Laura Cox First to Officially Announce Her Candidacy For MRP Chair

The race for the next Michigan Republican Party Chair is starting to heat up after current Republican Party Chair Ron Weiser announced he was not seeking re-election as party chair.   The Michigan Republican Party suffered a bloodbath on November 6th after losing many seats in the House, Senate and Executive offices.

Former State Rep Laura Cox, who lost her re-election bid this past election is the first to announce her run for Republican Party Chair.  Laura was previously involved with the 11th

Congressional District and her husband is form Attorney General Mike Cox.  In addition to Laura Cox running the following names have also been mentioned; Tom Leonard, John Rakolta and current Michigan Republican Finance Director Derek Dickow.  

Here is Laura Cox's e-mail to delegates 

Republicans Need to Win in 2020 

Last Tuesday was disappointing. But 2020 is right around the corner and we need to start working to make sure we win Michigan for President Trump. I am reaching out to let you know that I am running for Chair of the Michigan Republican Party. I am asking for your support, so that together we can do the important work needed to win for President Trump, our shared ideals, all of our Republican candidates, and our Nation in 2020.

So who am I and why support me?

I am a 54-year old mom of four, “mimy” to two granddaughters, and wife to Mike, my best friend for 28 years now. And fittingly just after Veteran’s Day weekend, I am a daughter of a Navy sailor, wife of a Marine infantryman, mom to another marine (a daughter, no less) who served 13 months in Fallujah, Iraq in 2004 and 2005, and my baby boy is in his first year at the Naval Academy. I cannot match their military service, but I did serve 13 years as an ICE US Customs agent who investigated drug and money laundering cases. (In fact, I would not give Mike my real name when we first started dating because I was undercover)

I spent years as a precinct delegate, treasurer for my county party, and as chair for the 11th Congressional District. Like you I knocked on doors, made the phone calls, and volunteered for our Republican Party candidates. After helping others, I ran and became the only Republican member on the Wayne County Commission. There I did battle everyday with Democrats in the war between conservatism and liberalism. And with a little grit and the support of Republican activists like you, we beat the Democrats more than was expected.

I am now in my second term in the House of Representatives where I am the first woman in Michigan history to serve as House Appropriations chair. I have been a tough conservative leader who fights hard for our principles.

I have never been afraid to go toe-to-toe with my Democrat opponents. I have debated them every election and feel that Republicans don’t do enough to take our great Republican message to voters directly during a campaign. If you aren’t willing to debate a Democrat, how can you convince voters that Republican issues are the better way?

Because of my record of beating Democrats in Wayne County, last year newly elected Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey asked me to run for the state Senate seat in Wayne County. While we knocked on tens of thousands of doors, raised hundreds of thousands of dollars, we lost narrowly on Wednesday morning against an opponent whose sole issue was that I supported President Trump.

That loss left a bitter taste in my mouth. I want to make sure that Democrats and whatever “democratic socialist” they nominate - Bernie Sanders, Elizabeth Warren, or the next Karl Marx - has the same bitter taste in their mouths in November of 2020 after President Trump is re-elected, Gary Peters is defeated, and our ideals of limited government and personal responsibility make America even greater.

But this isn’t about me, this is about we.

Together, we will work hard everyday to make sure President Trump is re-elected. Working together, we can make sure Republicans win up and down the ballot and our Republican agenda keeps advancing. We need to have fearless activists that will be willing to challenge Democrats and debate them so voters can see the clear choice.

I am asking for your support for State Party Chair. In the coming days, weeks and months I'll be reaching out to many of you to get your feedback on where you think we need to go and what needs to be done. We have to work hard in 2020 to make sure President Trump is re-elected along with Republicans all across Michigan.

I look forward to speaking with you. Please call at 734-237-8726 or email me at Laura@lauraforchair.com. Together, we can be successful in 2020 as we roll up our sleeves to win. Thank you for your consideration and God Bless our Great Nation.

