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BY RICK PLUTA Michigan Public Radio Network
It was a weekend for political battling in Michigan at the Republican and Democratic state conventions. There were spirited fights over who would lead the parties for the next two years. Now, Democrats and Republicans in Michigan have to heal their internal wounds before they face each other next year.
Democrats and Republicans both seem to think their parties are not winning as many races as they should in Michigan, a state that's gone Democratic in six straight presidential elections but still sends lots of Republicans to Lansing. That's led to big fights over direction and state party leadership. In Lansing, Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostak won a second term, but it was close. Very close. Todd Courser is an evangelical Christian who said he was "called" by God to challenge the party leader. But he said his challenge was not theological, but practical.
"When people want to analyze why the Democrats won last time and they say it was this, or the other. I'd say it was all of those things and they did them better than we did them." Courser said.
Courser said he doesn't think Democrats won on issues, but outfought Republicans using technology to organize and contact voters. Courser had a lot of support from Tea Party factions in the Republican Party. But the delegates decided to stick with Schostak, a proven fundraiser. Schostak said he's confident the losers in this fight won't abandon the GOP.
"In any hotly contested race, you're going to have people from all sides speaking out, but at the end of the day, people came together to say, we want to beat the Democrats."
In Detroit, Democrats were busy beating up on each other. There was bickering, shouting matches between party leaders. Union leaders split on who should lead the Democratic Party. It looked like the race for Democratic Party chair was headed for a nail-biter finish.
Until 18-year chair Mark Brewer stunned the convention.
"I'm withdrawing my candidacy for chair..."
Brewer then left the convention and the Michigan Democratic Party to his successor. 41-year-old Lon Johnson is a venture capitalist and veteran campaign organizer who's most recent political foray was an unsuccessful campaign for a northern Michigan state House seat. Johnson said the numbers show Lansing should be controlled by Democrats.
"We can win. This is Michigan. This is a state we that won by nine points with the president. This is a state we won by 20 points with Senator Stabenow. This is Michigan." Johnson said.
"The Democratic Party is not succeeding to the level we think it should." Johnsons said.
United Auto Workers President Bob King helped engineer Brewer's ouster as chair. King said now there are big expectations.
"Well, winning the governorship, winning the majority on the Supreme Court, winning majorities in the House and the Senate." King said.
King said if Democrats sweep the 2014 statewide elections, that will be vindication of the ugliness at his party's convention this weekend in Detroit.
A big part of Lon Johnson's job is to give progressive sympathizers, African Americans, Hispanics, gays and lesbians, among others, a bigger sense of ownership in the Michigan Democratic Party. That means engaging a lot of groups that have typically taken a back seat to union dominance in the state Democratic Party.
UAW power in the Democratic Party won Lon Johnson his job. That job includes making unions a smaller part of a larger coalition that wins Democrats control in Lansing.
BY JAKE NEHER Michigan Public Radio Network
Michigan Republicans said this weekend they want to change the course of future presidential races by changing how the state allocates its electoral votes. Delegates to the state GOP convention voted overwhelmingly to support the proposal.
Michigan Republicans want to join Nebraska and Maine to become the third state to portion out electoral votes by congressional district. State Representative Pete Lund pushed the plan to GOP convention delegates over the weekend.
"We don't have attention of presidential candidates. And if we change to a system like those two, we'll become more relevant in the system." Lund said.
Democrats say it's an attempt to rig the system in favor of Republicans. If the state used the model in 2012, Mitt Romney would have won a majority of Michigan's electoral votes. That's despite losing the popular vote in the state. Lund introduced a bill to change the system last year. But it never won support from either party.
BY JAKE NEHER Michigan Public Radio Network
State Democrats and Republicans will meet this weekend to elect party leaders.
Officials with both parties say they've got to become more modern and tech-oriented. Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer has held the job for 18 years. He's facing a challenge from former state House contender Lon Johnson. The tight race has pitted party members against each other, and likely won't be decided until members cast their votes. Republican Bobby Schostak also wants a new two-year term as party chair. But he faces a challenge from Todd Courser, an attorney from Lapeer.
Courser has touted his Tea Party credentials in the race. But some self-professed Tea Partiers are throwing their support behind Schostak.
Democrats will cast their votes Saturday afternoon at Cobo Hall in Detroit, while Republicans meet in Lansing.
BY JESI MUNGUIA
Michigan's election staff's hard work on pre election days and post election days has not gone unnoticed.
This week, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced Michigan rates among top states nationally for election administration and performance for the 2008 and 2010 election cycles.
Fred Woodhams is a spokesman for Secretary of State. He said two things that will improve Michigan's ranking in future election years are: online voter registration and post-election audits.
"Secretary Johnson proposed post election audits in 2011 as part as her secure and fair elections initiative and she successfully worked with lawmakers and the governor to have that enacted. So that's current law now and the bureau of election staff is right now working on a program to implement that for the 2014 election."
Woodhams said there is also legislation pending to begin online voter registration. He said this will be a secure and convenient way to allow new voters to have their voice heard on election day and will also save the state money.
BY JAKE NEHER Michigan Public Radio Network
A plan to split up Michigan's electoral votes seems to be losing support from key Republican leaders in Lansing.
Under the measure, Michigan's Electoral College votes for president would be given out based on which candidate wins each congressional district. State Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville said the current winner-take-all system makes more sense.
"I think it makes Michigan a bigger, more important player. And it also divides the state as to, we have one winner, not a winner and a kind of winner." Richardville said.
Governor Rick Snyder also told Bloomberg TV he does not think this is the right time to consider the idea. He said it would be more appropriate right before the next census. That's when the state re-draws its congressional districts. Supporters of the plan say it would give people in some parts of the state a bigger voice.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow has won her re-election bid for a third term in the U.S. Senate.
With 49% percent of precincts reporting, Stabenow is up 57% to 40% percent over her Republican challenger, former Congressman Pete Hoekstra.
Stabenow's victory is not unexpected. She had been leading Hoekstra in the polls since late-August.
BY JAKE NEHER
Senator Debbie Stabenow has declared victory in her bid for reelection. Speaking in front of Michigan Democrats at the MGM Grand Casino in Detroit, Stabenow thanked her staff and supporters.
"You know, we have been through so much in our state, and we know it. But a lot of hard work and a lot of sacrifice has allowed us to say 'we're coming back! Michigan is coming back!" Said Stabenow.
A number of media outlets have projected Stabenow the winner of Michigan's Senate race. Early results show her with a significant lead over former Congressman Pete Hoekstra.
BY RICK PLUTA Michigan Public Radio Network
The polls across most of Michigan closed at 8:00pm tonight. A few precincts in the western Upper Peninsula remain open until 9. Republican state Attorney General Bill Schuette said he is optimistic that Mitt Romney will defy most of the polls and pull off a Michigan upset. Schuette is Romney's Michigan campaign chair.
"We've made 4 million voter contacts, knocking on doors, phone calls, yard signs that needed a home across the landscape of Michigan. We've had a tremendous organizational effort. We've had a solid, solid approach and that's why we're going to win." Said Schuette
Republican leaders are gathered in Lansing tonight to follow the returns. The Democratic Election Night party is in Detroit.
BY JAKE NEHER
High voter turnouts in Michigan could be contributing to long wait times and other problems at the polls in some parts of the state. That's according to a voters' advocacy group.
The Michigan Election Coalition says its phones have been ringing off the hook. Group officials say hundreds of people have called their voter hotline reporting excessively long lines and confusion. Jocelyn Benson is with the MEC.
"In some parts of the state, voters are waiting in line longer than they've ever had to wait before due to the length of the ballot and other confusing things that have been happening in precincts."
Benson said dozens of voting machines have broken down in metro Detroit, adding to wait times. There have been reports of people standing in line for over three hours.
The Secretary of State's office said that's because of high turnout. Elections officials say there have only been a handful of issues, which were resolved quickly.
BY JESI MUNGUIA
Today is election day, and the state of Michigan wants to remind people to get out and vote.
State elections officials are expecting turnout in the mid-60 percent range, about even with turnout four years ago.
That includes Over 1.3 million absentee ballots that have already been issued. Over a million of them have already been returned.
Fred Woodhams is a spokesman for the Secretary of State. He said all the media attention surrounding this election may lead to even higher voter turnout.
"Anything from sheriff, township board, president, U.S. Senate, all members of the U.S. house. Lots of candidates to choose from tomorrow. Voters will also decide six statewide ballot questions and quite a number of local ballot questions. So there's many things to be voting on tomorrow." Said Woodhams.
Voters will be able to view a sample ballot, and find out where to vote.
BY RICK PLUTA Michigan Public Radio Network
Governor Rick Snyder said he doesn't think voters should base their election decisions on month-to-month changes in jobs numbers. The nation's new unemployment rate was released Friday.
This is the final national jobs report before the election next Tuesday.
The new national unemployment rate is seven-point-nine percent; a slight uptick from the month before. It was due largely to long-term unemployed people re-connecting with the workforce to hunt for jobs.
The governor said a monthly shift in the employment picture is less important than longer-term trends.
"People hopefully don't read too much into near-term statistics anyway 'cause we're getting down to the wire here. And it's really the question for both candidates, and I've said that from the beginning, what are they going to do to create more and better jobs and a future for our kids."
The governor is a Republican who supports Mitt Romney for president. The unemployment rate was seven-point-eight percent when President Obama took office in January of 2009. The breakout of Michigan's monthly unemployment rate will be released on November 14th.
BY MIKE HORACE
Today our series examining the six ballot proposals before voters this month continues, with a look at Proposal 5.
It would require a supermajority vote of the legislature to raise any state taxes.
Proposal Five would restrict the legislature's ability to further raise taxes... something that is desperately needed, said Charlie Owens.
He's state director for the National Federation of Independent Business.
"We find that typically, when budgets are in distress, it's a tendency of government to look towards tax increases first, and cutting the budget or cutting the size of government is usually not the first thing they think of. A two-thirds supermajority requirement would make it harder for them to use the easy out of taxes, and would require them to make a case to the people, and hopefully, look at the spending side more carefully as well."
The proposal would require either a two-thirds vote of the legislature, or a statewide ballot proposal, to raise any taxes.
Some say that would unnecessarily tie the hands of the legislature...
"Proposal 5 takes democracy, as we have known it since Michigan became a state 175 years ago, and turns it entirely on its head."
That's Roger Martin, a spokesperson for Defend Michigan Democracy, a group asking people to vote no on proposal 5.
"Under proposal 5, just 13 state senators now there's 148 members of our legislature,just 13 senators could block any major tax policy vote that would be supported by the other 135 members of our legislature. So basically what proposal 5 would do is it would create superminority rule in our legislature, on a new tax, on raising taxes, but also on ending any tax break or any tax loophole that currently exists on the books."
Charlie Owens, who is urging a yes vote on Proposal 5, doesn't dispute Roger Martin's math. But he also said Proposal 5 wouldn't drastically change things.
"To get those 135 members voting for a tax hike, you would have to have all 110 members of the state house, so that's both democrats and republicans, all 110 in the house. And then you go over to the senate, and you get every senator except for 13. That's their math. Right now, without supermajority, if you use their same math, 129 lawmakers could vote for a tax increase, and only 19 senators could block it. That's the status quo."
Supporters of Proposal 5 say by making it harder to raise taxes, businesses will have a better idea of what their obligations are allowing them to better plan for the future.
Lana Theis, President of the Michigan Alliance for Prosperity, said when businesses can plan ahead, it's better for everyone...
"When you're a business and you're looking for a state to start up, this day and age, business is more mobile than it has ever been before. They're going to turn and look for the best environment they can find, and one of the major issues in that environment is the tax structure. If it's something that's reliable, if it's not going to change regularly, and if it's reasonably low, then that's one of the major things they'll be considering Michigan for."
Proposal Five opponents say a pro-business environment is a good thing, but so too is democracy and a functioning government. Again, Roger Martin.
"I'm a business owner too, I don't like taxes either. But we believe there is something bigger at play here, and that is we need to protect majority democracy as we know it. You know, giving 13 senators the power to block any major tax reform vote in Lansing would make state government impossible. And no one wants government to be impossible. It's already hard enough for the legislature to get things done, as it is today. And this would just make it impossible."
Martin also warns that big business, and one of Michigan's richest residents, is behind the proposal.
"It is entirely the product of, and the idea of a single Detroit billionaire named Matty Moroun, who has put up $3.44 million of his own money to try to get Proposal 5 passed. He wants us to pass Proposal 5 so tax breaks that were given to his corporations by the State of Michigan a couple years ago would be forever cemented in our constitution. It's not about anything more than a billionaire trying to protect tax breaks for his own corporations."
Charlie Owens with the NFIB said all the proposals have big money backers, from wealthy Michigan residents to labor unions.
And he said a good idea is a good idea... no matter where it comes from.
"It really doesn't matter how it got there. If it came from Mars, it's still a straight up, well written, probably the simplest of the six proposals. I challenge voters, if they're undecided, they can step into the voting booth, and you can read the 100 word description on this ballot proposal, and it's pretty straight up and clear what it does, and make your own decision. And don't worry where it came from."
Roger Martin, not surprisingly, disagrees.
The voters get to decide just who they agree with on Tuesday.
BY DAVID NICHOLAS
As Michigan goes to the polls on November 6, residents will be voting up or down on six ballot proposals. Recent elections have often included complex and controversial initiatives, but seldom has there been this many proposals with such long-lasting implications.
Proposal 2, the Amendment to the State Constitution Regarding Collective Bargaining, is as if not more divisive than Proposal 1. Both would have a significant impact on how local governments are run in this state. The advertising dollars spent on both have been staggering, our reporting with Rich Robinson of the non-partisan Campaign Finance Network support that claim.
Organizers of the petition drive have asserted that policies of the current administration and legislature represent, " an assault on the bargaining rights of thousands of Michigan workers."
Former Congressman and former state lawmaker Mark Schauer said he has, in his words, "never seen anything like this." He is one of the supporters of Proposal 2...
Lt. Governor Brian Calley, who along with Governor Rick Snyder opposes Proposal 2, disagrees. He frames his reference to a so-called newer reality and transitioning economy in Michigan, one that he said cannot afford to do business exactly like it has always been done...
One of the most often heard criticisms of Proposal 2 as written is that it goes beyond the issue of collective bargaining, that it leaves open for special interest groups, avenues to further other agendas. Calley said it will impact many more Michigan statutes...
This claim has also been one of the most debated as to its validity, the non-partisan League of Women Voters has said the argument is false, a point that echoed by Mark Schauer...
The question of safeguarding existing rights vs. over-reaching, of undoing progress vs. reducing quality of life, that is the nature of the arguments for and against, con and pro Proposal 2.
Voters will decide this and five other ballot measures on Tuesday November 6
BY DAVID NICHOLAS
As Michigan goes to the polls on November 6, residents will be voting up or down on six ballot proposals. Recent elections have often included complex and controversial initiatives, but seldom has there been this many proposals with such long-lasting implications.
"Proposal 1 is commonly identified as the Emergency Manager Referendum, it is the third time Michigan laws have been re-written to give state the authority to appoint such a manager over a local government. This time, the authority extends to non-financial operations."
The State Supreme Court suspended Public Act 4 of 2011 in August, the vote on Tuesday will either reinstate this new version or essentially return the state to the prior framework.
Governor Rick Snyder's administration supports the proposal. The state's Lt Governor Brian Calley defends that support, noting that currently, "only eight jurisdictions are under the control of an emergency manager..."
