Voters across Michigan's Thumb region cast ballots Tuesday in a U.S. House race that pits three-term Republican incumbent Lisa McClain against Democratic challenger Ray Pooley, a CNC machinist running on a pro-union platform. The 9th Congressional District stretches across parts of seven counties in southeastern Michigan, and as of the latest snapshot, official counting was still in its early stages statewide.
A Redrawn District and a Crowded Field
McClain, who chairs the House Republican Conference, according to Michigan Advance, is seeking another term after redistricting moved her out of Michigan's 10th District and into the 9th, per reporting from CBS Detroit. She was previously re-elected in 2022 and 2024, the outlet notes, and the district itself is primarily located in Michigan's Thumb area, encompassing all or parts of Huron, Lapeer, Macomb, Oakland, St. Clair, Sanilac and Tuscola counties.
Just how many names appear on that ballot, though, depends on which guide you check. MLive reported that six candidates were running for the seat: Pooley, McClain, Libertarian Kevin Vayko, U.S. Taxpayers Party candidate John Vlahos, Green Party candidate Destiny Clayton and Working Class Party candidate Jim Walkowicz. Michigan Advance's ballot listing, however, adds two more names not found in MLive's roster — independents Jasen Cartwright and Fernando Valdez — alongside Vayko, Vlahos, Clayton and Walkowicz.
Two Very Different Resumes
McClain brings three decades in the private sector to her campaign, according to CBS Detroit, having spent 11 years at American Express and worked at the Hantz Group from 1998 to 2019, per Michigan Advance. She holds a business degree from Northwood University, CBS Detroit reports, and describes herself as pro-life while supporting the right to own firearms under the Second Amendment.
Pooley, meanwhile, is a third-generation manufacturer who currently works as a CNC machinist and programmer, according to Michigan Advance. CBS Detroit reports that he grew up in a farming community, and he has said hunters and fishermen in his family taught him to care for land, water and air.
Where the Candidates Split on Policy
On healthcare, the two candidates offer starkly different visions. Pooley told MLive he is “a proponent of Medicare For All” as he sees it “not only saving people's lives, but save us money as well.” McClain, by contrast, pointed to the Working Family Tax Cuts, saying they “deliver an average of $670 in annual savings per eligible senior” for healthcare costs, according to the same MLive report.
The candidates also diverge on labor and the economy. Per his campaign website, as cited by CBS Detroit, Pooley lists a pro-union stance, expanding trade schools, preserving family farms, simplifying the tax code, raising the minimum wage and helping small businesses stay competitive among his priorities, and he wants supply chains that start and end in the USA. He told MLive he would support legislation including the Living Wage For All Act and the PRO Act. McClain, for her part, says she wants economic policies that spur job growth and lists strong national defense, secure international borders, effective law enforcement and protecting the Great Lakes among her top issues, according to CBS Detroit.
Energy policy produced another clear contrast in the candidates' responses to a League of Women Voters questionnaire. McClain said she is “wholly committed to protecting our Great Lakes & maintaining them for years to come,” while also noting that “the landmark WFTC opened more American land & offshore waters to oil, natural gas, & coal production,” per her comments to MLive. Pooley said he would support legislation such as the Energy Bills Relief Act as part of a push toward green energy and sustainable jobs.
Notably, MLive's reporting indicates that only three of the six candidates it identified — Pooley, Vayko and Walkowicz — had responded to the League of Women Voters questionnaire as of Oct. 9. McClain, Vlahos and Clayton had not submitted responses by that date, but MLive's report was updated after McClain responded the following day, on Oct. 10.
Results Still Coming In
As ballots were tallied, NBC News's results page for the district showed 0% of expected votes counted, with an estimated 351,000 votes still remaining in that snapshot. NBC's election data was provided by The Associated Press, with projections made by the network's Decision Desk. ClickOnDetroit also maintained a page tracking the broader 2026 Michigan U.S. House general election results as the count continued statewide.
Michigan's official state primary, held Aug. 4, had already placed the 9th District race on the ballot, according to state election records, setting up Tuesday's general election contest between McClain, Pooley and the rest of the field.