Sincerely,

Laura Cox

PS To find out more about me and the race for MRP chair, go to lauraforchair.com

Independent candidate Cooper Nye aims to unite a divided 11th congressional district

COULD COOPER NYE BE A DARK HORSE THAT COULD WIN MICHIGAN'S 11TH DISTRICT?

I love Michigan. I love this country. And I love fighting
 for that silent, sensible majority that's sick and tired of
Democrats and Republicans. —  Cooper Nye 

Michigan’s Secretary of State has confirmed that 26-year-old Cooper Nye, a reform-focused independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives (MI-11) -that actually lives in the District, will appear on the general election ballot this November. Without party affiliation, Nye’s campaign was required by state ballot access rules to file at least 3,000 valid petition signatures—three times the number required for major party candidates. For Nye, it was the first of many hurdles in an electoral process that he claims is rigged by Democrats and Republicans to discourage political competition.

“Getting on the ballot wasn’t easy,” said Cooper Nye, an independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives (MI-11). “But the stories and concerns that voters have shared reaffirmed my belief that an incredible shift is happening, not just in Michigan, but in this country. And that’s what’s fueling my campaign.”

“There is a silent, sensible majority that’s tired of the two-party duopoly,” he went on to say. “Americans are sick of the polarization ripping us apart. And they’re ready to unite and disrupt this broken system that serves special interest instead of citizens.”

Cooper Nye of Commerce Township says he’s the youngest candidate this year running for U.S. House in Michigan.

The 26-year-old independent candidate made it onto the general election ballot this fall after submitting 4,000 signatures to the state — 3,000 are required under state law for non-affiliated candidates.

He is running against Lena Epstein of Bloomfield Township which is in the 9th District and Haley Stevens of Rochester Hills which is primarily in the 8th District.  Cooper Nye resides in Novi in Michigan's 11th district.  Nye, Epstien and Stevens are all running for the open seat vacated by current 2 term congressman David Trott in the 11th District. The contest is rated a toss-up by several political analysts.

“There is a silent, sensible majority that’s tired of the two-party duopoly,” Nye said in a statement.

“Americans are sick of the polarization ripping us apart. And they’re ready to unite and disrupt this broken system that serves special interest instead of citizens.” as he states in his video commerical below.



Nye grew up in Novi and attended Walled Lake Western High School and Michigan State University. He moved to Washington, D.C., after graduation, worked in public relations for three years and “found first-hand why some call D.C. ‘Hollywood for Ugly People,'” he says on his campaign website.

Cooper Nye stated, on the news talk show "Tough Talk with Taros", hosted by Paul Taros, "My priority is passing the American Anti-Corruption Act because Congress should be busy solving problems and serving citizens--not special interests."  You can see his vision and plan in the clip form the interview with Paul Taros below.




If you would like to know more about Cooper Nye you can visit his website CoopForCongress.com

Whitmer Gilchrist | Most Liberal Ticket Even Worse Than Jennifer Granholm's Lost Decade

Garlin Gilcrest with Michael Moore

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Gretchen Whitmer has announced that her running mate is Garlin Gilchrist II, who runs the University of Michigan's Center for Social Media Responsibility and was previously a political organizer with MoveOn.org the socialist Bernie Sanders organization - Our Revolution and the Obama campaign, 

She said Monday that Gilchrist has a proven background in technology and community organizing, and is the "kind of young, innovative and progressive problem-solver" needed to help move Michigan forward.

With the pick of Gilchrist, Gretchen Whitmore has moved the democrat ticket further left than the Jennifer Granholm era of the "Lost Decade".  This ticket if elected with it's socialist roots will make Jennifer Granholm's "Lost Decade" seem like a small blip in history.  