Opponents point out to what they say is why the eight jurisdictions are in the situation they are in. Further, they say, policy enacted by the administration would lead to many more being labeled under the criteria for appointing an EFM and by extension, lead to more control from Lansing.
Nick Ciaramitaro is Legislative Director for Council 25 of AFSCME, the American Federation of State and County Municipal Employees. His union represents many local government employees across Michigan. He said Proposal 1, in his words, "essentially eliminates local democracy..."
According to Ciaramitaro, cuts to school aid and revenue sharing have now placed what he counts as dozens of communities and school districts in financial distress and therefore already under review for possible EFM appointments from the governor. He said if it is deemed that a local official is not doing his or her job, he or she can be voted out of or removed from office.
There are what can be viewed as intersecting clauses in this proposal and in Proposal 2 which deals with collective bargaining. Ciaramitaro said the up and down vote scenarios on both could lead to some confusing sets of dos and don'ts when it comes to how local governments are run...
Lt. Governor Calley said that returning to the existing provisions of the Emergency Manager Law presents what would be a precarious situation for many local units across the state...
Citizens will vote yes or no on Proposal 1, and five other ballot proposals, next Tuesday.
BY JAKE NEHER Michigan Public Radio Network
Michigan TV viewers are overwhelmed with ads from one side in both the presidential and U.S. Senate races. That's according to a report released Monday by the Michigan Campaign Finance Network.
Groups supporting Mitt Romney's presidential campaign have spent about 13 million dollars since February on TV ads. That's far more than the Obama campaign and its supporters. Despite this disparity, most polls have President Obama ahead of the former Massachusetts governor in Michigan. Rich Robinson is with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. He said when you compare Michigan to states like Ohio, neither candidate has put up much of a fight over the airwaves. "The lack of spending in Michigan, I think, is really an indication that we are not one of the real battleground states this time around."
The study also shows former Congressman Pete Hoekstra trailing in TV ad spending behind Senator Debbie Stabenow. But Hoekstra's campaign has just announced a big TV ad buy.
BY STEVE CARMODY
Michigan Public Radio Network
Michigan Republicans are excited by the results of a new poll of likely voters in Michigan that shows a tie between President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney. Just ten days ago Obama held a five point lead in a similar poll.
The poll which was done by Mitchell Research of East Lansing. They surveyed more than twelve hundred likely voters last week.
The poll's results have members of the state's delegation to the Republican National Convention that said it shows Michigan is a swing state.
Speaking to the delegation Monday, former presidential candidate Newt Gingrich urged Michigan Republicans to think bigger, including this fall's U.S. Senate race in Michigan...
"Because if we get both in Michigan, we're going to be governing this country. We can't governor if we only elect the president...and you have Harry Reid blocking everything in the Senate."
Pollsters say Romney has made gains among independent voters to close the gap in Michigan.
Copyright 2012, MPRN
BY WEBER DAVIS
A State Senator from Westland said he's learned a lot from his first race for Congress. Glenn Anderson finished second to 24-term incumbent John Conyers in Tuesday's Democratic primary for the newly drawn 13th Congressional District. The boomerang shaped district tracks from Romulus up to northwest Detroit through Highland Park and areas of the Detroit's eastside before winding up in Ecorse. Anderson said the map made getting in touch with the voters a challenge.
"There's no doubt about it because of vast geography in the district. And I was very pleased and very thankful for all the support that I got very early on. There's still no other candidate, including John Conyers, that received as many endorsements as I did."
Anderson said he ran on improving public safety, jobs and government response. The State Senator heads back to Lansing to finish out his second term. As for another run at Congress from the 13th district in 2014? Anderson said that's yet to be determined.
BY QUINN KLINEFELTER
The second longest serving member of the U.S. House has emerged victorious in Michgan's primary elections. Democrat John Conyers calls it the toughest re-election campaign of his career.
BY RICK PLUTA Michigan Public Radio Network
Former Congressman Pete Hoekstra of west Michigan easily surged past two challengers to win the Republican U.S. Senate nomination. Hoekstra will face two-term incumbent Democrat Debbie Stabenow on the November ballot.
Hoekstra fended off two primary challengers who questioned both his record and his conservative credentials. Hoesktra said he expects that to make little difference because the November election will be a referendum on the job performance of Senator Stabenow and President Obama.
"We are going to hold the president accountable. We are going to hold the follower-in-chief Debbie Stabenow accountable, because we do believe we can do better."
Hoekstra said the federal health care law, energy policy and the economy will all be issues headed toward November. There was no time wasted before the launch of the general election campaign. Democrats say Hoekstra's plans would hurt middle class taxpayers.
Anti-tax advocates made their voices heard at the polls yesterday.
Voters soundly rejected ballot proposals across Michigan yesterday, including all three proposals put before voters in Clare County.
The mileages would have funded county-wide ambulance services, a library in Harrison and general operations in Frost Township.
Cadillac Voters also rejected a police and fire mileage, and Oscoda County voters declined to support a mileage for ambulance equipment.
But it wasn't all bad news for ballot initiatives.
Two road mileages and an ambulance mileage were approved in Antrim County. And three different Leelanau County communities signed off on fire mileages.
Voter turnout was low across much of central and northern Michigan in yesterday's primary election.
Most counties saw voter turnout in the 15 to 20 percent range. That puts this year's August primary on par with the last four primaries held during presidential election years.
Dorris Hawkins is a voter in Isabella County. She said she and her husband always vote...
"This is something we do all the time. We don't miss it. It's our patriotic duty because I want to make sure the people I like are going to win."
Some counties saw better voter turnout that others. For example, the Upper Peninsula's Luce County, home to just four precincts, saw over 36 percent of its voters come to the polls yesterday.
That compares to Genesee County, where voter turnout was averaging closer to 15 percent.
Former U.S. Representative Pete Hoekstra will face off against U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow in November.
Hoekstra won the GOP Senate nomination last night, beating out charter schools chief Clark Durant and former judge Randy Hekman.
In a speech to supporters last night, Hoekstra predicted the republican party will unite behind him.
"We are going to be more united because we are all going to come together because we have an objective. We have an objective of a new president, 51 votes in the U.S. Senate that are going to be pro-growth, pro-jobs, pro middle class."
It will be an uphill battle for Hoekstra. He is trailing Stabenow in both the polls and in fundraising heading into the general election.
Below are links to election results for counties in the CMU Public Radio listening area. Please note that not all counties post their results the evening of the election, so please check back over the next few days if your county does not have updated election results. In most cases, these results are unofficial, and have not yet been certified by a board of canvassers.
BY RICK PLUTA Michigan Public Radio Network
The chair of the Michigan Democratic Party said a prosecutor's report shows his complaint of election law violations deserves another look. Mark Brewer said state House Speaker Jase Bolger and other Republicans used state resources to plot a lawmaker's defection to the GOP and put a fake Democrat on the ballot.
Democratic Chair Mark Brewer is also an election law attorney. He said a Kent County prosecutor's report shows Bolger and his staff schemed on the public's dime. They orchestrated the defection of state Representative Roy Schmidt, and how to put on the ballot a sham Democratic opponent who would not run a serious campaign. An earlier complaint filed with Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson was dismissed. Brewer said he intends to press the issue in every avenue possible.
"This is far from over either from a legal perspective or from a political perspective."
Brewer said that includes demanding that Republican candidates take a stand on the scandal. Bolger said he made a mistake to become so embroiled in political mischief-making, but he and his staff broke no laws.
BY RICK PLUTA Michigan Public Radio Network
Democrats at the state Capitol are calling for an investigation into whether House Speaker Jase Bolger and state Representative Roy Schmidt broke ethics rules. The two lawmakers plotted Schmidt's switch to the Republican Party, and worked to put a fake Democrat on the November ballot.
A prosecutor's report said no laws were broken. But it was otherwise harsh in its judgment. It found Bolger and Schmidt tried to fool voters, and undermine the election by recruiting and paying a bogus Democrat to be on the ballot following Schmidt's last-minute defection to the Republican side. House Democratic Leader Rick Hammell said the scandal deserves a legislative inquiry.
"It's very clear what happened here. It couldn't be clearer that there were violations, maybe not legal violations, but significant ethical violations in how it was handled."
Schmidt said no inquiry is necessary.
"From my perspective, it's just politics."
After the plot was exposed, Democrats recruited a candidate they hope will appear on the November ballot. She has to win enough write-in votes in the primary for that to happen.. Some Democrats have called on Schmidt and Speaker Jase Bolger to resign. Both say they don't intend to quit.
BY RICK PLUTA Michigan Public Radio Network
A measure that would require two-thirds super-majorities in the Legislature to raise taxes could be one of half a dozen ballot questions decided by voters in November. Monday was the deadline for campaigns to file to get on the ballot.
Brighton Township Treasurer Lana Theis is leading the ballot drive. She was part of a caravan that followed a truckload of boxes of petitions to Lansing to file with state elections officials, who will count and verify them. Theis said a public vote on her proposed amendment to the Michigan Constitution is overdue.
"We've been struggling for a long time. Last year would have been a good year. The year before that would have been a good year. Ten years ago would have been a good year. We're getting it done now."
A campaign to stop a proposed new international bridge in Detroit also filed in the final hours before the deadline, as did one to protect union rights for home health workers who are paid by Medicaid. In total, if all of them are OK'd by elections officials, there would be six proposed amendments on the ballot in November.
By Rick Pluta The state Court of Appeals could be the next stop for a business group that's trying to keep a proposal to protect collective bargaining off the November ballot. That's after state elections officials said they don't have the legal authority to block the question. The business-backed group Citizens Protecting Michigan's Constitution asked the Secretary of State to rule a question not eligible to appear on the ballot, even though the union-backed petition drive collected 650 thousand names. That's double the number needed. But the business group said the question itself is broad and sweeping when it should be narrow in scope. The ballot question would amend the state constitution to guarantee collective bargaining rights and preempt a right-to-work law in Michigan. It would also roll back Republican-sponsored efforts to limit union fundraising and organizing. The state's election director said in a letter that the law does not give the Secretary of State the authority to unilaterally declare a question invalid. Attorneys say they may seek a court order to keep the question off the ballot. Copyright 2012, MPRN
By Rick Pluta
Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney toured Michigan Tuesday with stops in Frankenmuth, DeWitt, and Holland. Romney said he is working hard to win the state where he was born. That would break a two decade long streak of Democratic wins in Michigan.
Romney's stops focused on small businesses in small towns that he says are suffering under economic doldrums brought about by President Obama's performance in office. Romney took aim at energy policy, the new health care law, and enforcing trade rules as areas where the president has underperformed. In Frankenmuth, Romney also acknowledged that Michigan's economy has improved, but he said that has more to do with Governor Rick Snyder and Republicans in Lansing.
"And what we need is to have someone in Washington to do in Washington what's being done in Michigan and I will."
Michigan's automotive rebound is given a lot of credit for the state's recovery. Romney opposed federal assistance for GM and Chrysler.
Romney was also met on his tour by protesters waving signs, but they were kept at a distance.
By Rick Pluta Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney will be in Michigan Tuesday to wind up a tour of battleground states. The states were all won by President Obama four years ago and Republicans need to flip one or more of them to win the White House. Republicans like their chances in Michigan. Romney and his wife were both born here. His father served as governor. Some recent polls suggest the state's a toss-up. But no Republican presidential nominee has won the state since 1988. And Romney opposed much of the auto bailout that's credited with leading the state's economic recovery. So Democrats sponsored their own bus tour with stops not far from where Romney will appear. Brad Woodhouse is with the Democratic National Committee. "One of the things we wanted to do is greet Mitt Romney with some headlines about what we think his policies will do to Michigan, and so we wanted to get out ahead of him." The liberal group MoveOn.org plans have protesters waiting for Romney at each stop in his tour, which will wind up with a rally near Holland on the Lake Michigan shoreline. Copyright 2012, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney returns to Michigan Tuesday as he winds up a tour of six battleground states. He will make three campaign stops and attend two fundraisers. Matt Frendaway of the Michigan Republican Party said the visit shows Romney will compete hard to win the state where he was born, and where his father once served as governor. "Mitt Romney understands that people are struggling under the routinely failed policies under Obama." Democrats have tried to make an issue of Romney's opposition to federal loans to GM and Chrysler. But two recent polls show the race for Michigan's 16 electoral votes is tightening. Rich Robinson tracks political spending for the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. He said Romney appears to be benefiting from advertising by independent groups attacking the president's job performance. "They're not explicitly saying, 'Don't vote for this guy,' but the effect of what they're doing is pretty obvious." The Republican presidential nominee last won Michigan in 1988. Copyright 2012, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Republican presidential contender Mitt Romney will make a two day campaign and fundraising swing through Michigan next week. Mitt Romney's Michigan stops will wrap up a bus tour of states deemed by the campaign to be competitive. The campaign may be drawing some hope from a new EPIC MRA survey of Michigan voters that, for the first time, put the race for the state's 16 electoral votes at or near a tie. No specific campaign stops have been identified. Romney will also attend fundraisers in Grand Rapids and Oakland County. It's not known if Romney will visit his Michigan headquarters, which opened this week in Lansing. President Obama's reelection campaign will use this week to call attention to business success stories that can be linked back to the automotive rescue. Romney opposed the government loans that kept the auto companies from running out of cash. Copyright 2012, MPRN
By Rick Pluta A new election year tax reduction plan is on the table as Republicans and Democrats at the state Capitol jockey for tax-cutting credit. The House GOP plan would up the tax cut ante by reducing the state income tax rate every year for the next six years. That would cut taxes and projected revenue to the state by one-point-eight billion dollars. "We put some money into the 'rainy day' fund. We've paid down some debts. It's time now to give some money back to the taxpayers." Said Republican Representative Nancy Jenkins. The House has already voted to accelerate a tax rollback this year. Democrats say the bigger tax cut was their idea first, and it should happen sooner. Katie Carey is the press secretary for the House Democrats. "We feel that the House Republicans are trying to play politics with tax relief when middle-class families need tax relief right now." Carey said that does not mean Democrats will necessarily support the GOP tax when it comes up for a vote. Copyright 2012, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Republican Michigan Congressman Thaddeus McCotter is facing the daunting prospect of running a write-in campaign to get re-elected this year. That's because his campaign fell far short of the number of petition signatures he needs to qualify for the August primary ballot. Compounding McCotter's troubles, it appears election fraud may have played a part in the failure. The Michigan attorney general's office has launched an investigation into the ballot scandal that threatens to bring an end to Thaddeus McCotter's decade-long career in Congress. The congressman from Detroit's suburbs briefly suspended his own plans to seek re-election last year year to make a run for president. McCotter made that announcement under cloudy skies to a small, chanting crowd last July. "Remember the storms are coming. You may interpret that as any type of omen that you wish." The looming rainstorm might have been something of an omen. McCotter's dry wit and guitar-playing skills brought him some media attention, but he never caught fire in the Republican primaries. His presidential campaign quickly fizzled, and McCotter filed to run for a sixth term in a district considered safely Republican. No one expected what was to come next: It takes a minimum of just a thousand signatures to qualify for the ballot. McCotter's campaign claimed to have turned in twice that number. But now Michigan elections officials say McCotter fell far short with only 244 legitimate signatures. The rest were photocopies. That's right, copies of the same 244 signatures over and over. McCotter claims he was duped, but also said he accepts responsibility for what happened. He said he wants the Michigan attorney general to investigate, and he will run as a write-in candidate. There is already another Republican candidate on the ballot, so McCotter will have to get more people to write in his name. Elections experts here said that's a big hurdle. "I think it's do-able. I think he has a lot of work to do, and I think he knows that." Michigan Republican Party Chairman Bobby Schostack. "We at the state party will support whoever it is that wins the primary." "You know, I heard someone say they're waiting for Ashton Kutcher to jump out and tell Congressman McCotter he's being punked." Public relations executive Emily Gerkin Palsrok is one of about 15 hundred people attending the Detroit Regional Chamber Policy Conference in the Michigan resort of Mackinac Island this week. Political gossip is served here as generously as the cocktails, and platters of shrimp and oysters. "Something this bone-headed doesn't happen very often." Also here is Craig Ruff, a consultant and political analyst. He said McCotter is holding onto the slimmest of hopes if he thinks a write-in campaign will save his career. "40 thousand Republican votes were cast in the primary two years ago, and so that means he's probably going to have to have 20-25 thousand people write in his name correctly. So I suspect it's the end of his political career in Congress." McCotter's troubles are the talk of this collection of the state's movers and shakers. They wonder whether anyone in the McCotter campaign will face criminal charges for what elections officials describe as one of the most brazen violations of Michigan election law they can remember. Copyright 2012, MPRN
By Rick Pluta
Michigan Congressman Thad McCotter is expected to announce his plans Tuesday following news that his campaign may not have gathered enough petition signatures to qualify for the primary ballot.
