Timothy Lee Walberg is an American politician born on April 12, 1951. He has been the Republican Party’s representative for Michigan’s 7th congressional district since 2011. From 2007 until 2009, he represented the district.

Education and early life

Walberg grew up in Chicago, Illinois, as the son of Alice Ann and John A. Walberg. His paternal grandparents came from Sweden. He left a job with the United States Forest Service to further his education. He earned a B.A. in religious instruction from Taylor University after studying forestry at Western Illinois University and Moody Bible Institute.

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Walberg was in the middle of a four-year pastorate at Grace Fellowship Church in New Haven, Indiana, which ended when he entered graduate school at Wheaton College. Walberg moved to Tipton, Michigan, after getting an M.A. in communications in 1978, to lead services at Union Gospel Church.

Career

From 1983 until 1998, Walberg served in the Michigan House of Representatives. While still residing in Michigan, he worked as a pastor and division manager for the Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.

After six years away from politics, Walberg ran in the 2004 Republican primary for the 7th Congressional District against a field of six candidates after six-term incumbent Nick Smith retired. Walberg came in third place in the primary. State Senator Joe Schwarz was elected in both the primary and general elections.

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Walberg defeated Schwarz in the Republican primary in 2006. He defeated Democratic nominee Sharon Renier in the general election, 50 percent to 46 percent.

Walberg was the subject of an unsuccessful recall attempt in 2007.

When the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman Chris Van Hollen entered the 2008 contest, he designated Walberg as one of the most vulnerable Republican members in Congress. On August 23, 2007, State Senate Minority Leader Mark Schauer revealed his intention to run against Walberg. The former occupant of the seat, Joe Schwarz, who lost to Walberg in the Republican primary in 2006, refused to run but endorsed Schauer on September 30.

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Schauer defeated Walberg in the November election by a slim margin of 49 percent to 47 percent. The campaign cost around $3.5 million between the two candidates, making it one of the most expensive House contests in the 2008 election. Schauer spent approximately $300,000 more than Walberg.

On July 14, 2009, Walberg announced his intention to run against incumbent Mark Schauer. In the Republican primary, he defeated Marvin Carlson and Brian Rooney.

According to polls, the race was a tie. Walberg defeated Schauer by a 50 percent-45 percent margin.

Wahlberg defeated Democratic nominee Kurt Haskell by a margin of 53 percent to 43 percent in 2012. He beat former Democratic State Representative Pam Byrnes with 54% of the vote in 2014.

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Walberg received 55 percent of the vote in 2016, defeating Doug North in the Republican primary on August 2 and Democratic contender State Representative Gretchen Driskell in the general election. He defeated Driskell again with 53.8 percent of the vote in 2018, and for the third time in 2020, with 58.7 percent of the vote.

Personal life

Walberg and his wife Sue have raised their three children in Tipton (near Tecumseh). Matthew Walberg, Walberg’s son, works as a crime writer for the Chicago Tribune.

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He is a licenced minister. He was ordained as a Baptist but now considers himself to be nondenominational and joins a church linked with the Church of the United Brethren in Christ.

Walberg tested positive for the virus on November 15, 2020, during the COVID-19 outbreak.