Stu Sandler of Grand River Strategies, a political strategical firm, issued the following press release on Whitmer's Announcement:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 19, 2018
Contact: Stu Sandler
734-846-4067

Midland,MI—Gretchen Whitmer, who was labeled one of the “Most Liberal” State Senators in Michigan, announced former Moveon.org Campaign Director Garlin Gilchrist as her Lt. Governor nominee unveiling the Most Liberal Ticket in Michigan political history and one that Jennifer Granholm would certainly approve.  Prior to running for Detroit City Clerk, Garlin Gilchrist worked for ultraliberal activist group, MoveOn.Org from 2011 to 2014.   Better Jobs Stronger Families pronounced this the most liberal ticket in Michigan history on WhitmerGilchrist.com and MostLiberalTicketEver.com    

“Gretchen Whitmer was one of Jennifer Granholm’s strongest advocates during the lost decade supporting policies that led to 15% unemployment and 500,000 lost jobs.   By choosing former Moveon.org National Campaign Director Garlin Gilchirst to the ticket, Gretchen Whitmer has created the Granholm Dream Team with the most liberal ticket in Michigan history.   Whitmer and Gilchrist will support higher taxes, reckless spending, and liberal policies that will move Michigan backwards.  Michigan can’t afford Whitmer and Gilchrist,”  said Sandler.

Throughout her time in office, Gretchen Whitmer was named one of the “Most Liberal” State Senators by Inside Michigan Politics.  Whitmer will now be joined by Garlin Gilchrist, the former Moveon.org National Campaign Director. During Gilchrist’s time at Moveon.org, the ultraliberal group issued a video titled “We’d Just Like to Say Ditto to Everything Jennifer Granholm Says in This Clip”.


“Both Whitmer and Gilchrist have a history of saying 'Ditto' to everything Jennifer Granholm said or did.  Now that Whitmer and Gilchrist have formed the most liberal ticket in Michigan political history, it’s clear this is the Granholm dream team.  Michigan can’t afford the Whitmer-Gilchrist liberal agenda,” said Sandler.

Stanley Grot Drops Out Of Secretary of State Race - Mary Treder Lang The Clear Favorite

The Michigan State Secretary of State race in the Republican Party became very interesting

Stanley Grot

today as one of the three candidates has dropped out of the race.

Stanley Grot, the Macomb County politician known for his brash style of politics, issued the following statement saying that he is dropping out of the race:

Stanley Grot had an uphill battle as his past records began to surface and his past boss, former Secretary of State and fellow Macomb County resident Candice Miller had endorsed Mary Treder Lang.

With Stanley Grot out of the Race, Mary Treder Lang is the clear favorite to be the Republican nominee.

Bi-partisan committee created to review problems at Oakland County polling locations, Board establishes online portal for voters

August 9, 2018, Pontiac, Mich. – The Oakland County Board of Commissioners acted today in response to multiple media reports and voter complaints of problems at polling locations

LISA BROWN
OAKLAND COUNTY CLERK

in communities throughout Oakland County during the August 7, 2018 Primary Election. A bi-partisan panel of four (4) county commissioners have been appointed to review issues related to Oakland County’s election infrastructure, seek public input and make recommendations for improvements. The Board of Commissioners has created an online portal for voters to submit issues and concerns related to their experiences at the polls on election day that can be accessed at the Board’s website: www.oakgov.com/boc.

Voters at polling locations throughout Oakland County have reported precincts ran out of ballots and that significant delays in the voting process occurred as a result. Media and local reports of ballot shortages include precincts in: Ferndale, Oak Park, Berkley, Farmington Hills, Pontiac, Birmingham, Bloomfield Township, Southfield, West Bloomfield Township, Commerce Township, Wolverine Lake and Troy.

The Ad Hoc Committee on Oakland County Election Infrastructure will be co-chaired by Commissioners Tom J. Berman (R-Keego Harbor) and Nancy Quarles (D-Southfield). Commissioners Marcia Gershenson (D-Bloomfield Twp.) and Adam Kochenderfer (R-Rochester Hills) are also members.

