Upton opponent 2014

A Kalamazoo Democrat is jumping into the race for Michigan’s 6th Congressional district in 2014. Paul Clements is planning a tour of the entire district on Saturday, including stops in Buchanan, Benton Harbor, Cassopolis and Union Pier. He calls himself an “independent Democrat” on his campaign website and says Congressman Fred Upton has become “part of the problem” after 26 years in Washington, DC. Upton is also facing another Tea Party challenge from the far right of the Republican Party in the primary election next year after defeating Jack Hoogendyk in 2012. Clements is a political science professor at Western Michigan University, received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard and a masters and doctorate in public policy from Princeton. While calling Kalamazoo home, Clements was born in Texas and spent his childhood in Hong Kong and India as his father worked as a Methodist church social worker.  (MRN)