Hillary J. Scholten dossier →

• Scholten has refused to call for a Gaza ceasefire — signing an anti-de-escalation letter and receiving an 'F' grade (13%) from AJP Action, a pro-Palestinian scorecard 937 days silent
  Expected position: As a Democrat in a D+10 district that includes significant Arab-American and Muslim communities, and as a progressive who emphasizes human dignity, Scholten would be expected to join the majority of her constituents calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. Evidence of activity on adjacent topics: AJP Action gives Scholten an 'F' (13% score): 12% voting record, 20% on letters signed, 0% on co-sponsorships, 0% on statements. She signed an anti-de-escalation letter, signed a letter endorsing Biden's Gaza policies, did not sign ceasefire or conditioning-aid letters, and has never called for a ceasefire. She voted for $17.6B Israel aid, $26.38B Israel supplemental, affirmed Israel's right to exist, condemned 'from the river to the sea' as antisemitic, and opposed censuring Rep. Rashida Tlaib. Meanwhile she has been highly active: held packed town halls (1,000+ attendees), issued press releases on the OBBBA, agriculture bills, housing, and the Iran War Powers Resolution — proving she is communicative but chooses silence on ceasefire. Primary URL: https://ajpaction.org/democratic-scorecard/hillary-scholten/
• Scholten postponed a scheduled June 16, 2025 town hall after her name appeared on a Minnesota shooter's list — critics noted she never rescheduled that specific in-person event 39 days silent
  Expected position: After building a reputation for holding regular in-person town halls (including one with 1,000+ attendees in March 2025), constituents expected Scholten to either reschedule the cancelled event or address the security concerns transparently with a follow-up public appearance. Evidence of activity on adjacent topics: Scholten postponed her June 16 town hall after learning her name was on a list tied to the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker. She stated 'out of an abundance of caution' and to avoid diverting law enforcement. Her next town hall in the summer series was on July 25 in Rockford, and she held a telephone town hall on August 20. She was active on other fronts during this window: she voted on H.R. 1 (July 3), issued a statement on the 'Big Ugly Bill,' and continued district work. The postponement itself was reasonable under the circumstances, but the gap between the March mega-town-hall and July reflects a shift toward smaller, controlled-format events (telephone town halls, Congressional Dialogue Series). Primary URL: https://thehill.com/homenews/house/5063370-michigan-lawmaker-postpones-town-hall-after-minnesota-shootings/
• corporate pacs, industry unlisted
  Interested donors: Alticor Political Action Committee (Altipac), Kellanova Political Action Committee, Itc Holdings Corp. PAC (Itc PAC)
  Alticor Political Action Committee (Altipac), Kellanova Political Action Committee, Itc Holdings Corp. PAC (Itc PAC) (amounts: $5,000 (2026), $15,000 (2024), $5,000 (2024)) — interest area: corporate pacs, industry unlisted
• party committees
  Interested donors: New Democrat Coalition Action Fund
  New Democrat Coalition Action Fund (amounts: $10,000 (2024)) — interest area: party committees
• other candidates' committees
  Interested donors: Marc Veasey Congressional Campaign Committee
  Marc Veasey Congressional Campaign Committee (amounts: $5,500 (2024)) — interest area: other candidates' committees
• other / unclassified
  Interested donors: Across The Aisle PAC, Citizens Organized Political Action Committee, National Association Of Social Workers Inc. Political Action For Candidate Election (Pace), Dykema Gossett Federal PAC, Immigrants List, Supporting House Problem Solvers - Shp PAC, Future Forum PAC, National Wooden Pallet And Container Association PAC (Palletpac)
  Across The Aisle PAC, Citizens Organized Political Action Committee, National Association Of Social Workers Inc. Political Action For Candidate Election (Pace), Dykema Gossett Federal PAC, Immigrants List, Supporting House Problem Solvers - Shp PAC, Future Forum PAC, National Wooden Pallet And Container Association PAC (Palletpac) (amounts: $5,000 (2026), $5,000 (2024), $6,000 (2026), $6,000 (2026), $8,500 (2024), $5,000 (2024), $6,000 (2024), $6,500 (2026)) — interest area: other / unclassified
