I would probably pick someone else but from a completely subjective standpoint, Hoekstra is probably the one who can seriously challenge the bloated one.
You would think the Michigan Republicans could come up with a much better candidate. Hoekstra is defense/military guy, not an economy or jobs guy.
I’d hope that one of the other guys from the Mackinac Island set - a Dick DeVos or someone of that ilk would step up and run Stabenau out.
For all of the union and Democrat clout in Michigan, there are also some serious heavyweights in the Republican camp - especially if you could draw someone from outside the political class (see Rick Snyder, or Ron Johnson in Wisconsin). A guy like that, speaking with credibility, would have serious appeal against a partisan hack like Stabenau.
Hoekstra is a retread. A guy who couldn’t manage his way past a statewide primary for the Governor’s office against a relative unknown who touted himself as “the nerd.” He may be the best of the batch right now, but voters will remember him as a guy who lost not 2 years ago, and that makes him a liability. A guy who is dependent on the government payroll because he doesn’t have enough DC connections or alliances to make it on the outside.
If this were two years down the road we might have had one that could fit the tea. A couple of the freshmen who won the last election for the house come to mind.