uptonwins18

Upton Declares Victory With Push to Get the Poison Out of Politics

uptonwins18

He represents the 6th Congressional District of Michigan — the automobile state — and newly re-elected Congressman Fred Upton told a room full of late-staying supporters and campaign workers tonight, “Let’s figure out how it is that we can really move that car forward. Remember, we’re the auto state, how do we move that car forward to get to the destination that all of us want.”

In perhaps the closest race of his political career, the chase went down to the wire and even at the time that Upton made his victory speech at the Shadowland Ballroom on Silver Beach early this morning at about 12:16am, Democratic challenger Matt Longjohn had not yet conceded the win to him.

Upton told the crowd, “I know it’s been a long night and I have to say that we are very pleased with the results, I appreciate the team that we have had every step of the way, including my crew, my official staff, my campaign staff, my chairs and everyone.” He added, “I heard from a number of my colleagues, Republican and Democrat by the way, congratulating me on our win.”

He hugged and thanked his wife of 35 years, Amey, and said in a perfunctory way, “The message is this: Let’s put these campaigns behind us. Let’s focus on what matters to the people here — jobs, the economy, the Great Lakes, the things that we care about and why we want to live in this neck of the woods.” Upton says he heard repeatedly along the campaign trail over and over again, “Forget whether you have a ‘D’ or an ‘R’ next to your names, work it out.”

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Upton went on to say, “Let’s figure out what it is we want, and get the poison out of politics, and the poison out of trying to govern, and figure out how it is that we can really move that car forward.” He added, “That’s who I am. I have never changed, and I’m not going to change, and we’re pleased with the results tonight and I just want to thank everybody here for staying as long as you did just to make sure that all the clerks got their numbers and their absentee ballots and all of that stuff straight, so God Bless all of you and let’s move forward!”

With more than 80-percent of the vote in, Upton held a more than 49-percent to some 46-percent lead, and spent a considerable time behind closed doors consulting with strategists who were working diligently to determine the numbers from every precinct in the district.

The 65 year old Congressman from St. Joseph has held his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives since first winning election in 1987.  He is former Chairman of the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and has played a major role in shaping post-Obamacare health-care legislation, and many other issues affecting the people of Michigan.