Congressman Fred Upton has overcome his latest primary election challenger, defeating Dowagiac’s Jim Bussler to win the GOP nomination for Michigan’s 6th District in the U.S. House of Representatives Tuesday.

The incumbent captured 69 percent of the vote across the 294 precincts in the congressional district, according to unofficial returns. With the victory, Upton secures a spot on the ballot for the general election, where he will face Democrat Paul Clements.

The longtime congressman from St. Joseph carried both Berrien and Cass counties on his way to victory, garnering 9,085 votes in the former and 1,849 in the latter. Bussler, on the other hand, received 4,288 votes in Berrien and 1,228 votes in Cass.

Upton, the chair of the House Energy Commerce Committee, has served as the 6th District Representative since 1986. In 2012, Upton defeated Kalamazoo’s Jack Hoogendyk in the primary election by a similar margin with 67 percent of the vote.

Bussler, a lifelong resident of Dowagiac, works as a registered nurse with Lakeland Regional Healthcare. It was his first time running for elected office.