McCotter is an iconoclastic politician who ran a brief campaign for president earlier this year. Once that effort appeared doomed, he suspended his presidential ambitions to seek another term in Congress. The news shocked Michigan political circles over the Memorial Day weekend that the five-term member of Congress appears, but it is not a certainty, to have failed to get the petition signatures he needed to get on the ballot. That opens a lot of possibilities. McCotter could run a write-in campaign, but other Republicans are also eying a race as potential write-in candidates. It would take a lot of money and effort to get on the ballot as a write-in candidate under Michigan's election rules.
By Rick Pluta
Five candidates have filed to run in Michigan's Republican U-S Senate primary. Tuesday is the deadline for candidates for most state and federal offices to submit their petitions to appear on the August primary ballot.
The campaign is already underway as the five G-O-P hopefuls appeal to prospective Republican primary voters. They're arguing over who is the most conservative and who presents the best chance for the G-O-P to unseat incumbent Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow.
Retired judge Randy Hekman said he'll put his conservative credentials up against anyone else in the field.
"We've got 90 days to show who we are, how we differ from others, how we're going to fix our country, move ahead and win this thing."
Former congressman Pete Hoekstra, charter school C-E-O Clark Durant, businessman Peter Kontechy, and Gary Glenn, who co-authored Michigan's ban on same-sex marriage and civil unions, have also filed. Copyright 2012, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Mitt Romney will make his first visit to Michigan this week since the state's February presidential primary. The apparent Republican presidential nominee will deliver a speech in Lansing. Mitt Romney won a narrow victory over Rick Santorum in the Michigan Republican primary. Romney will speak at Lansing Community College tomorrow afternoon. His speech is expected to focus on the economy, and he will say President Obama's policies have failed to sufficiently lift middle class families. The visit is a hint that Republicans may consider Michigan a battleground state. Michigan has not gone with a G-O-P presidential candidate since 1988, but Republicans hope Romney's roots in the state will help make Michigan competitive this time around. Romney was born in Detroit and his father George Romney served as governor of Michigan in the 1960s. Copyright 2012, MPRN
By Rick Pluta A second potential conflict of interest has appeared on the Board of State Canvassers. That's the bipartisan state panel that approves petitions and decides whether questions will go on the statewide ballot. In both cases, the panel members have business or employment interests in the issues put in front of them. They're big, too, and controversial, a potential challenge to Michigan's emergency manager law and a preemptive strike at right-to-work legislation. The Board of State Canvassers is very partisan by design. The state Republican and Democratic parties each get to nominate people to be on the panel. The governor has to choose from the nominees, two from each party. It takes the votes of at least three of the four to get anything done. "It is intended that those four people represent the world view of their party. They are partisan activists. That's the whole point of being of on here. What makes the system fair is that it requires three votes on the board of canvassers to do anything." Last month, the Board of Canvassers gave its OK for a petition drive to go forward that would put a question on the ballot to forestall a right-to-work law in Michigan and roll back some Republican legislation that restricts union organizing and fundraising. The approval only means the form of the petition meets all the technical requirements in state law. That's basically the size and placement of the type. One of the votes to allow the Protect Our Jobs petition drive to go forward was Matuzak's. But she never disclosed that part of her regular, full-time job is to get the question on the ballot. Matuzak is the political coordinator for the American Federation of Teachers of Michigan. And her job includes getting AFT members to sign and circulate petitions. But Matuzak said she sees no problem. "In my case, my union, along with every other union in the state is supporting the Protect Our Jobs petition drive and trying to get our members to sign it. I do many other things for the union, as well, but that is clearly one of the things that I do. Again, it's designed to have two members of each of the major political parties on here and, again, it requires three votes to do anything." A Republican on the board has an interest in a pending matter before it. Jeff Timmer is a partner in Sterling Corporation, a political firm that works for Republicans and conservative causes. One of Sterling's clients - one that shares its business address - is Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility. It's a ballot campaign committee that has filed five separate technical challenges to the petition to put a referendum on Michigan's emergency manager law on the ballot. Hundreds of thousands of voters signed the petitions. Jeff Timmer refused requests to be interviewed until after the next meeting of the board of canvassers when, unless he recuses himself, Timmer will have to decide whether to vote for or against a client. "It would be nice to not have people like that around this table." That's John Chamberlin. He's a professor of ethics and political science at the University of Michigan. He's talking about both Timmer and Matuzak. "It's an inherent conflict of interest when somebody deciding whether something can go forward in the political realm has an interest in the outcome, either a financial interest or a political interest that is deeper than they are a Democrat or a Republican." The prospect of losing one or more people on a four-person board on any particular question does pose a dilemma, Chamberlin acknowledges. "On a committee this size, to have somebody recuse themselves because their fingerprints are on the issue at hand is a problem. If it were a 12-person body, it might not be." Changing the structure of the Board of State Canvassers would require amending the state constitution. By the way, if that were done by petition drive, the issue would go before the canvassers. Chamberlin said another solution would be for a political parties and the governor's office to be more careful about who gets named to the board. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta
While state elections officials inspect petitions seeking a referendum that could overturn Michigan's emergency manager law, one of the key decision-makers could have a conflict of interest.
One of the people in line to decide the fate of the referendum to challenge Michigan's emergency manager law has a business interest in the outcome. Jeffrey Timmer is a partner at the Sterling Corporation. Sterling is a political consulting firm that works for the Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility. That's the group that's filed several technical challenges to the petition in an effort to keep the question off the ballot. Sterling also shares a business address with the Citizens for Fiscal Responsibility. While his firm tries to stop the referendum, Timmer also sits on the Board of State Canvassers. That's the bipartisan panel that will make the initial ruling on the challenge. Timmer is a Republican who was appointed to the board in 2009. State elections officials say it is up to Timmer to decide whether he has a conflict and should recuse himself. Timmer did not return phone calls. If Timmer does recuse himself, that would leave the board with two Democrats and only one Republican. The Board of Canvassers is supposed to meet later this month to decide whether the referendum goes on the November ballot. It could ask for an extension. Its decision could be challenged in court.
By Rick Pluta The Michigan primary was almost a week ago, but the Rick Santorum campaign continues to dispute the results. The fight with the state G-O-P is over the apportionment of two statewide delegates to the Republican National Convention. The Santorum campaign has complained to the Republican National Committee and called for an investigation. The campaign is also organizing a rally to be held later today in front of the Michigan Republican headquarters in Lansing. Santorum supporters will call on Michigan G-O-P leaders to reconsider their decision to award both the party's statewide delegates to Mitt Romney. They say party leaders changed the rules to avoid awarding one apiece to Romney and Santorum, who ran a close second in last week's Michigan primary and won half of the state's congressional districts. A state Republican spokesman said that decision is now in the hands of the national G-O-P and calls the rally a needless distraction from the focus on helping Republicans win in November. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Rick Santorum's presidential campaign has formally asked the Republican National Committee to investigate the actions of Michigan G-O-P leaders following Tuesday's presidential primary. The Santorum campaign delivered a letter to the Republican National Committee requesting the inquiry. Santorum said it appears supporters of Mitt Romney engineered a rule-change after Tuesday's vote to ensure Romney got more delegates than he deserved following a very-thin victory in the overall Republican primary vote. The letter offers a list of six questions that were raised concerning how the Michigan Republicans decided to award 16 delegates to Romney and 14 to Santorum. The letter said the issue is not who should get a delegate, but the openness and transparency of the process. Michigan Republican leaders say the rules were not changed after the fact, but the party did a poor job of explaining its plan on how delegates would be allocated. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta There's a fight brewing over one Michigan delegate to the Republican National Convention this summer. The state Republican Party has awarded both of Michigan's at-large delegates to Mitt Romney, despite the fact that Rick Santorum was a close runner-up in the popular vote. Former state Attorney General Mike Cox sits on the Michigan Republican credentials committee and he supports Mitt Romney. But he says this decision was unfair, and the G-O-P should stick to the rules as they were the night of the state's presidential primary. "It does kind of resound of third world countries." A spokesman for Rick Santorum's campaign said the decision calls into question the "legitimacy" of Michigan's G-O-P leadership. Santorum said the statewide vote was close enough that he and Romney should each get a Michigan at-large delegate. Romney and Santorum evenly split Michigan's congressional districts and the delegates that go with them. The state Republican Party says there was no rules change. It was always intended the winner of the popular vote, no matter the margin, would get both at-large delegates. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Presidential hopeful Rick Santorum lost the popular vote to Mitt Romney by a slim margin in the Michigan Republican primary. It appears Santorum's in line to pick up about half the state's national convention delegates. Rick Santorum proved popular enough among social conservatives in northern and western Michigan to win six or seven, maybe eight of the state's 14 congressional districts and the delegates that go with them. Santorum told an election night party that he's proud of how he forced Mitt Romney into a fierce battle for his home state. "A month ago they didn't know who we are, but they do now!" Santorum said that shows he's the best candidate to win the industrial Midwest and deny President Obama a second term in the White House. Santorum may have been helped at least a bit by Democrats who crossed over to vote against Romney in the G-O-P race. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber Mitt Romney said his victory in Michigan's Republican presidential primary is particularly special to him because he was born and raised in the state. Romney won by a slim margin over his chief opponent Rick Santorum. Romney acknowledged early in his victory speech that it was a close race. "We didn't win by a lot, but we won by enough, and that's all that counts." But Republican National Committeeman Saul Anuzis said the win is bigger than percentages and numbers. "Well I think this is huge. It gets the momentum going in the right way, everybody's pretty excited about what we ended up doing here." Anuzis, a Romney supporter, said winning both Michigan and Arizona is a boon for the Romney campaign as it rolls into Super Tuesday. Ten states are scheduled to hold their contests next week, including Ohio and Romney's home state of Massachusetts. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber
Vote tallies are starting to come in for Michigan's Republican primary. Early results show Rick Santorum with a slim lead over his rival Mitt Romney. But Romney's supporters in southeast Michigan say they're optimistic and feeling good about the Michigan native's odds.
Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette is heading up Romney's campaign efforts in the state. Schuette said he is disgusted that Santorum encouraged Democrats to vote in the G-O-P primary against Romney.
"I think that's stupid, and I think most people view that as cynicism or hypocrisy in its worst form. I don't get too stressed by it. What it really does show is there's something in the air of desperation from the other side."
But Schuette said he thinks Romney will walk away with a win in Michigan tonight.