• colleagues' leadership pacs
  Interested donors: Democracy Action Now PAC, Mitten PAC, Great Chain PAC, Democratic Turnout Project PAC, Ca Luv PAC (California Leadership United For Victory PAC), PAC To The Future, Committee For A Democratic Future, Great Lakes PAC, Building Relationships In Diverse Geographic Environments PAC (Bridge PAC), Shore PAC, Democrats Time In Nevada, Blue Hen Federal PAC, Hmp, Motor City PAC, Backpac, Serve America PAC, AmeriPAC: The Fund for a Greater America, Fair Shot PAC, Jobs, Education, & Families First Jeff PAC, Bridge The Gap PAC, Hms Scrap PAC, Summitt PAC, Michigan'S Future PAC, Storm PAC
  Democracy Action Now PAC, Mitten PAC, Great Chain PAC, Democratic Turnout Project PAC, Ca Luv PAC (California Leadership United For Victory PAC), PAC To The Future, Committee For A Democratic Future, Great Lakes PAC, Building Relationships In Diverse Geographic Environments PAC (Bridge PAC), Shore PAC, Democrats Time In Nevada, Blue Hen Federal PAC, Hmp, Motor City PAC, Backpac, Serve America PAC, AmeriPAC: The Fund for a Greater America, Fair Shot PAC, Jobs, Education, & Families First Jeff PAC, Bridge The Gap PAC, Hms Scrap PAC, Summitt PAC, Michigan'S Future PAC, Storm PAC (amounts: $5,000 (2026), $10,000 (2026), $5,000 (2024), $7,000 (2024), $10,000 (2024), $10,000 (2024), $5,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026), $10,000 (2024), $5,000 (2024), $5,000 (2024), $5,000 (2024), $10,000 (2024), $10,000 (2026), $5,000 (2024), $10,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026), $7,000 (2026), $10,000 (2024), $6,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026), $10,000 (2026), $7,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026)) — interest area: colleagues' leadership pacs
• ideological & single-issue
  Interested donors: Women'S Political Committee Federal, League Of Conservation Voters Action Fund, End Citizens United, Planned Parenthood Action Fund Inc. PAC, Progressive Women'S Alliance Of West Michigan, Tri-State Maxed-Out Women, Equality PAC, Progressive Turnout Project, No Labels PAC, Black Economic Alliance PAC, Elect Democratic Women, Vote Mama, Defend The Vote, Moms Fed Up, EMILY's List
  Women'S Political Committee Federal, League Of Conservation Voters Action Fund, End Citizens United, Planned Parenthood Action Fund Inc. PAC, Progressive Women'S Alliance Of West Michigan, Tri-State Maxed-Out Women, Equality PAC, Progressive Turnout Project, No Labels PAC, Black Economic Alliance PAC, Elect Democratic Women, Vote Mama, Defend The Vote, Moms Fed Up, EMILY's List (amounts: $10,000 (2024), $6,981 (2024), $5,000 (2024), $10,000 (2024), $10,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026), $5,000 (2024), $7,750 (2024), $5,000 (2026), $5,000 (2026), $7,000 (2026), $5,000 (2024), $5,000 (2026), $5,000 (2026), $10,000 (2024)) — interest area: ideological & single-issue

No platform-contradicting votes among 1873 votes on file. 8 aligned, 1 related.

No documented broken promises on file.

• statement_vs_disclosure SCORE 90
  Scholten built her career as an immigration attorney at DOJ and the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, championing 'human dignity' for immigrants. She then voted for the Laken Riley Act — mandating detention without bond for nonviolent theft arrests — as one of only 46 Democrats (out of 212). Constituent advocacy groups accused her of voting 'with Republicans on legislation that punishes the immigrant community.' Her justification cited the murder of local woman Ruby Garcia and a 'common sense approach,' but did not reconcile how mandatory pre-conviction detention comports with her stated principle of respecting 'human dignity of all individuals.' Both sources are from independent outlets (WZZM13 and WVPE).
• position_evolution SCORE 60
  Scholten voted against the FY25 NDAA in June 2024 citing Republican 'extremist' amendments, then voted for the final $895 billion NDAA in December 2024 — the largest military budget ever. While the final bill may have removed some of the most objectionable provisions, critics note it still contained anti-LGBTQ language and provisions suppressing reporting on civilian deaths in Gaza. Scholten's shift reflects the tension between progressive rhetoric on military spending and the institutional pressure to support the final defense authorization package.