Kuipers running for Congress

Wayne Kuipers jumped into the race to replace Pete Hoekstra as the US Representative from Michigan's 2nd District.

Kuipers, currently a state senator from the 30th District, made his announcement official Saturday morning. Hoekstra is retiring as Congressman at the end of his current term in 2010, and is running for governor.

A Republican, Kuipers is the current chair of both the Senate Education and Judiciary Committees. He joins a field of GOP candidates seeking the congressional nomination, including former State Rep. Bill Huizenga, former NFL star Jay Riemersma and businessman Bill Cooper.

"Each of the Republican candidates for Congress has similar positions on the issues," Kuipers said in a statement released to the media.. "The key question primary voters will have to answer is who can take our conservative message and get it enacted into law. I'm the only candidate with a record of turning rhetoric and bedrock conservative values into real results. I've taken a wish list and made it into a list of accomplishments."

Kuipers is married and has three children.