A controversy over robo-calling dominated much of the final day of campaigning in Michigan's presidential primary. G-O-P hopeful Mitt Romney accused Rick Santorum his rival of trying to "kidnap" the vote. That's because Santorum's campaign paid for a robo-call inviting Democrats to vote for him. Santorum said it was simply an effort to build a broad coalition that includes Republicans, Democrats, and independents. "The whole point is to get, to have a conservative message, which I have, and to go out and get conservatives of all stripes to join us. That's how we're going to win Michigan." Santorum compared his effort to President Ronald Reagan's broad coalition of support that that included blue-collar Democrats. It's not clear yet how much of a role Democratic crossover votes played in the election. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta There are 30 Republican national convention delegates up for grabs in today's primary. Today's vote is about more than just delegates. It's also about momentum going into the next round of primaries. There are relatively few delegates at stake in the Michigan and Arizona primaries. But those two elections set the stage for Super Tuesday. Ten states will vote. 419 delegates are at stake. That's a third of what any candidate needs to win the nomination. Michigan State University political science professor Matt Grossman. "So, there's a lot of potential for momentum from Michigan to matter in other states." Grossman said if there's a big winner on Super Tuesday, that candidate could credibly claim frontrunner status as the Republican most likely to face President Obama on the November ballot. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Congressman Ron Paul spoke out against wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and drug laws at a rally on the campus of Michigan State University. He also promised to slash one trillion dollars from the federal budget in his first year on the job of he is elected president. "President Paul! President Paul!..." The Republican hopeful wrapped up a day of campaigning before an enthusiastic crowd who packed an auditorium that normally seats about four thousand. Paul said states like Michigan should be allowed to enact medical marijuana laws without worrying about interference from the federal government; and spoke out against the war on drugs. "Drugs are very, very dangerous, but the war on drugs, I think, is more dangerous than the drugs themselves..." Paul said he'd also like to repeal the amendment that allows a federal income tax, eliminate indefinite detention laws, lift the ban on trade with Cuba, and end the Federal Reserve system. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta As Republicans head to the polls Tuesday to cast ballots in the G-O-P presidential primary, they could be joined by thousands of Democrats. Call them "Democrats for Rick Santorum for a Day." Democratic political consultant Joe DiSano said he's identified thousands of non-Republicans willing to meddle in the G-O-P primary... "I'm going to be doing everything in my power to help move them to the polls." That includes robo-calls and e-mail blasts. DiSano said he wants Mitt Romney to suffer a home state upset, but he also thinks Santorum would be a weaker rival to President Obama DiSano said for his scheme to work, Democrats have to coalesce behind one Republican the way they did in 2000 when John McCain staged a Michigan upset over George W-Bush. Republican political consultant David Doyle said that does not appear to be happening this year. "They're all over the board. Doyle said a few votes could make a big difference, but non-Republicans appear divided between Santorum, Romney and Ron Paul. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber Rick Santorum is making his final campaign stops across southern Michigan before the state's Republican primary. Santorum is campaigning as underdog in the race. Santorum spoke to a crowd of about 300 people at a small hotel ballroom in Lansing. He whipped up the enthusiastic crowd over the prospect of ousting President Obama in the fall. And Santorum said the Republican Party's chances hinge on Michigan's primary. "I need your help. It could be a game-changing day." That's true, said Republican state Representative Aric Nesbitt. He attended Santorum's rally, but as a Romney supporter. Nesbitt thinks support for Santorum has slipped in Michigan because... "People thought they liked what they saw, but all of the sudden they see that he actually does have a record in Washington as somebody who is a big-government Republican." But Santorum said he is the true conservative in the Republican primary, regardless of what Romney and his supporters say. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Republican presidential candidates will be criss-crossing Michigan Monday. G-O-P hopefuls Mitt Romney, Rick Santorum and Ron Paul all have Michigan campaign stops planned. There is no let-up expected in campaign advertising. This has largely been what's called a "contrast" campaign, which is a euphemism for attacking one's opponents. Bobby Schostak is the Michigan Republican chairman. He said Republicans don't simply want someone who can beat President Obama in November. "The message that they've got to leave with Michigan people is, I've got solutions for this economy; I've got solutions for a manufacturing state rebound; I have a solution for joblessness." That said, Schostak expects Republicans will unite behind whoever winds up with the nomination. And he predicts Michigan will be a competitive state come November. Michigan has not gone with a Republican presidential candidate in the general election since 1988. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber Republican candidate for president Mitt Romney received a warm reception from the Detroit Economic Club Friday. Romney and his rivals vying for the Republican nomination have just a few days left to woo voters before the state's G-O-P primary on Tuesday. Romney spoke to the group on the 30 yard line of the vast, gaping Ford Field football area. He reminded members of the Detroit Economic Club that he loves returning to the state where he grew up. And he used this unique phrase to describe his sentiment. "It just feels good being back in Michigan. The trees are the right height, the streets are just right." Romney also emphasized his love of cars, talking about his Ford Mustang and Chevy pick-up truck. He did not, however, mention his disapproval of the auto bailout. Romney focused mostly on his plans to reduce taxes and federal government subsidies for programs he doesn't like. And he said he thinks he is the only Republican candidate who could beat President Obama in the general election though, he said, the president would be tough to beat. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta As better-known candidates trod the landscape and crowd the airwaves pleading for votes in Michigan's Republican presidential primary, the first openly gay G-O-P presidential hopeful is plotting a minor upset. Fred Karger hopes the state's unique primary rules will land him a mid-Michigan miracle and a handful of delegates to the G-O-P's national convention. You know, Fred Karger. Okay, you probably don't know Fred Karger. In fact, his campaign slogan is "Fred Who?" The retired California businessman has had a lot of trouble getting to share a stage with the other Republicans running. "You know, had I gotten into an earlier debate, things might be very different because there's this lack of cohesion around a certain candidate, so I'm still hopeful as the field narrows that I could get into a debate and then everything could change." Karger has filed complaints against Fox News for shutting him out of an early debate in Iowa and against the American Conservative Union for refusing him a spot at its annual convention. As a pro-choice, openly gay Republican, Karger acknowledges he's not in the G-O-P mainstream these days. In fact, he's not really appealing to Republicans to vote in the Republican primary. Any registered voter can cast a ballot in the G-O-P contest. "I am appealing, Number One, to Obama supporters. A little unethical, a little unprecedented strategy for a Republican, but, as a moderate centrist who is actually to the left of Obama on certain social issues like full equality, gay marriage, things like that, I am appealing to them and my message is, Obama is unopposed, literally unopposed vote for Fred Karger, grab a Republican ballot, make some history." Karger thinks Michigan's primary rules give him that opening to, as he says, make history. Michigan's primary is actually a bunch of smaller contests. Most of the state's 30 national convention delegates will be determined by winner-take-all congressional district primaries, three delegates per district. "So my focus, and I don't think this has been done, just is in this district." "This district" is Michigan's Eighth Congressional district in the center of the state, home to Michigan State University, where he's spent a lot of time. "I'm running for president of the United States, an independent Republican on the February 28th ballot, so I hope you'll consider voting for me." Karger's doing a walk-through at a food court on the Michigan State campus, shaking hands, and passing out campaign souvenirs. Samantha Wilson was intrigued enough to do a quick check of Karger's website on her smartphone before dashing over for a brief conversation. "First thing I read was first openly gay Republican candidate and I thought, 'that's interesting" Wilson is a Democrat but said, now that she's met him, a primary vote for Karger is a possibility. Karger's low-budget campaign does include a T-V ad, airing in a relatively affordable market. "Republicans running for president. Well, there's one candidate you just might like." "It's done in a very strategic way. We do things just, everything the big campaigns do, we just do it on a smaller scale. We've got the lawn signs, the bumper stickers." Political campaigns used to be Karger's business. His resume includes working on Republican presidential campaigns going back to Gerald Ford's in 1976. He supported Hillary Clinton four years ago, but could not bring himself to vote for Barack Obama in the general election. He cast his ballot for Ralph Nader. Karger said he knows he's more than a long shot and acknowledges his strategy is unconventional. Other political professionals agree. "I can't remember the last time I've seen this." David Doyle is a campaign consultant who once served as the chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. He said Karger is being vastly outspent by the other candidates and their super PACs in the one T-V market where his ad is playing "And, in this election, the overwhelming majority of voters in the primary are concerned about jobs and the economy, deficit spending, and taxes. Social issues are low on the list." Win or lose here, Karger plans to apply his Michigan strategy to other states that will dole out delegates by congressional district. He's on the ballot in half a dozen states and he's still trying to get on some more in hopes of picking up some delegates. He said even just a few would help him get into future debates and maybe get him some attention at the Republican convention in Tampa this summer. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Republican presidential hopeful Mitt Romney returns to Michigan Tuesday to campaign in Macomb County. Rick Santorum spent much of Monday courting voters at three stops in west Michigan before heading to Arizona, which also has a primary in one week. Santorum barely made mention of Romney during stops in Muskegon, Holland, and Grand Rapids. The two are locked in what appears to be a tightening primary fight for Michigan's delegates. But Santorum focused his remarks on President Obama and accused him of plotting to grow government while taking away people's economic and religious freedoms. "It will rob you of your economic rights. It will rob you of all your rights. The more you give government, the bigger it gets, the smaller you get." Santorum said the president has an agenda that will only grow more radical if he wins a second term with no worries about seeking reelection. The rhetoric is expected to get hotter as Santorum and Romney each try to convince G-O-P voters that he is the Republican who should face the president on the November ballot. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber Republican candidate for president Rick Santorum said he thinks he would appeal to conservative, independent and Democratic voters in Michigan on the November ballot. Santorum appeared on public television's "Off the Record." Santorum said he thinks voters would see he is a what-you-see-is-what-you-get candidate. He said his Republican rival Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama both tell people whatever they want to hear in order to win votes. Santorum sai Romney and Obama are cut from the same cloth in that regard, but he also acknowledges they are different politically. "No, I wouldn't call them two peas in a pod. I mean obviously Governor Romney and Barack Obama are different on a lot of issues, and I would certainly vote for Governor Romney over President Obama any single, any day. Just not in this primary." However, Santorum also said he would consider Romney as a running mate if he wins the Republican nomination. Copyright 2010, MPRN
The State House has approved legislation allowing election workers to oversee balloting in neighboring counties.
The bill lets precinct election inspectors work in counties other than the ones in which they reside. That is not allowed under current law.
State Representative Rick Outman is sponsoring the legislation...
"The problem we have, especially in the rural areas, is we have a lack of people working in polls, or potentially that lack. We've run into that in different circumstances or different occasions."
Under state election laws, there must be an equal number of precinct workers from each party on election day.
This can be a problem in some smaller counties, and especially in ones where the majority of residents belong to one party.
Outman's legislation allowing poll workers to cross county lines has been approved by the State House, and is now being considered by the Senate.
By Rick Pluta The state Senate has approved some prospective changes in Michigan voting laws. The measures would require training for people who register voters, and make people who pick up absentee ballots show a photo I-D or sign an affidavit affirming their identity. The measures have raised concerns with voter-rights advocates. Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson called for some new election rules to discourage vote fraud. Fred Woodhams is her spokesman. "Michigan has a good election system, a very good election system, but we want to improve that even more." "To me, it's an attempt to suppress the vote." Sue Smith is with the League of Women Voters. "Either by making it harder for people to register to vote or by making it harder for them to vote at the polls, and I think that we're going in the wrong direction." Smith said the requirements will discourage some people, the elderly, the poor, or handicapped, from casting ballots. She said it continues a trend in Michigan to make it harder for people to vote. Republicans said no one is denied a vote, and it is reasonable to ask voters to show they are who they say they are. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Republican presidential hopeful Rick Santorum said no one should count him out when he faces Michigan native Mitt Romney on the state's February 28th G-O-P primary ballot. Santorum and Romney both plan to campaign in Michigan this week. Santorum said his message should play well with Michigan's conservative blue collar voters. Santorum told A-B-C's Sunday morning show "This Week" that he hopes a strong showing in Michigan will establish him as the clear alternative to Romney. "I think we can do well there. I mean, the early polls show us in pretty good shape. I think we can really do well in Arizona and really make this a two-person race." Santorum will address the Detroit Economic Club on Thursday, while Romney is expected to make stops in west Michigan and Oakland County this week, Congressman Ron Paul and former House Speaker Newt Gingrich are also among the 11 names on the Michigan Republican primary ballot. It's not known yet what their Michigan campaign plans might be. Candidates also have to focus on the 10 "Super Tuesday" states that will host primaries and caucuses just a week after the Michigan primary. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By David Nicholas
The American Federation of Teaches held their annual meeting in Los Angeles this week.
On their agenda was to issue an endorsement for the upcoming presidential election, they did so, voting to support President Obama for reelection to a second term.
AFT Michigan President David Hecker spoke with CMU Public Radio news, saying that the organization is supporting the president, but does continue to have some disagreements with the administration over education policy...
"We appreciate in his State of the Union address, he clearly said, we should stop forcing teachers to teach to the test, we appreciate that. He was critical of drastic cuts on state levels to public education. We've had some differences with programs like Race to the Top which creates competition between districts to get much-needed funds so, yeah, there've been differences and we've had some real tough conversations with Secretary Duncan and President Obama about those differences and we're gonna continue to work with them on those differences."
The AFT announced their formal endorsement of the president for this year's election on Wednesday.
By Rick Pluta The next round of presidential primaries is in three weeks. Michigan shares a February 28th primary date with Arizona. Momentum could be with Rick Santorum, who just scored a three-state sweep. Mitt Romney rolls into Michigan with money, organization, endorsements, and a family connection to the state where his father once served as governor. But Santorum told M-S-N-B-C he can connect with conservative blue collar voters. "We think Michigan is a great place for us to plant our flag and talk about jobs and manufacturing and giving opportunities for everyone in American to rise." Santorum, Romney, Newt Gingrich and Ron Paul all have the backing of independent committees financed largely by wealthy benefactors, said Rich Robinson of the Michigan Campaign Finance Network. "The new definition is democracy is, my billionaire can whoop your billionaire." Robinson said if recent history is a guide, spending by independent committees will eclipse what's spent by the candidates' official campaigns. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber Former U-S Congressman and current Republican candidate for the U-S Senate Pete Hoekstra is taking cues from Governor Rick Snyder's successful campaign in 2010. Hoekstra bought ad time during this weekend's Super Bowl. That's what Snyder did to introduce his popular "One Tough Nerd" ad two years ago. Hoekstra said he will also run a positive campaign against his opponents in the Republican primary for U-S Senate. He said that means he will focus on the Democratic incumbent, U-S Senator Debbie Stabenow. "I'm going to talk about what my agenda is and contrast that to what Debbie Stabenow's agenda is. That's what this race needs to be about." Hoekstra appeared on public television's "Off the Record." He's running in the G-O-P primary against anti-gay activist Gary Glenn, school-choice advocate Clark Durant, businessmen Peter Konetchy and Chuck Marino, former judge Randy Hekman, activist Scott Boman and retired autoworker Rick Wilson. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta An end-of-the-year campaign finance statement shows Governor Rick Snyder accepted more than 800 thousand dollars from his campaign account last year. He used the money to partially re-pay himself for cash he lent the campaign when he was running for office. Governor Snyder worked for just a dollar last year. But he did take 825 thousand dollars from his campaign account to partially pay himself back for six million dollars in loans from his personal fortune to his campaign. Seven payments last year were a start toward reimbursing the retired tech executive and venture capitalist. The numbers are unusually large, but it is a common practice for politicians to lend their campaigns money and then re-pay themselves after an election. The Snyder campaign money came primarily from individual contributions of up to 34 hundred dollars. The governor does not accept PAC donations. At the December 31st book-closing, the Rick Snyder for Michigan Fund had 534 thousand dollars. The governor has indicated he intends to seek re-election in 2014. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber Leading Democrats in the state said they are coordinating campaign efforts with President Barack Obama's team in Michigan. They hope the popularity of the president will help Democrats win back seats in the state House. Democratic House Minority Leader Rick Hammel said he thinks there's a good chance his party could win enough seats in the House to take back control after the elections this November. Hammel said he thinks President Obama's popularity in Michigan, and his support of the auto industry will help bolster Democrats throughout the state. "We've been talking a little bit with his campaign to find out how we can coordinate messages and opportunities, and I believe that will definitely help." In addition, Hammel thinks the unpopularity of Governor Rick Snyder and of policies approved by the Republican-dominated Legislature will also drive voters to the polls for Democrats. But representatives for the state's Republican Party said President Obama has not been very popular in Michigan either. And they said Democrats attaching themselves to the president so early in the year shows Democrats in Michigan have no message of their own. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber Organizers of a campaign to overturn the state's new emergency manager law said the petition drive is invigorated by reports that legislative leaders are working on a back-up plan in case the law is halted. Brandon Jessup is with Michigan Forward, which is leading the petition drive to put the question of overturning the emergency manager law on the ballot next year. Jessup said he's glad Republican leaders are working on legislation to replace the law if the ballot drive is successful. "That's actually given more fire to our campaign, and now we see more people collecting more signatures, we're ramping up even harder not just in Detroit, but also across the state." Jessup said lawmakers should to pull community leaders into the discussion of how to replace the emergency manager law. Detroit is currently under a financial review by the state to determine if the city needs an emergency manager. Detroit Public Schools, Pontiac, Benton Harbor, Ecorse and Flint currently have emergency managers. Opponents said state-appointed emergency managers deny voters the right to choose their elected officials. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By David Nicholas
Governor Rick Snyder this week declared a financial emergency in the city of Flint. He also recommended that an emergency financial manager be appointed to run the city.
Flint was placed under control of an EFM in 2002 as voters recalled former Mayor Woodrow Stanley, the EFM designation was lifted in 2004.
David Nicholas spoke with political analyst Bill Ballenger this week.
In Ballenger's opinion, the developments for Flint's Mayor Dayne Walling elected to a second term this week along with Detroit Mayor Dave Bing.
City officials now have until next Tuesday, November 15th to challenge the decision.
If they do, a hearing will be set to take arguments on November 18.
Bill Ballenger is the Editor and Publisher of Inside Michigan Politics. He spoke with David Nicholas earlier this week.
By David Nicholas It is Election Day 2011 today with elections being held in 79 of Michigan's 83 counties. Even with some locally important issues on the ballot today, most eyes continue to be focused on one year from now and the 2012 Presidential Election. Pundits and voters on both sides also continue to decry the level of partisanship from both Democrats and Republicans. Caught in the middle, literally, are the roughly forty percent of those voters who call themselves independents. Indpendentvoting.org is touting itself as an organization that wants to change the fabric of American politics. David Nicholas spoke recently with Nancy Ross from their New York office and Kevin Soubley who works with the group in Michigan. He asked Ross first to describe what an independent truly is... Indpendentvoting.org is conducting a letter-writing campaign and, when possible, setting up meetings with members of congress, asking them to hold hearings into the voting structures in place at both the federal and local level. Indpendentvoting.org was founded in 1994. Their web site is www.Independentvoting.org
Flint residents have elected Dayne Walling to a second term as that city's mayor.
Walling defeated Darryl Buchanan with over 55 percent of the vote.
The start of Walling's second term promises to be rocky, following yesterday's declaration by Governor Rick Snyder that Flint is in a state of financial emergency.
Such a declaration allows the governor to appoint an emergency financial manager to take over the city's finances.
