeded her late husband, John Dingell, who left office that year as the longest-serving member of the House in U.S. history.
Two Careers, Two Very Different Resumes
Before Congress, Dingell worked as an executive director of global community relations and government relations at General Motors, according to Michigan Advance, and she also served on the Wayne State University Board of Governors, per CBS Detroit's reporting. In Washington, she now serves as chair of the House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee and sits on both the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, CBS Detroit reports. Her campaign's listed priorities include affordability, expanding health care coverage, lowering prescription drug costs, ICE reforms, the Great Lakes ecosystem, education investment, equality and veterans' resources, according to the station.
Smiley, for her part, retired from Ford Motor Company after more than 30 years in roles spanning product development, strategy and planning, business reengineering and transformation, customer service, and analytics, Michigan Advance reports. The Eastern Echo similarly reported that Smiley worked at Ford for 32 years and previously ran for Congress in 2024 without winning. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees from Central Michigan University, according to CBS Detroit, and has described herself as the only candidate in the race with more than 10 years of experience in the data science sector, per WDET.
Where Smiley Stands on the Issues
Smiley's campaign has focused on national sovereignty, border security and remediation, economic strength, free markets, reciprocal trade, fiscal responsibility, citizen rights, voting integrity and constitutional adherence, CBS Detroit reports. In response to WDET's candidate survey, Smiley said she would introduce and support legislation that furthers and protects rights and privacy, grow jobs, raise living standards, and prioritize national safety and security. She also tied consumer prices to energy costs, advocating for the right to choose interstate energy providers, which she said could cost 10 to 20% less, and she called for fair trade and tariff reciprocity, arguing both would benefit American jobs, prices, economic stability and national security.
On data centers, Smiley told WDET that guidelines should prioritize local control, environmental research and stewardship, self-contained sources of energy and wastewater treatment capability, along with affordability and reliability. As of October 27, WDET reported that Dingell had not responded to its candidate survey.
Other Names on the Ballot
Beyond the two major-party candidates, four third-party contenders are also running: Clyde Shabazz for the Green Party, Tim Teagan for the Libertarian Party, Michael Mickevicius for the U.S. Taxpayers Party, and Linda Rayburn for the Working Class Party, according to Michigan Advance. Shabazz also ran in the 2024 race, when he and Libertarian candidate Bill Krebaum appeared on the ballot alongside Dingell and Smiley, WDET's earlier coverage shows.
Michigan's Secretary of State lists the 6th District Representative in Congress as a two-year-term, single-position contest, with the state's official primary held on August 4. As of the latest snapshot reviewed by Hoodline, NBC News's 2026 results page for the race showed 0% of expected votes in, with an estimated 415,000 votes still remaining.
