Biography

Hillary Jeanne Scholten, born on February 22, 1982, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, is a Democratic U.S. Representative serving Michigan's 3rd Congressional District since January 3, 2023. She is the first woman and mother to represent this district, which encompasses urban centers like Grand Rapids, Muskegon, and Grand Haven, as well as surrounding suburbs and farmland.

Raised in Hudsonville, a suburb of Grand Rapids, Scholten's mother was a public school teacher, and her father worked as a sports journalist for The Grand Rapids Press. Her great-great-grandparents emigrated from the Netherlands, and she was brought up in the Christian Reformed Church.

Before her political career, Scholten worked as a social worker, focusing on housing advocacy for individuals affected by homelessness and housing insecurity, including members of the LGBTQ+ community. She later pursued law, clerking for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit and serving as an attorney adviser for the Board of Immigration Appeals at the U.S. Department of Justice.

In Congress, Scholten serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the House Small Business Committee. She has been recognized for her efforts, including being named one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan in 2024.

Scholten resides in Grand Rapids with her husband, Jesse Holcomb, a journalism professor at Calvin University, and their two sons. She is an active member of LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, where she serves as a deacon.

Education and Political Experience

• Education:

  • Bachelor of Arts from Gordon College
  • Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland School of Law

• Political Experience:

  • Elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for Michigan's 3rd Congressional District in 2022
  • Serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee
  • Serves on the House Small Business Committee
  • Advocate for immigrant rights and housing security
  • Recognized as one of the 50 Most Influential Women in West Michigan in 2024