Traverse City residents have elected a familiar face to the mayor's office.
Michael Estes won the mayoral race last night with over 58 percent of the vote. He was previously mayor of Traverse City from 2007 to 2009.
Estes ran on a platform of improving Traverse City's infrastructure, without raising taxes. He defeated current Mayor Pro-Tem and former Police Chief Ralph Soffredine.
Traverse City residents also overwhelmingly approved a non-discrimination ordinance last night, by a nearly two-to-one margin.
The ordinance bans discrimination based upon sexual orientation in employment, housing and other areas.
The non-discrimination ordinance was approved by the city commission over a year ago, but a vocal group of opponents forced a referendum on the measure.
Rick Pluta Republican state Representative Paul Scott is the first Michigan lawmaker in nearly three decades to be recalled by voters. The recall was widely seen as a referendum on the agenda of Republicans in Lansing, but the vote was very close. The vote was close. But it was not close enough to rescue Representative Paul Scott, 29 years old and once pegged as a rising Republican star from losing his job. Scott told a group of supporters that he and Republican reformers in Lansing are the targets of special interests. "We took the state by storm and we made fundamental changes and we had the establishment government unions living in our community, trying to overturn the will of the voters and we just came up a little bit short in that fight." All told, 225 thousand dollars or more was spent by both sides in the campaign, making this a very expensive legislative race. South Genesee County residents were bombarded since August with T-V and radio ads, brochures stuffed in doors, and mailings. Scott was targeted for recall in a campaign that was largely funded by the Michigan Education Association. Scott was endorsed by the teacher's union in his first campaign. But he earned the ire of teachers and organized labor this year as chair of the House Education Committee. He was instrumental in enacting new tenure standards that make it easier to fire teachers for poor performance. The recall ballot language also cited Scott's support for K-through-12 school spending cuts, and for extending the state income tax to seniors' pensions. The last successful legislative recall campaign in Michigan was in 1983. That's when two Democratic state senators who supported an income tax hike were toppled by voters in Oakland and Macomb counties. The winners in the recall battle cheered, danced the night away, and toasted their success at a bar on the other side of Grand Blanc. But Doug Pratt of the Michigan Education Association said the recall should send a serious message to Lansing. "This isn't the direction we want to be on. This isn't the direction that voters sent their lawmakers to Lansing to go with. Paul Scott was held accountable tonight for his votes to cut education funding, tax pensions, and to hand that money over to special interests." Turnout was unusually high for an off-year election. About one in four registered voters in the southern Genesee County district cast ballots. Off-year participation typically runs closer to 14 percent. The recall election is widely seen as an early measure of voters' discontent with what Scott, Governor Rick Snyder, and Republicans in Lansing have been up to. "It's significant because it's a microcosm of everything that happened this year with the Snyder legislative agenda and what the majority Republicans did with it." Bill Ballenger edits the newsletter "Inside Michigan Politics." "If we didn't have this election, how could we actually tell how people really feel about what happened this year in Lansing in the state Capitol. And I'm not sure that's a really valid judgment or assessment, but this is the only game in town." There could be more recall elections next year. Republicans have launched a counter-offensive aimed at Democrats. There are currently 32 petition drives underway targeting lawmakers from both parties. Once the results in the Scott recall are certified by a county elections panel, the state House seat will be vacant until after the governor calls a special election. The district is considered a toss-up that could easily go to either party. Paul Scott said he may run for the seat again. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Mike Horace The 2012 congressional election is still over a year away, but campaign donations are already pouring in for Michigan races. One race in particular is shaping up to be a rematch of 2010. Congressman Dan Benishek and former State Representative Gary McDowell are at it again, positioning for a rematch of the 2010 congressional election. Benishek, a Crystal Falls republican, edged out McDowell in the race for the first congressional seat last year. Right now, Benishek has the lead when it comes to fundraising. He brought in 162 thousand dollars during the third quarter of this year. He reports having 171 thousand dollars cash on hand. McDowell is not far behind. Despite announcing his candidacy in mid-September, the Rudyard democrat has already brought in 156 thousand dollars and almost all of it remains in his bank account. Congressional candidates are required to report fundraising numbers four times per year. The next reports are due in January. Below is a full list of contributions the donator's made.
| Congressional
District |
Donator |
Total Contributions |
Cash on Hand |
| MI - 01 |
Dan Benishek |
$162,363.29 |
$171,587.75 |
| MI - 01 |
Gary McDowell |
$156,674.00 |
$154,213.07 |
| MI - 02 |
Bill Huizenga |
$211,881.17 |
$208,633.55 |
| MI - 04 |
Dave Camp |
$704,847.35 |
$2,892,270.23 |
| MI - 05 |
Dan Kildee |
$132,180.00 |
$130,169.14 |
By Rick Pluta Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson has endorsed no-reason absentee voting. She said people should be allowed to cast absentee ballots without giving a reason why they cannot show up at a polling place on Election Day. She said people who vote absentee would face the same identity requirements as people who cast ballots on Election Day. "We need the same level of security in our elections whether it's absentee or it's people who come to vote at the polls. Michigan is a state where you must show an ID, a photo ID, or sign an affidavit of identity. We would require the same standard for the no-reason absentee." Johnson does not favor early voting or Election Day voter registration as methods to spur more voter participation. Johnson also called for a federal law to give her office access to immigration and Social Security records that would help clear non-citizens off the state's voter list. She says going forward the state will also require people to promise they are U-S citizens before they can vote. Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Governor Rick Snyder has laid to rest speculation that he might not seek a second four-year term in 2014. The governor told an audience of local government officials meeting in Grand Rapids that he'd like to serve eight years if voters will have him. Governor Snyder would face a difficult re-election bid if he were running today. Polling suggests more than 60 percent of voters don't approve of the job he's doing. But a little more than nine months into the job, Snyder said he's got time to change some minds, and he'd prefer not to be a one-and-done governor. "The voters have to decide that but as a practical matter, I think it's something that would be a great opportunity to serve our state for eight years." Snyder was trying to end speculation that he might already be a lame duck based on comments he made last month at a Republican conference on Mackinac Island. He said he'd consider stepping down after one term if he completed his agenda in four years. The governor said his words were "misinterpreted." Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber Mitt Romney dominated the presidential candidate straw poll this weekend during the Michigan Republican Party conference on Mackinac Island. Romney and Rick Perry both spoke at the conference, but fervor for Romney swept over the island. Many delegates said the Michigan native offers hope of turning Michigan a red state in the upcoming presidential election. It was clear from the beginning of the weekend that Mitt Romney's homecoming was eagerly anticipated. Many folks wore Romney t-shirts or stickers, and hung Romney signs around Mackinac Island. But not everyone was sold on the former Massachusetts governor. Gary Glenn a conservative Republican candidate for the U-S Senate said he was more interested in hearing what Texas Governor Rick Perry had to say. "Governor Perry has a record. They're a Right To Work state, Michigan is a compulsory unionism state. And so there is a clear comparison that you can make between the state that is No. 1 in the nation in job creation, the state that's No. 50 for having lost the most manufacturing jobs." There was some marked anticipation for Governor Perry's presence. Party members stood in a long, claustrophobic line to flood the dining room where Perry would speak, waiting to see just what the Texan could offer Michigan. Perry told the crowd right off that he did not want to disappoint them. "We were coming up here and they said 'Don't mispronounce the island's name.' So it is an honor to be on Mackinac Island, let me tell you ladies and gentlemen! What a beautiful place." Perry said Michigan is the source of a fond boyhood memory. "Dad said 'Listen, I'll just drive up to Michigan," and I think he went to Flint, or actually I think he went to Fenton to pick up a new GMC pick-up truck." The crowd often clapped supportively and politely, with occasional cheers. But nothing and no one stood a chance with the audience once Romney entered the building. "I love being in Michigan, I like people who know what Vernors is. I like people who when you ask them where they're from they hold up their hand and point to a piece on their thumb. I love that..." And the crowd went wild. Romney took on the air of a presidential Johnny Carson - drawing wild laughter and occasional tears. He told boyhood stories of time spent in Michigan with his father, former governor George Romney, and his wife, Ann, whom he said he fell in love with on Mackinac Island. "It's a wonderful place for us. It's got special memories. Mitt mentioned we met when I was just 16..." That's Ann Romney. "...He said 'My father's governor of Michigan.' Obviously I knew that. 'How about would you like to go up to Mackinac and stay in the governor's mansion with my family.' And I thought 'That is a great idea." Audience members began clinking their forks on wine glasses, like a chorus of champagne flutes at a wedding. "I don't even know what... Oh!" The crowd gave Mitt Romney four standing ovations, as if he were giving his first State of the Union address. "What an incredibly beautiful place. And I might add, rather romantic as well." Don't forget, though, that Rick Perry had come to the island too. Perry may not have the rich family history in Michigan that Romney has, nor can he point to a location on his hand to tell Michigan Republican Party members where he's from. But he made an earnest plea to the state's party faithful to take him seriously as a presidential candidate. And he assured them he took them seriously as well. "Listen, you all did something this last election cycle that was pretty powerful. You elected a Republican Legislature and a Republican governor I know what that means! Rick Snyder is going to be out there every day knocking on doors in Texas, trying to get them to move jobs from Texas to Michigan. I understand that. And that is what it's supposed to be about." In the end, Romney ran away with the straw poll. Perhaps not surprisingly. "From a very selfish standpoint I think Mitt Romney, for a state race, for a Legislative race, for everything else, is good for us..." That's Saul Anuzis, one of Michigan's representatives on the Republican national committee. "...I mean having Mitt Romney at the top of the ticket would probably put Michigan in a play, which means there would be national resources diverted here and investments made that would be good for the rest of the party." The chairman of the state party, Bobby Schostak, said Romney's name could appeal to Republican and independent voters in Michigan, and perhaps turn the state red for the first time since 1988. Photo by Chelsea Hagger, MPRN Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Former state board of education president Clark Durant will formally launch his campaign for Michigan's Republican U-S Senate nomination Friday in Detroit. The winner of the G-O-P primary will face Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow on the November 2012 ballot. Durant has been accepting endorsements and donations for weeks. His formal entry into the race precedes a big Republican political conference this weekend on Mackinac Island. Durant said his is an insurgent candidacy that takes on the establishment in Washington and his own political party. "I've had the slings and the arrows slung at me and I will continue to go into those battles for the people who don't have a voice, and the taxpayers of this state and this country don't have a voice." The race for the G-O-P nomination is widely seen as mostly between Durant and former Congressman Pete Hoekstra who has the backing of Governor Rick Snyder, and most G-O-P members of the state's congressional delegation. It has sparked an intra-party rivalry. Durant is backed by billionaire G-O-P activist Betsy DeVos, and former Senator Spence Abraham. Clark Durant running for U.S. Senate. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber State Senate Republicans said they want to work this fall to make Michigan a more attractive place for businesses. Their fall agenda also includes finalizing a ban on a controversial abortion procedure. The Senate intends to add rules to the state's medical marijuana law. A few Senate Republican lawmakers have become passionate and vocal about Michigan's medical marijuana law. They said they are concerned that teenagers are getting medical marijuana cards for small injuries, that too many medical marijuana plants could result in illegal drugs on play grounds, and that people who are high on marijuana could be driven to suicide. Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville said whatever the effects, the medical marijuana law as approved by voters in 2008 is too vague. "That amendment was very very loose, and I think what we're trying to do is tighten it up to make sure it goes where it's supposed to go." Richardville said he thinks the law has gone beyond what voters intended. He said he would not be opposed to asking voters again to clarify on the ballot what parameters they want around the Medical Marijuana Act. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber Democratic state lawmakers said voters should be allowed to decide how the state's School Aid Fund is spent. The lawmakers are upset that some of the schools money helped pay for universities and community colleges in the coming fiscal year. The Republican-led Legislature approved a budget that allocated nearly 400 million dollars from the School Aid Fund to help pay for higher education. Democratic state Representative Mark Meadows said voters want School Aid Fund to be spent only on K-through-12 schools. He said it would take about 1000 signatures per school district to get that question on the ballot. "I don't think it's such a huge mountain to climb to think that PTAs, other school organizations, can carry a petition and get those signatures pretty rapidly." Meadows said he would like the Legislature to put the question on the ballot, but he thinks a grassroots effort could take off if Republican leaders decide not to vote on the issue. Republicans say K-through-12 schools took a smaller hit in the budget than most other areas of government, which demonstrates their commitment to education. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Former Governor Jennifer Granholm said she almost did not seek a second term in 2006. The state was hemorrhaging jobs, her job approval ratings were pretty dismal, and a victory was far from guaranteed. It's one of the stories Granholm recounts in "A Governor's Story: The Fight for Jobs and America's Economic Future." She wrote the book with her husband, Dan Mulhern. In her 2006 State of the State speech, Jennifer Granholm struck a sunny tone amid economic darkness. She outlined an aggressive recovery strategy that included state investments in targeted industries. And she uttered the line that became perhaps the most-famous or infamous words of her political career: "...and in five years, you're going to be blown away by the strength and diversity of Michigan's transformed economy." "I fully 'fess up to writing that myself and against the advice of my advisers." Granholm's communications and political teams were afraid the phrase would be turned against the governor by Republicans in what was expected to be a tough reelection fight against Amway billionaire Dick DeVos. And that is exactly what happened. G-O-P campaign ads flashed pictures of shut-down factories, Republicans kept up the drum beat, asking the rhetorical question, "Blown away yet?" as the economy continued to falter and more people lost their jobs. "You've got to be somewhat realistic and not too much with rose-colored glasses and I think I had a bit of my rose-colored glasses that night." Granholm said it became clear she'd made a big mistake. "Little did I know that I was really handing Dick DeVos a club with which he would beat me throughout the campaign." Unsure that she could win a second term, Granholm said she thought about not running and toyed with asking U-S Senator Carl Levin to be the Democratic nominee. That idea was quickly dismissed by her campaign team and kitchen cabinet including First Gentleman Dan Mulhern, who said there's no way Levin would want the job. As the Republicans' "blown away" ads took their toll, the state Democratic Party and the Granholm re-election campaign responded countered with a powerful allegation. Democrats basically accused DeVos of off shoring thousands of Michigan jobs to China. DeVos said layoffs in Amway's U-S operations were unrelated to building a presence in the world's fastest-growing economy. "It was a cheap political shot and calling it cheap almost elevates it. Greg McNeely was DeVos's campaign manager. He said the China ads changed the campaign conversation. "I think the effectiveness is borne out by the election results because ultimately the election question became about that issue and about China. But McNeely said the charge was not true. "Not a single job went to China. In fact, just the opposite. Amway did then and continues today to make things in America by Americans and sell it to foreign customers. That's what you're supposed to do as an American business. The suggestion has been made that the China ads made it politically impossible for Granholm to make China a stop on one of her many overseas investment missions. Granholm says that's not true. She says there were no China deals close enough to completion while she was governor to make the trip worthwhile. Granholm has been to China since she left office at the beginning of the year and she said it is a crucial market for Michigan and U-S businesses. Granholm said she is very pleased her successor, Republican Governor Rick Snyder, will make China part of his itinerary when he makes a trade trip to Asia next week. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Rick Pluta Jennifer Granholm said she wrote "A Governor's Story" to offer her prescription for the nation's economy to lower taxes and smaller government. She said it's based on her experience, and an often trial-and-error road to an economic strategy that can work for the entire nation. "We've got a story to tell. So for everybody who cares about how to crack the code to create advanced manufacturing jobs in the American economy we've got the story to tell." But the former governor also uses the political memoir to defend her job performance. She was highly unpopular when she left office as people held her responsible for failing to fix the state's economy or stop the seemingly never-ending political gridlock in Lansing. "A Governor's Story" focuses almost exclusively on Granholm's eight years as governor, barely mentioning her one term as state attorney general, the first and only other political office she's held, or anything else about her life before becoming Michigan's first female chief executive." She said the forces that cost the state a million jobs over the course of a decade were global in scope and beyond her control or the control of any governor. "Anybody who goes into a position of leadership goes into that position assuming that they're going to be able to fix the problems. But sometimes the circumstances are beyond that leader's full control." As far as the budget troubles that bedeviled her tenure, Granholm said she was set up for failure by her predecessor, Republican John Engler. She said that's because he cut taxes without really cutting spending as the state's economy grew at a record pace, and the tax cuts continued even after the economy stumbled. She said that combination destabilized Michigan's finances as she took over. The book is told in Granholm's voice, but she co-wrote it with husband Dan Mulhern. And the book is also a tale of the couple's personal journey. It details Mulhern's role as husband, spiritual advisor and executive coach, his job before he became Michigan's first First Gentleman. He had an office and staff in the executive office building. But Mulhern said he was focused more on steering their two daughters through adolescence and raising their youngest son, who is now a high school freshman. The couple is famously close, but Mulhern said there were revelations as they were putting the book together. "It was fun, it was fun for me to do the book with Jennifer because our lives were so busy that some of these stories I never heard the first time...." Like the fact that the very health-conscious Granholm resumed smoking for a short time during the tense negotiations with the Legislature that led to the brief government shutdown in 2007. "I bummed a lot of cigarettes from the lieutenant governor..." "A lot?" "A lot for me! I don't smoke, so I bummed probably half a pack, one pack maybe over the course of several days from him..." The couple now lives in Berkley-California, where they both teach and write. Granholm also serves on corporate boards and offers commentary on NBC's "Meet the Press." It's not in the book, but the former governor said she's through seeking elected offices. It was originally Dan Mulhern who harbored political ambitions that he set aside for the sake of his wife's career. Now, he said, a second politician, a second political career in the family is not out of the question. "Never say never, you never know." At the same moment, his wife, the ex-governor ends our interview so she can go pick up their fourteen-year-old son at school. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Mike Horace
Voting will soon be a faster experience in several central and northern Michigan communities.
