Former Rep. Bart Stupak Tuesday endorsed House hopeful Lon Johnson in the race to replace retiring Republican Dan Benishek in Michigan’s 1st  District.  

The nine-term lawmaker, who held the same seat from 1993 until 2010, billed Johnson as being best suited to now take the reins. “I support Lon Johnson because he will work to create a U.P. and Northern Michigan where our families can stay and succeed,” Stupak said in a release.  

In March 2010 Stupak and a group of anti-abortion colleagues provided President Barack Obama with the deciding votes needed to pass the polarizing Affordable Care Act in exchange for assurances that taxpayer dollars would not fund future abortions. He announced his retirement a month later.  

The Johnson campaign said, is the 1,000 public supporter to back his congressional bid — a roster Team Johnson boasts includes Michigan delegation Democrats Reps. John Conyers Jr., Debbie Dingell, Dan Kildee, Brenda Lawrence and Sander M. Levin.  

Per Federal Election Commission filings, Johnson was sitting on $293,000 in cash on hand at the end of September. There are no current financial reports for retired Army Maj. Gen. Jerry Cannon, the Democrat who fell 17,000-plus votes short of overtaking Benishek in their 2014 contest.  

The Rothenberg-Gonzales Political Report /Roll Call rates the race Leans Republican .  

Related:

Benishek’s District Competitive Before and After Retirement

 

Roll Call Race Ratings Map: Ratings for Every House and Senate Race in 2016


Get breaking news alerts and more from Roll Call in your inbox or on your iPhone.