Former Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra has been nominated by President Donald Trump to be the next ambassador to the Netherlands. White House officials described Pete Hoekstra as a “strong politician” when the announcement was made Monday. The former Michigan Congressman represented Michigan’s second congressional district between 1993 and 2011. Hoekstra, President Trump’s Michigan campaign co-chair during last year’s presidential election, was born in the Netherlands before coming to the United States at age 3 with his parents and settling in Holland. He became a US citizen at age 9.
Representative Bill Huizenga, Michigan’s current 2nd District congressman is supporting the pick by President Trump. Huizenga released this statement:
“Pete's heritage, deep-rooted ties to the Dutch community in West Michigan, and combination of public service and private sector experience make him uniquely qualified to serve as Ambassador to the Netherlands. I cannot think of a better person to further strengthen the relationship between the United States and the Netherlands than Pete Hoekstra.”
The nomination may be somewhat of a political thank you to Hoekstra—President Trump won the state of Michigan by just over 10,000 votes in November. The US Senate must still approve the nomination.