The state is deploying 12-hundred laptop computers around the state, to help voters quickly get into and out of a precinct on election day.
Traditionally, election workers had to check in voters manually, using large directories of voter records.
Under the new system, all they have to do is swipe a drivers license or state I-D card through an electronic reader, said Fred Woodhams. He's a spokesman for Secretary of State Ruth Johnson.
"E-Pollbooks are a great time saver for voters and election workers. They also reduce clerical errors, and make election days go that much more smoothly."
The laptops are on their way to precincts in 50 Michigan counties, and should be ready to use in time for the November election.
By then, over 60 percent of Michigan precincts are expected to be using electronic pollbooks.
By Mike Horace
Voting will soon be a faster experience in several central and northern Michigan communities.
The state is deploying 12-hundred laptop computers around the state, to help voters quickly get into and out of a precinct on election day.
Traditionally, election workers had to check in voters manually, using large directories of voter records.
Under the new system, all they have to do is swipe a drivers license or state I-D card through an electronic reader, said Fred Woodhams. He's a spokesman for Secretary of State Ruth Johnson.
"E-Pollbooks are a great time saver for voters and election workers. They also reduce clerical errors, and make election days go that much more smoothly."
The laptops are on their way to precincts in 50 Michigan counties, and should be ready to use in time for the November election.
By then, over 60 percent of Michigan precincts are expected to be using electronic pollbooks.
By Laura Weber Former congressman Pete Hoekstra has been accepting endorsements and campaign donations to run for the U-S Senate for weeks. But Tuesday Hoekstra formally launched his statewide campaign for the Republican nomination. He said the federal government needs to repeal mandates on schools and businesses, and scrap the new federal health care law. Hoekstra said small business owners throughout the state say the federal government is getting in the way of job creation. "They're looking for regulatory relief. No one brought up tax relief today. It's kind of like, that's not the main barrier. The main barrier that they're facing today is regulatory burdens. And they're go through the list with you very quickly they'll say number one, they have no idea what the long-term impact will be of Obama-care." Hoekstra is running in the Republican Senate primary against anti-gay activist Gary Glenn, businessman Peter Konetchy, former judge Randy Hekman, and school-choice advocate Clark Durant. The winner of that primary will run against Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
BY LAURA WEBER Michigan Public Radio Network
SOUTHFIELD -- Gov. Rick Snyder has publically endorsed former Congressman Pete Hoekstra in the Republican primary for the U.S. Senate.
The winner of the GOP primary will face incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow on next year's November ballot.
Hoekstra says he and Snyder earned each other's respect in the Republican primary for Governor last year. He says that's because both men ran positive campaigns
"We went through a hard-fought campaign and it never became personal, it was always about the issues," Hoekstra said.
Hoekstra is not the only Republican with big-name support in the Senate primary. Former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party Betsy DeVos has lent her support for school-choice advocate Clark Durant, who has yet to officially get into the race. Gov. Snyder says a little competition is okay.
"I appreciate having other candidates, as part of democracy, but Pete is clearly the choice for this race, and I'm excited to be part of that," Snyder said.
Snyder says he will not endorse a Republican candidate in the presidential primary.
Photo Credit: Laura Weber / MPRN
BY RICK PLUTA Governor Rick Snyder has scheduled a press conference today to endorse former Congressman Pete Hoekstra in the race for the Republican U-S Senate nomination. Snyder and Hoekstra first got to know each other last year as rivals for the Republican nomination for governor. Snyder won, but people close to the governor said he walked away from the campaign with respect for Hoekstra. The endorsement will put the governor at odds with other Michigan Republican power players. Billionaire Betsy DeVos, Republican National Committeeman Saul Anuzis, and ex-Senator Spencer Abraham all former G-O-P party chairs are backing school choice advocate Clark Durant. Former Judge Randy Hekman, anti-gay rights activist Gary Glenn, and Roscomman businessman Peter Konetchy are also vying for the nod to face incumbent Senator Debbie Stabenow next year. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
BY RICK PLUTA The campaign to recall the Republican chair of the state House Education Committee is a step closer to appearing on the November ballot. The state Bureau of Elections has informed state Representative Paul Scott that the campaign to recall him appears to have gathered enough valid signatures to get the question on the ballot. The recall campaign needed to gather 96 hundred signatures from registered voters in the Genesee County state House district. Elections officials determined the campaign gathered more than 11 thousand. Representative Scott has two weeks to file any challenges to the signatures. The Secretary of State will make an official decision by September 9th. Scott is also challenging the recall campaign in court. The Michigan Education Association made Scott a top recall target over cuts to schools and the new tax on pensions. Scott is the only state lawmaker potentially facing a recall question on the November ballot. But there are two dozen other recall petitions circulating. The recall is also considered by many to be a local referendum on the record of Republican Governor Rick Snyder. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
BY LAURA WEBER U-S Senate candidate Randy Hekman said he knows voters in Michigan do not know much about him. But The former probate court judge said he is not intimidated by the growing field of Republican candidates. Hekman said one of biggest obstacles he faces in his campaign is a lack of name recognition throughout the state. "Oh absolutely. I've got a mountain to climb." Probably the most recognizable name in the field of candidates is former U-S Congressman Pete Hoekstra. Hekman said he and Hoekstra are friends. He said he got into the race because Hoekstra told him he was not going to run. So Hekman said he was surprised when Hoekstra got into the race. "One just has to ask; does he have the fire in his belly to do what needs to be done. This is not just a typical, run-of-the-mill election." Hekman said the federal government has to make unpopular decisions to wipe out the national debt. Those include closing corporate tax loopholes which some politicians view as tax hikes and eventually eliminating cash assistance for unemployed people and low-income families. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
BY LAURA WEBER Republican leaders in the state Senate said they will push for a February 28th closed presidential primary date. That's one week before the national Super Tuesday primary date for most states. National Republican Party rules said any state that holds its presidential primary early will be penalized. That could include having convention delegates stripped. But Michigan already has a primary date set in law that is earlier than the March 6th primary date set for most states. "No I don't think we're doing anything too out of line..." That's Senate Majority Leader Randy Richardville. He said he plans to stick with a primary on February 28th. "So we're talking about one week, and the fact that we already have this in statute makes it a little different than some of the other states." The Michigan Republican Party has not specified a desired primary date. But both Richardville and the chairman of the state party say the benefit of relevance on the national stage outweighs the cost of any potential penalties at the convention. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
BY RICK PLUTA State party chair Mark Brewer said Michigan Democrats do not support
recalling politicians over policy differences and he said the party
won't play a role in efforts to oust Governor Snyder and other
Republicans in special elections. Brewer said he's not
surprised there are so many recall campaigns launched in the wake of
Republican cuts to schools and local governments and extending the
income tax to pensions. One legislative recall may qualify for this
year's November ballot. Brewer said voters should register their
dissatisfaction in regularly scheduled elections. And he said it's wrong
for the state Republican Party to launch recall drives against
Democrats as a form of retaliation. "I think that's unprincipled as well. We will defend our folks very vigorously, don't get me wrong." Brewer
appeared on the Michigan Public T-V show "Off the Record." He also said
recall drives against Democrats could backfire on Republicans if the
questions appear on the same ballot next February as the state G-O-P
presidential primary. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
BY RICK PLUTA School-choice activist Clark Durant said he's very close to making a decision on whether to join the race for the Republican nomination to run next year against Democratic U-S Senator Debbie Stabenow. Former party chair and billionaire Betsy DeVos, Republican National Committeeman Saul Anuzis, and former U-S Senator Spence Abraham publicly endorsed Clark Durant this week. That puts some financial and organizational clout behind Durant if he decides to run. "So I'm very pleased. It's moved me quickly down the path to try and make this work. I'd like to get in." Durant said he'll make a decision before the end of September. The DeVos, Anuzis, and Abraham endorsement shook up the race as former Congressman Pete Hoeksta continues to rack up endorsements of local G-O-P leaders and the quiet backing, apparently, of Governor Rick Snyder. Former judge Randy Hekman, anti-gay rights activist Gary Glenn, and businessman Pete Konetchy are also seeking the nomination. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
The recall campaign against Republican state Representative Paul Scott is expected to hand in petitions Today to get the recall question on the November ballot in Genesee County.
The recall against Representative Scott has gained a lot of attention and momentum with the support of the Michigan Education Association teachers union. Scott said he is surprised at how quickly the effort against him ramped up.
"Yeah, we've seen really kind of statewide, outside special interests pour into our community and dump tens of thousands of dollars into an attempt to overturn the will of the voters."
Scott is the chairman of the House Education Committee. Although the M-E-A endorsed Scott as a candidate a couple of years ago, Scott said it has become clear they want different things for education in the state.
Republicans are expected to challenge the petitions in an effort to keep the recall question off the ballot.
The petition drive to recall Governor Rick Snyder said it won't meet Friday's deadline to gather 800 thousand names to qualify for the November election. As we hear from Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta, the recall drive is now aiming to get on the ballot early next year.
Organizers said their petition drive got off to a slow start and did not get much attention until recently. But now, they say, volunteers unhappy with the record of Governor Rick Snyder have about 300 thousand names, and are gathering of voter signatures at a pace that will put them on the ballot in February of 2012.
Bill Ballenger is the editor of the Inside Michigan Politics newsletter. He said recalling a statewide elected official is very, very tough.
"It's never happened in Michigan, never even come close to happening."
There are also more than 20 local campaigns to recall lawmakers - almost all Republicans who supported Governor Snyder's tax overhaul and budget cuts. Ballenger said it's more likely one of those will get on the ballot - and serve as a local referendum on the Snyder agenda.
This is the last week that recall
campaigns against state lawmakers can hand in petition signatures to be viable
for the November ballot.
As Michigan Public Radio's Laura
Weber reports, most of the many recall campaigns have been waged against
Republicans. But there were three against Democratic lawmakers.
All three of the Democrats targeted
are outspoken women who have been around the Capitol for many years and are
active and influential members of their caucuses. That includes state Senate
Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer and Representative Barb
Byrum - both of whom are in the clear after an elections panel rejected the
recall petitions against them this week.
Michael Hodges represents Byrum. He
said they are safe for now.
"I think so. I think it's entirely
unlikely that this would go on the November ballot now."
Hodges said he has never spoken with
the petitioner who filed the petition language, nor did that person show up for
the hearing. While none of the three petitions against Democrats were approved,
there are nearly two dozen active petition drives against Republican lawmakers.
Authorities are looking into whether a Lansing medical marijuana clinic broke the law by offering free pot to customers who stop by and register to vote. The owner of the clinic opposes Lansing's new medical marijuana ordinance. And, as we hear from Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta, she has called for the ouster of city council members who supported the ordinance.
The Your Healthy Choices Clinic advertised on its web site that customers who stop in and register would get a half-gram of pot or a marijuana-laced snack item. It also encouraged people to vote against city council members who supported Lansing's medical marijuana ordinance. Authorities said that may have put the clinic afoul of state election laws.
John Sellek is the spokesman for Attorney General Bill Schuette. He said clinics have mushroomed far beyond what Michigan voters intended when they approved the medical marijuana law in 2008.
"And they certainly didn't plan for those pot shops to be handing out marijuana as party favors essentially for their own political, personal agenda."
Schuette is looking into filing criminal charges. The clinic owner told a Lansing T-V station there was no attempt to buy votes - only to get people to register.
The field of people seeking the Republican nomination to run next year against Democratic U-S Senator Debbie Stabenow grew larger this week with the entry of former Congressman Pete Hoekstra into the race. But as we heard from Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta, that does not close the door on more G-O-P contenders.
Hoekstra is well known among Republican voters both as an ex-member of Congress and the runner-up in last year's race for the G-O-P nomination for governor. He's widely considered a front-runner - if not *the* frontrunner.
But others are still contemplating getting in. Education reform advocate Clark Durant ran for and lost a race for the nomination in 1990, and said he's ready to try again.
"I certainly want to make the decision before Labor Day, but my target date is August 15th." That's from an appearance on the public T-V show "Off the Record."
There are at least four other Republicans also in the race or considering it.
Stabenow said she plans to stand back and watch for now.
"I understand there will be a spirited primary and we'll see what happens. As far as I'm concerned, next year is the time I will really be focused on this."
Stabenow will be running for her third six-year Senate term.
Former west Michigan Congressman Pete Hoekstra filed the paperwork today (Wed.) to seek the Republican nomination for the U-S Senate. He joined a handful of Republican candidates who want to unseat Democratic Senator Debbie Stabenow next year.
Hoekstra said he announced in April that he would not run for the Republican U-S Senate nomination because he had just come out of a "grueling" campaign to be Michigan's governor. But now he is definitely back in the race, and he said recent unfavorable poll numbers for Senator Stabenow did not drive his decision.
"Actually I think her ratings are very very good, I mean if only 51 percent of people disapprove of what is really a dismal voting record in Washington D.C."
Hoekstra said he is entering the race because he believes he can help set Michigan on a better track in Washington D-C. He said a field of lesser-known Republican candidates did not play into his decision. But political insiders said Hoekstra was encouraged by Republicans to run because they thought he would have a better chance at defeating Stabenow than the other candidates.
