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| Michigan House of Representatives District 17 | ||
| Current incumbent | Joseph Bellino  | |
| Population | 90,344 | |
| Gender | 51.6% Female, 48.4% Male | |
| Race | 76.2% White, 18.7% Black, 2.6% Two or More Races, 1.3% Asian, 0.7% Other, 0.4% Native American | |
| Ethnicity | 96.8% Non-Hispanic, 3.2% Hispanic | |
Michigan's seventeenth state house district is held by Republican Representative Joseph Bellino.
As of the 2010 census, a total of 90,344 civilians reside within Michigan's seventeenth state house district. Michigan state representatives represent an average of 89,851 residents. After the 2000 Census, each member represented 90,349 residents.
Members of the Michigan House of Representatives serve two-year terms with term limits. Michigan legislators assume office the at noon on first day of January.
Section 7 of Article 4 of the Michigan Constitution states, "Each senator and representative must be a citizen of the United States, at least 21 years of age, and an elector of the district he represents. The removal of his domicile from the district shall be deemed a vacation of the office. No person who has been convicted of subversion or who has within the preceding 20 years been convicted of a felony involving a breach of public trust shall be eligible for either house of the legislature."
| State legislators | |
|---|---|
| Salary | Per diem |
| $71,685/year | $10,800/year expense allowance for session and interim. Set by the compensation commission. |
The Michigan legislature is one of 15 state legislatures with term limits. Voters enacted the Michigan Term Limits Act in 1992. That initiative said that Michigan representatives are subject to term limits of no more than three two-year terms, or a total of six years.
The first year that the term limits enacted in 1992 impacted the ability of incumbents to run for office was in 2002.
Whenever a vacancy occurs in the house, it is up to the Governor to call for a special election. A special election must be held during the next scheduled general election. If the vacancy happened after the statewide primary, leaders of the respective party organizations within the Senate district can submit a list of nominees to be voted on by party leadership. A vote must be held no later than 21 days after the vacancy.
This district is one of 710 state legislative districts that intersects with one or more Pivot Counties. These 206 Pivot Counties voted for Donald Trump (R) in 2016 after voting for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012.
The 206 Pivot Counties are located in 34 states. Iowa, with 31, had the most such counties. The partisan makeup of state legislative districts intersecting with Pivot Counties is slightly more Republican than the overall partisan makeup of state legislatures throughout the country.
Elections for the office of Michigan House of Representatives will take place in 2020. The general election will be held on November 3, 2020. A primary is scheduled for August 4, 2020. The filing deadline is April 21, 2020.
Incumbent Joseph Bellino (R) defeated Michelle LaVoy (D) in the general election for Michigan House of Representatives District 17 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Joseph Bellino (R) |
55.7
|
18,513 |
|
|
Michelle LaVoy (D) |
44.3
|
14,750 | |
|
|
Total votes: 33,263 (100.00% precincts reporting) |
Michelle LaVoy advanced from the Democratic primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 17 on August 7, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Michelle LaVoy (D) |
100
|
6,999 |
|
|
Total votes: 6,999 |
Incumbent Joseph Bellino advanced from the Republican primary for Michigan House of Representatives District 17 on August 7, 2018.
Candidate |
% |
Votes |
||
| ✔ |
|
Joseph Bellino (R) |
100
|
6,758 |
|
|
Total votes: 6,758 |
Elections for the Michigan House of Representatives took place in 2016. The primary election was held on August 2, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was April 19, 2016.
Joseph Bellino defeated incumbent Bill LaVoy and Jeff Andring in the Michigan House of Representatives District 17 general election.Michigan House of Representatives, District 17 General Election, 2016
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican |  Joseph Bellino |
52.23% | 20,232 | |
| Democratic | Bill LaVoy Incumbent | 44.27% | 17,151 | |
| U.S. Taxpayers | Jeff Andring | 3.50% | 1,355 | |
| Total Votes | 38,738 | |||
| Source: Michigan Secretary of State | ||||
Michigan House of Representatives, District 17 Democratic Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | |
|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill LaVoy Incumbent (unopposed) |
Michigan House of Representatives, District 17 Republican Primary, 2016
| Party | Candidate | |
|---|---|---|
| Republican | Joseph Bellino (unopposed) |
Elections for the Michigan House of Representatives took place in 2014. A primary election was held on August 5, 2014, and a general election was held on November 4, 2014. The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in this election was April 22, 2014. Incumbent Bill LaVoy was unopposed in the Democratic primary. Charles Londo was unopposed in the Republican primary. LaVoy defeated Londo in the general election.
Michigan House of Representatives, District 17 General Election, 2014
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill LaVoy Incumbent |
59.6% | 14,623 | |
| Republican | Charles Londo | 40.4% | 9,903 | |
| Total Votes | 24,526 | |||
Elections for the office of Michigan House of Representatives consisted of a primary election on August 7, 2012 and a general election on November 6, 2012. The signature-filing deadline for major party candidates wishing to run in this election was May 15, 2012. The deadline for independent candidates was July 19, 2012. The deadline for write-in candidates was July 27, 2012. Bill LaVoy (D) defeated Anne Rossio (R) in the general election. LaVoy defeated Jim Pedersen and Brian David Hensley in the Democratic primary. Rossio was unopposed in the Republican primary.
Michigan House of Representatives, District 17, General Election, 2012
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill LaVoy |
61.3% | 22,339 | |
| Republican | Anne Rossio | 38.7% | 14,092 | |
| Total Votes | 36,431 | |||
Michigan House of Representatives, District 17 Democratic Primary, 2012
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes |
|---|---|---|
|
Bill LaVoy |
45.1% | 3,456 |
| Jim Pedersen | 40.5% | 3,105 |
| Brian David Hensley | 14.4% | 1,104 |
| Total Votes | 7,665 | |
From 2002 to 2016, candidates for Michigan House of Representatives District 17 raised a total of $1,307,772. Candidates who raised money in contributions earned $35,345 on average. All figures come from Follow the Money.
Campaign contributions, Michigan House of Representatives District 17
| Year | Amount | Candidates | Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $123,160 | 3 | $41,053 |
| 2014 | $77,115 | 2 | $38,558 |
| 2012 | $80,230 | 4 | $20,058 |
| 2010 | $61,902 | 3 | $20,634 |
| 2008 | $451,356 | 5 | $90,271 |
| 2006 | $61,078 | 2 | $30,539 |
| 2004 | $254,913 | 8 | $31,864 |
| 2002 | $185,229 | 6 | $30,872 |
| 2000 | $12,789 | 4 | $3,197 |
| Total | $1,307,772 | 37 | $35,345 |