Former U-S Congressman, and one-time Republican primary candidate for governor of Michigan, Pete Hoekstra decided in April that he would not attempt to unseat Democratic U-S Senator Debbie Stabenow.
But, as Michigan Public Radio's Laura Weber reports, Hoekstra has reconsidered a bid for the Senate.
The spokesman for Hoekstra's previous campaigns said the former congressman is not rushed to make a decision on whether he will run for the Republican nomination to face Senator Stabenow. But he says Hoekstra was persuaded by political insiders and influential Republicans not to give up on the idea. The spokesman says Hoekstra most likely will not decide until late in the summer.
One person who has already made the decision to run is Gary Glenn - a social conservative who has wasted no time in slamming Hoekstra for votes he made while in Congress. Oakland County Water Resources Commissioner John McCulloch and former juvenile judge Randy Hekman have also announced plans to run for the Republican nomination.
Michigan Republicans may try to boost their clout by holding a closed-party presidential primary a week before the Super Tuesday elections next year. As we heard from Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta, the plan must still be formally approved by G-O-P leaders in August.
Michigan Republicans plan to hold their presidential primary either February 28th or March 6th of next year. Only people who declare themselves Republicans would be eligible to vote in it.
The state G-O-P's policy committee unanimously adopted the plan during a conference call.
Michigan Republicans risk losing half their national convention delegates if they hold a primary before Super Tuesday voting on March 6th, but some G-O-P leaders say the state could reap political rewards by going early.
The proposal must still be approved by the Michigan Republican State Central Committee at its August meeting, and then adopted by the Legislature and approved by Governor Rick Snyder. Michigan Democrats plan to hold closed-party caucuses in May. President Barack Obama is expected to be the only contender for the Democratic nomination.
BY SCOTT POHL Courtesy WKAR East LansingEast Lansing City Clerk Nicole Evans said voter turnout was typical this morning at the city's 17 precincts. As of 10:30 a.m., about 2,000 of the city's 26,000 registered voters had cast ballots, a rate that matched expectations. Evans was concerned about the slow rate of absentee ballot returns last week. "We've had about 2,000 ballots that have been requested, and at the time, we had only received less than half of them, and so I was really concerned that they wouldn't get back in time," Evans said. "But within this last week, we had a huge influx of those ballots, so you could see that people were just really taking their time with the voting this election." People who haven't turned in their absentee ballots can still do so until 8 p.m. at their local voting center. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
Votes for one northern Michigan county road commission candidate will not be counted, because the candidate is deceased.
There is just one candidate on the ballot for the Crawford County Road Commission. That's not unusual on it's own.
But the candidate, former road commission Chairman Kenneth Riehle, is deceased.
"He was unopposed running on the Republican ticket, and he passed on October 18th," said Sandra Moore, Crawford County Clerk/Register of Deeds.
According to Moore, Riehle's name could have been removed from the ballot.
"The party can nominate a replacement candidate," she said. "However, there was not enough time to get ballots reprogrammed and reprinted, and it was in the neighborhood of $10,000 just to solve this dilemma we were having."
The local Republican party decided to go in a different direction, and encourage write-in candidates instead.
Three people registered to run as write-in candidates in the race. Votes for them will count, while any for Kenneth Riehle will be discarded.
Moore said the three write-in candidates have spent the last week campaigning vigorously for the seat.
BY RICK PLUTA
Capital Bureau Chief, Michigan Public Radio Network
The political ads will go silent as voters head to the polls Tuesday, Nov. 2, while the candidates for governor make their final pitch to voters.
Democratic nominee Virg Bernero will wrap up his campaign with a rally in Lansing, where he serves as mayor.
Bernero said Democrats should have faith that they can defy the polls and pull off an upset.
Republican nominee Rick Snyder has been helping other GOP candidates further down the ticket as he makes his final round of campaign stops.
Snyder said he'll be glad to end his year-and-a-half-long campaign for governor.
"We've got an extremely full plate. We have a broken economy and government, and we need all hands on deck to roll up their sleeves and go to work. I'm excited about it," Snyder said.
The Michigan Campaign Finance Network said political parties and outside organizations that don't have to report where their money comes from easily outspent what candidates spent in statewide races this year.
Spending by political parties and outside groups has far outpaced direct candidate spending this year in every statewide race.
There are also other races - including attorney general, secretary of state and the Michigan Supreme Court. There are at least three competitive congressional races and control of the Legislature is at stake.
© Copyright 2010, MPRN
Tuesday is election day across the United States and in Michigan. Voters will chose a new governor, legislature, supreme court justices and replace several retiring congressmen.
CMU Public Radio's Mike Horace spoke with Inside Michigan Politics Editor Bill Ballenger about the election, and got his thoughts about some of the state's most important races.
MI-O1 Congressional District
Some recent polls are showing a statistical dead heat in the race to replace retiring Congressman Bart Stupak.
Republican Dan Beneshek is facing off against Democrat Gary McDowell and independent candidate Glenn Wilson.
According to Ballenger, the race could go in any direction.
"This is a very marginal district," said Ballenger. "It's about a 50/50 republican / democratic district."
The district is the second largest east of the Mississippi. That means it is probably too late for any one candidate to seriously shake up the race, said Ballenger.
"It's not as though you can go into one central population area or media market and make a big splash and have it effect the entire district," he said. "That's just not the case. The district is too spread out, the population is to evenly distributed. So you have to hope you don't make a mistake in the last week that would give your opponent an advantage he might not otherwise have."
The first congressional district covers the Upper Peninsula and the northeast Lower Peninsula, south to near Bay City.
State Senate
Ballenger expects Republicans maintain control of the State Senate after next week's midterm election. The GOP currently has a 22 to 16 majority.
The senate will "almost certainly will be Republican again," said Ballenger, "probably with a slightly enhanced majority. Maybe 23-15, 24-14, maybe even higher than that."
While control of the upper house is expected to stay with the GOP, the body's leadership will change, said Ballenger. The current leaders are not running for re-election.
"The odds on favorite to be the democratic leader is Gretchen Whitmer, a state senator from East Lansing," said Ballenger. "But she's probably going to be in the minority."
Ballenger said on the republican side, a contest seems to be shaping up between State Sen. Randy Richardville, who is running for a second Senate term, and State Rep. John Proos, who will be a freshman senator if elected.
State House
Democrats currently have control of the state House, but that control is theirs to lose, said Ballenger.
"The Democrats have a big lead going into the election," he said. "They have 65 members, Republicans only have 42."
"There are several seats open because of death and retirement," explained Ballenger. "The Republicans would have to pick up 14 seats... to get control. That is a very tall order. It hasn't been done in almost half a century."
A republican takeover of the house would be difficult to achieve, but Ballenger said it's not out of the question.
"I think until about three weeks ago nobody thought that would happen," he said. "Now, I think there's about a 50/50 chance it could."
Northern Michigan races
According to Ballenger, northern Michigan Democrats have an uphill battle in next week's midterm election.
"There is a trend, almost all across the board, in favor of the republicans this year," he said. "Particularly in northern Michigan, the northern tip of the Lower Peninsula, and, for that matter, the entire U.P."
"I think all democrats running in that area are under siege. They are beleaguered, they are threatened, they are vulnerable," said Ballenger.
Ballenger believes only one northern Michigan Democrat is truly safe: State Rep. Steven Lindberg.
He's running for a third term, representing part of the Upper Peninsula in the state House.
State Supreme Court
When voters head to the polls next week, they will not only be electing a new governor; they will also be deciding what party controls the state Supreme Court.
According to Ballenger, Supreme Court races are often among the most confusing for voters.
"You don't know which one of them was nominated by the republicans or the democrats," he said. "You can't tell from looking at the ballot, yet they were. There's also a libertarian in the race."
Currently, Democrats have a four to three majority on the court. Ballenger said that makes their task much easier come election day.
"The republicans have the tougher assignment," Ballenger said. "They have to sweep the two top spots, either with Bob Young, one of their incumbents, or Mary Beth Kelly, who's a circuit judge from Detroit who's the other republican nominee. They have to finish one-two, in whichever order... to be able to control the court four to three."
The stakes are not as high for the democrats, said Ballenger.
"All they have to do is finish second. They don't even have to finish first or win the race, whatever."
Ballenger said should the two democrats, Alton Davis and Denise Langford-Morris, place one two in the race, it would give the democrats a huge 5-2 majority on the court.
BY Laura Weber Michigan Public Radio Network State Representative Woodrow Stanley, a prospective State House Speaker, said he thinks Democrats will lose some seats to Republicans in the upcoming elections. Stanley, who appeared on public television's "Off the Record" said his fellow Democrats need to focus on keeping their majority, before making plans for the upcoming Legislature session. "I don't want us to lead with what isn't right in the sequential order. The sequential order goes like this; win the majority, then we determine leadership," Stanley said. He said enthusiasm for Virg Bernero, the Democratic candidate for governor, indirectly impacts enthusiasm for Democratic House candidates. "I certainly have a very strong interest in seeing Virg Bernero competitive," Stanley said. But Stanley said he's not sure the word "competitive" could be applied to Bernero's campaign, if polls that favor Snyder by a wide margin are correct. He said House Democrats need to focus on maintaining a majority. "It creates some challenges because there is some leakage into some of our races. But I do believe the race will tighten (and) we'll retain the majority, a smaller majority, and quite frankly maybe a more manageable majority," Stanley said. He said if the Democrats lose a few seats to Republicans, a smaller Democratic majority might be more manageable for the often-divided caucus. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
 BY ANDY ROBINS Courtesy WMUK KalamazooDemocrats picked Kalamazoo Mayor Bobby Hopewell on Oct. 19 to be their new candidate in the 20th State Senate District. Hopewell replaces State Representative and former Kalamazoo Mayor Robert Jones who died Oct. 17 after a battle with cancer. Members of the executive committees gathered at a Kalamazoo union hall to pick their new nominee. Hopewell said he isn't discouraged by having only two weeks to campaign before the Nov. 2 election. "I believe that every opportunity is one that you grasp a hold of and this one is a daunting challenge. Fourteen days is 14 days; it is what it is. I can't control that or change that. All I can do is move myself and move the opportunity and the folks that are here with me," he said. Hopewell said he expects to get support from the Michigan Democratic Party to kick-start his campaign. He said he has also won support from the Jones family. Hopewell became visibly emotional when asked how he felt being asked to replace Jones, who he said wasa close friend and mentor. "There's a lot of anxiety from knowing that this is where Robert Jones would be standing and working, and knowing all the work that he's done in this community and the statesman he's been for us. So this is a really bittersweet time," he said. Hopewell faces Republican State Representative Tonya Schuitmaker of Lawton who said this week she would temporarily suspend her Senate campaign because of Jones' death. Jone's death is the first time since 1996 that a candidate for the state legislature has died this close to the election. Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer said Michigan's election laws need changes to deal with similar situations in the future. "One major improvement would be, again, that there would be required to be a proactive effort to contact all those absentee voters to make sure that they're not disenfranchised in a particular race," Brewer said. The State Party, Brewer said, will encourage election officials in the 20th State Senate District to voluntarily contact absentee voters. Those who've sent in their ballots can request new ones, but must do so in writing by contacting their city or township clerk. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
By Laura Weber
Michigan Public Radio Network
Democratic candidate for governor Virg Bernero said the state government has enough money on hand to restore the Michigan Promise college scholarship, during a statewide public-radio call-in show on Sept. 27.
Bernero said as governor he would make it a priority to fund the scholarship that was cut from the budget last year.
"We can't forget that education is economic development. That if you're not churning out great graduates, great workers, you're going to have a problem with economic development, you're going to have a problem attracting jobs," Bernero said. "We have to have a world-class education system K-12 and beyond."
His opponent, Republican candidate Rick Snyder, will appear Oct. 1.
Snyder said he would also restore the Michigan Promise scholarship if elected governor, but make it available based on financial need.
© Copyright 2010, MPRN
BY RICK PLUTA
Capital Bureau Chief, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING -- The Republican and Democratic candidates for governor have agreed to one debate that will take place next month.
Democratic nominee Virg Bernero and Republican nominee Rick Snyder agreed to the debate after meeting for coffee in Lansing.
Snyder broke off earlier discussions two weeks ago and said he hopes this debate will lay to rest the controversy over debates.
"We've been having far too much of a debate on debates. It's a jobs issue in our state. It's about providing an opportunity to have better public safety. Those are the things we should be talking about, so hopefully this puts the issue behind us, so we can get back to the subject at hand - which is making Michigan a great state again," Snyder said.
Bernero said he would have preferred more debates. He is trailing Snyder by a wide margin, according to every poll so far.
The debate will take place Oct. 10 at the Detroit Public Television studios in Wixom, Mich., and will be available to other broadcasters across the state.
© Copyright 2010, MPRN
BY LAURA WEBER Michigan Public Radio NetworkLANSING -- State House Republicans are feeling more confident that they will take back control of chamber next year. They say polls that show strong voter support for Republican candidate for Gov. Rick Snyder also indicate Republicans can take the majority lead in the House. Republicans would have to pick up 14 seats to take control. GOP House campaign chair Pete Lund thinks the House will be more evenly divided next year. "Doesn't matter whether it's Republicans or Democrats in majority, we're going to be a lot closer," Lund said. "Nobody's going to get more than a few seats one way or the other, and ultimately we're going to have to work a lot more together because we're close." State Rep. Jon Switalski is campaign chair for the House Democratic caucus. He said Democrats know there is public discontent with government at both the state and federal level. "National trends, it's a pendulum - 2008 was a different type of year than it is at 2010. But what our candidates are doing is going to door-to-door and talking to voters every day to communicate their message. And so we believe that will resonate in state House races," Switalski said. Current House Republicans have one of the weakest minorities in the history of the Michigan Legislature. Democrats said they aren't concerned about losing control of the chamber next year. They said their House candidates connect better with Michigan's voters. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
BY RICK PLUTA Capital Bureau Chief, Michigan Public Radio NetworkGRAND RAPIDS -- Democratic nominee for governor Virg Bernero and Republican nominee Rick Snyder found a lot to agree about in separate appearances Friday before business leaders in Grand Rapids. They oppose tax hikes to deal with the state's budget troubles and think there's room for more consolidation in state and local governments. Snyder said he would scrap Michigan's current business tax and replace it with a six percent corporate income tax. "We need to move from a job-killer tax environment to a job-creation tax environment - simple, fair, and efficient," he said. Snyder is a former Gateway CEO and venture capitalist. Bernero, the mayor of Lansing, told the forum he would enlist the advice of businesspeople as part of reforming the Michigan Business Tax. "I understand - you have to make money. It has to be profitable," he said. "It has to make sense for you to be in Michigan. And I want to work with you to make that happen, and I know how government works." Bernero said he's proven he can face down public employee unions. He won the Democratic primary with significant union support. © Copyright 2010, MPRN
Michigan's candidates for governor, secretary of state and attorney general will outline their plans for the state's agriculture industry today.
Candidates from both sides of the aisle have been invited to speak before the Michigan Farm Bureau beginning at 10 a.m. in Lansing today.
According to the Farm Bureau's Matt Kapp, the candidates will cover a wide range of topics.
"The economy, the state budget and how agriculture is going to fit into the state budget, how the candidates see agriculture fitting into the role of the state's economy, and what the candidates' vision for the Michigan agricultural industry is," Kapp said.
The forum is being held at the Lansing Center in downtown Lansing. It will also be broadcast live on the farm bureau's website to farmers throughout the state.
On the Web:
LANSING -- Michigan Supreme Court Justice Elizabeth Weaver is expected to announce her resignation from the state's high court Thursday afternoon.
Weaver told the Traverse City Record-Eagle that she intends to step down if the governor agrees to name an "independent justice" from northern Michigan to the court.
Weaver and Gov. Jennifer Granholm have scheduled a noon press conference to announce the resignation.
If events play out quickly, a newly appointed justice might be able to file to run for the court as an incumbant. Weaver was up for re-election this year, and had given up her Republican affiliation after years of feuding with other GOP justices.
Michigan Public Radio's Rick Pluta in Lansing and Linda Stephan in Interlochen contributed to this report.
BY RICK PLUTA Capital Bureau Chief, Michigan Public Radio Network
GRAND RAPIDS -- Republican nominee for governor Rick Snyder has turned to an inconspicuous member of the Legislature to be his running mate on the November ballot. The GOP candidate says state Rep. Brian Calley (R-Portland) brings the right mix of business and political experience to the ticket.
After introducing Brian Calley at a town hall in Grand Rapids, Rick Snyder spoke like the corporate CEO he once was talking up some newly discovered talent in his company. At 33-years-old, Calley might be considered young for the job of lieutenant governor. But Snyder says he's fine with it.
"I think 33's a great age," said Snyder. "He's had good private business experience. He's been a successful community banker, so great private sector experience and good legislative experience.
"And the other part of this is you shouldn't look at just age. This is how we build for the future is we get great young people involved in the process, and so we need more and more great young people like Brian."
Calley's experience includes working as a commercial banker in mid-Michigan before he was elected to the state House almost four years ago. He built a reputation as an expert on tax policy, and someone who could easily work with Republicans and Democrats.
He helped Snyder develop his proposal to replace the Michigan Business Tax with a corporate income tax. But he's also run into some criticism as one of the authors of the Michigan Business Tax.
Calley said he did the best he could under the circumstances.
"I looked at it as we needed someone in the room who was fighting for small business," Calley said. "And although I was badly outnumbered and there was no way it was going to come out how I wanted it to, at the end of the day we recognized the importance of small business in this state."
Bill Ballenger is the editor of the newsletter "Inside Michigan Politics." He said Calley should not cause Snyder any political headaches - and that's the first rule of choosing a running mate.
"Do no harm," Ballenger said. "I don't think there's anything about Brian Calley that's going to send up red flags to anybody anywhere within the party, within the news media, within the electorate. I think he's a very solid guy."
Calley's not well known outside Lansing or his mid-Michigan district. He does not bring a regional base of support with him. But he is a proven campaigner who just won a hard-fought state Senate primary against an opponent who tried to portray Calley as too soft on core conservative issues. Snyder faces similar criticisms within his party, especially on social issues. He favors allowing abortions for victims of rape and incest and to protect a women's health. And he is for embryonic stem cell research.
Ballenger says Calley could serve as Snyder's bridge to suspicious conservatives.
"You look at Calley's record. You look at his rhetoric and it's hard to say that he's not very solidly conservative," said Ballenger. Calley has a 100 percent anti-abortion voting record in the Legislature. And that was welcome news to Michael Lessens who showed up at the Grand Rapids town hall sporting a button.
"It says, 'Defend the helpless. Vote pro-life.'"
Lessens, who supported another candidate in the GOP primary, he says probably would have voted for Snyder anyway. Democratic nominee Virg Bernero is a fervent supporter of abortion rights. But Lessens says Calley's presence on the ticket makes him more comfortable with his decision.
"Brian Calley can actually give him a little bit more of an education on what's the pro-life position that says, there should be no exceptions, no compromises," said Lessens.
Calley's expected to have no trouble winning the support of the state Republican convention this coming weekend, where delegates will also choose t he balance of the GOP ticket, including candidates for attorney general, secretary of state, and the Michigan Supreme Court.
Snyder says he will stay out of those races and leave the choices to the delegates.
BY LAURA WEBER Michigan Public Radio Network
Republican state Senator Jason Allen has decided not to request a ballot recount against Doctor Dan Benishek in the primary race for the GOP nomination for Michigan's first congressional district seat.
It was just 15 votes that won it for Benishek. On primary night in Northern Michigan the difference at one point had been only a single vote. But even with such a narrow margin, Senator Jason Allen decided over the weekend not to challenge the outcome with a recount.
In a statement he said he talked it over with his family and confidants and decided to let the tally stand. And he threw his unwavering support behind Benishek. He says Benishek is the kind of conservative politician that needs to be in Congress.
Now Benishek will face off against Democratic state Representative Gary McDowell in the race to fill Congressman Bart Stupak's seat.
PETOSKEY -- As the nation marks the 75th anniversary of Social Security this week, State Rep. Gary McDowell was in Petoskey, talking about his plans to preserve the institution for future generations.
According to McDowell, seniors don't want to go back to a time when there was no Social Security.
"Before that, our seniors were living in poverty," said McDowell. "(Seniors) were afraid for their future when they got to the stage of life where they could no longer work. And Social Security has given them the security and the dignity to retire."
McDowell, who is running for the U.S. House seat being vacated by Rep. Bart Stupak, said he doesn't favor cutting Social Security benefits to reduce the nation's deficit.
"Voters are telling me 'you make sure you protect social security, make sure it's there for us and future generations. It's what we retire on. It is our security,'" McDowell said.
However, he acknowledge that some changes to the nation's tax code may be necessary to ensure that social security will be there for future generations.
McDowell is still waiting for a Republican challenger in the race in Michigan's 1st Congressional district. Doctor Dan Benishek has a 15 vote lead over State Sen. Jason Allen in the GOP Primary. A recount is likely in that race.
McDowell said the lack of a challenger isn't affecting his campaign.
"It really gives me an opportunity to really get up and going, and focus in on the November election," said McDowell.
Votes from the GOP Primary are expected to be certified today. The candidates will then have 48 hours to request a recount.
BY MARK BASHORE Michigan Public Radio Network
Michigan voters should not expect their next Governor to be the catalyst for a major economic revival. That's according to an analyst with a southeast-Michigan political think tank.
John Bebow is the Executive Director of Ann Arbor's 'Center for Michigan.' He said the electorate needs to remember a Governor's role in economic development.
"No governor is going to come in with a cape on and solve this thing for us," said Bebow. "It's more about trying to create the kind of climate that can move Michigan forward and help companies do so efficiently here and help create the kind of environment where people are gonna wanna be."
According to Bebow, voters shouldn't focus on the past performance of the state's gubernatorial candidates. "This isn't about what these guys just got done doing," he said. "It's about what they're going to do. And I think the tenor of the campaign so far is it's all about the past, it's all about the records. And I'm not sure how well that serves voters."
That, Bebow said, means the candidates should discuss tax and regulatory burdens on businesses, and how to create more attractive communities with better transportation and schools.
BY LAURA WEBER Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING -- Lawmakers at the state capital are waiting anxiously to see what shake-ups could occur in state government with the general election in November. The minority parties in both the House and Senate are looking for gains.
Many current Senators on both sides of the aisle are term limited out after this year. The Democrats hope that means they can make a solid run at control of the chamber. But they know there's a lot of work to be done.
Democratic Senator Gretchen Whitmer said she's not sure how many Democrats voted for Rick Snyder in the Republican primary for governor.
"I think after this last election, this primary election, everyone should be concerned," Whitmer said. No one should take anything for granted, and we all have to work and earn our opportunity to be here to serve."
According to Bill Ballenger, editor of the Inside Michigan Politics newsletter, Republicans will have a difficult time taking control of the House, but they have nowhere to go but up.
"This minority that the House Republicans are in at the moment, is the third weakest minority that the Republicans have ever had in the House since the party was formed before the Civil War," said Ballenger.
Insiders say the Democrats have a better chance to take control of the Senate than Republicans have to take back the majority in the House. The House GOP has a lot of territory to make up, but they say public discontent with Democrats will drive their effort.
BY LINDA STEPHAN Michigan Public Radio Network
INTERLOCHEN -- The Secretary of State's office says it now hopes to have a certified count by the end of this week for northern Michigan's First Congressional Republican primary.
Initial numbers after the vote last Tuesday had Tea Party Candidate Dr. Dan Benishek leading State Sen. Jason Allen for the nomination - but by just one vote.
Now his lead is up to 13 - as canvassers run the ballots through machines once again, making sure the machines count the same number of ballots as those cast on Tuesday.
These days in Michigan, every county uses the same type of voting machine, optical scanners. And both of the candidates say the process is fair.
But Allen's campaign says a recount is highly likely - because with such a tight race, there may be ballots that can't be counted by machine -- Ballots not completely filled in, for example.
After the votes are certified by the state, candidates have 48 hours to request a recount.
The winner of the Republican nomination will face State Rep. Gary McDowell this November - in a battle for the seat now held in Washington, D.C. by Bart Stupak.
There is still no declared winner in the race for the GOP nomination in the first congressional district.
Doctor Dan Benishek is maintaining a one vote lead over State Senator Jason Allen. The race is almost certainly heading for a recount.
Bill Ballenger is the editor of the Inside Michigan Politics newsletter. He says the longer the race drags on, the worse it is for republicans.
"Their party does not have a nominee, and probably will not have a nominee until September," he said. "And can't even get a campaign underway, and then we'll have only two months to run in the second largest land-mass congressional district east of the Mississippi River."
While the GOP waits for a winner, Democratic candidate Gary McDowell has the campaign trail to himself, getting an early start against his eventual republican opponent.
Predictions are already being made about who Rick Snyder and Virg Bernero will choose as their running mates.
Bill Ballenger, Editor of the Inside Michigan Politics newsletter, expects Democrats to pick someone who will bring racial diversity to the ticket.
"It looks like they almost certainly are going to select an African American, because they don't have an African American anywhere on their ticket at this point," said Ballenger, "and Democrats always like to make sure that they have at least one black nominee for one of the four constitutional offices."
On the GOP side, Ballenger wouldn't be surprised if Synder picks a running mate from West Michigan, to achieve regional balance on the ticket. He also thinks the candidate will have previous legislative experience.
"A lot of people are thinking he needs somebody who is or was a state representative or state senator," said Ballenger. "Maybe he'd like some geographical balance, like somebody from West Michigan, but he could actually take somebody else from metro Detroit, and it might help him just as much if not more."
Both Snyder and Bernero are expected to announce their picks for Lt. Governor later this month, prior to the state political party conventions.
BY RICK PLUTA Capital Bureau Chief, Michigan Public Radio Network
LANSING -- The campaigns of the Democratic and Republican candidates for governor are arguing over the schedule of debates.
Republican nominee Rick Snyder challenged Democratic candidate Virg Bernero to three debates. Bernero countered that three debates are not enough. He called for eight debates between now and the November election. Bernero said in a written statement that Michigan voters are -quote- "starved" for the chance to compare the two candidates side by side.
Representatives of the campaigns have been in touch with each other to begin negotiations.
Both candidates say they're the one to shake up Lansing and are anxious to call attention to the differences between them - Snyder is a former corporate CEO and venture capitalist seeking his first elective office. Bernero is the mayor of Lansing, has also served in the state Legislature, and has been very critical of state cuts to funding for local governments.
BY RICK PLUTA Capital Bureau Chief, Michigan Public Radio Network
MACKINAC ISLAND -- The exchanges grew tense and cranky at times as the five Republicans and two Democrats running for governor appeared on the same stage for the first time and probably only time Thursday night.
They debated before a crowd at a business conference on Mackinac Island.
The candidates questioned each others' competence and honesty in the freewheeling appearance before a crowd at the Detroit Regional Chamber's Mackinac Policy Conference. Most of the people paid 200 dollars apiece to attend the chamber's political action committee fundraiser.
Attorney General Mike Cox took aim early at one of his rivals for the Republican nomination, Ann Arbor venture capitalist Rick Snyder. Cox accused Snyder of shipping jobs overseas as the CEO of Gateway computers. Snyder was ready with a sharp response that drew gasps from the crowd.
"He's making up stuff again and again. He's got enough scandals that he's making them up for other people," said Snyder.
Snyder's ads have referred obliquely to Cox's rumored connection to a never-proven party at Manoogian Mansion while Kwame Kilpatrick was mayor of Detroit. The attorney general also made public three years ago the fact that he had an extra-marital affair.
Cox challenged Snyder to openly ask him about the scandals.
"Instead of dealing with innuendo, this is a debate," said Cox. "Let's talk about the issues if you think that's an issue."
Snyder declined.
"Mr. Cox, I'm not going to stand here and be lectured by you on ethics, morality and family values," said Snyder.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard drew cheers when he tried to change the subject.
"Rome's burning and we're standing around talking about things that aren't related to putting out the fire," said Bouchard.
There were plenty of other sharp exchanges. For example, state Senator Tom George said all his Republican adversaries were hypocrites on taxes.
"I've read their plans and they're all flawed because they all promise massive tax cuts and spending increases," said George.
Which, he says, the state cannot afford as it battles revenue shortfalls. All the Republicans agreed tax increases would be a mistake and most agreed that Michigan's reputation as a strong union state can be a deterrent to attracting jobs.
But Congressman Pete Hoekstra, who has a history of cordial relations with labor leaders, says unions aren't the problem, but they will have to be part of solving Michigan's budget crisis.
"What the next governor's going to have to do," said Hoekstra, "is they're going to have to provide the strong leadership to work and get the unions to understand to bring Michigan back for their members and their kids, we're going to have to make those tough decisions."
Hoekstra and the other Republicans say that includes bringing public employee benefits in line with what's offered in the private sector.
Democratic House Speaker Andy Dillon says he's already got a track record of offering ideas like putting all public employees into one pool for purchasing health benefits.
"We've got three kind of macro issues," explained Dillon. "One, we're perceived as a heavy tax, a complicated tax state. Two, our regulatory environment is deemed unfriendly, and three, whether you want to call it reality or perception, have got a labor problem."
His rival for the Democratic nomination is Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, who has the backing of the United Auto Workers and the AFL/CIO. Bernero courted labor's support in front of the business crowd.
"Why is it that the sacrifice always has to come from the middle and the lower? Why is it always Robin Hood in reverse?" asked Bernero. "Where is the sacrifice on Wall Street? I see they're getting their bonuses and their bailouts."
That drew some scattered applause, but also some cat-calling from a handful of people in the crowd.
One of the people in attendance at the debate was a former resident of the governor's posh official second home on Mackinac Island home. Retired Governor William Milliken says he didn't reach any conclusions on who he might support.
"All I know is I'm glad I'm not there," said Milliken.
Over half of Michigan Democrats, and a fifth of Michigan Republicans, are still unsure as to who they'll support for governor in the August primary, according to a poll released this week.
The high number of undecideds indicates that voters really haven't tuned into the race for governor yet.
Twenty percent of republican voters and 51 percent of democrats still have not chosen a candidate.
"The candidates really have a lot more people who they can reach out to. Really, pretty much every vote right now is up for grabs," said Tom Jensen, director of Public Policy Polling, the firm that conducted the survey.
For the Republican nomination, Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder is out in front, with 20 percent, followed by Congressman Pete Hoekstra with 19 percent. Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox is polling at 17 percent, and Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard at 15 percent. All are within the margin of error.
"The big thing to watch is whether any of these candidates really emerge from the pack, or if it is going to continue to be this closely contested race," said Jensen. "Right now somebody would probably win the republican nomination with less than 30 percent of the vote."
Among Democrats, Virg Bernero is in the lead for his party's nomination, with 26 percent, followed by Andy Dillon with 23 percent.
The survey's margin of error was +/- 5.1 percent for Republicans, and +/- 5.5 percent for Democrats.
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