“I am pleased to have been appointed to serve as co-chair of this ad hoc committee, which represents a bi-partisan effort to study Oakland County’s election system infrastructure,” said Commissioner Berman. “The poor execution and challenges voters faced at the polls on Tuesday are inexcusable. I’m determined to thoroughly investigate the issues that arose, and to identify and implement solutions to ensure this ballot debacle never happens again.”

“The historic voter turnout in Oakland County was a testament to an incredible civic awakening that is occurring throughout our communities and country,” said Commissioner Nancy Quarles. “We need to do everything in our power to ensure we protect everyone’s hard won, fundamental civil and voter’s rights as we prepare for the November election.”

“I appointed this ad hoc committee to assess our voting system infrastructure due to concerns regarding the voting abnormalities that occurred in the August 7th primary,” stated Board Chairman Michael J. Gingell. “Running out of ballots, making residents wait to vote and being unprepared for significant voter turnout is unacceptable. I am looking forward to reviewing the committee’s findings so that we can address these issues.”

For more information about the BOC or to file a voter incident report, please visit www.oakgov.com/boc or call 248-858-0100.

For more information, please contact Kate Layton, Senior Community Liaison at (248) 452-9471 or laytonk@oakgov.com.      

BALLOT MISHAP TURNS NASTY: Oakland County Clerk Screws Up Blames City Clerks All Fire Back

Oakland County Clerk Lisa Brown
photo credit Mark Cavitt / Oakland Press

OAKLAND COUNTY, MICHIGAN -  Lisa Brown (D) the former Michigan State Representative that once screamed on the house floor "Stay Out Of My Vagina" is now the Oakland County clerk.   She oversees all county and multi-jurisdictional elections and issued a statement to the press about a massive shortage of ballots during Tuesday's primary blaming the city clerks. Voters in Many communities were stuck waiting for more than an hour to vote as they waited for ballots.  Other's just left in frustration.  

The city clerks in Oakland County all tell a different story and blame the County Clerk.  I find it odd to that every city clerk in Oakland County is incompetent while the County Clerk says it wasn't her problem.  Here is what the city of clerks have said in unison:

We, the city and township clerks of Oakland County, extend our sincerest apologies to all the voters in our municipalities who experienced difficulties in voting due to ballot shortages on August 7th.

The voter turnout throughout the county was tremendous and record breaking, and in some precincts, it was overwhelming. We want to assure all voters that we hold the right to vote dear to our hearts. We have spent our careers striving to provide fair and accessible elections to all voters.

On Tuesday, August 7th, each and every one of us was frustrated by the ballot shortages that occurred throughout Oakland County. The one thing that could have prevented this entire ordeal was not within our control: the number of ballots purchased for our municipalities.

We could tell weeks before the election that our ballot orders would not be sufficient, however, we were not allowed to increase ballot quantities due to the fact that county clerks control ballot ordering for elections such as the August Primary. When the county did increase ballot quantities the week before the election, it was by a very small percentage and still not sufficient for most of our communities.

Recently, the Oakland County Clerk has commented in the media that the ballot shortages were due to municipal clerks not being prepared for a large turnout, but that is simply not true. The single best way we could have prepared for a large turnout would have been by ordering larger quantities of ballots as we requested.

The County Clerk’s statement that local clerks could have solved the ballot shortages by sending larger paper to the precincts is not accurate. The machines attached to the printers have an important and specific purpose: to allow voters who request or require assistance to vote with necessary accommodations. These machines are not intended for mass production and the process of voting on the system takes 5 to 8 minutes per ballot. That proposed solution would have only slightly lessened the impact. The only effective solution would have been a sufficient number of ballots.

Additionally, the County Clerk’s assertion that local clerks were withholding ballots from precincts while crowds of voters demanded to vote is both disheartening and untrue. We want to assure all our voters that we did everything within our authority to make ballots available to all the precincts in our jurisdictions.

Whether the solution is a change in law or a financial agreement with the county, we will make sure that we have the final say on ballot quantities for future elections. Please know that we will not rest until we know that the shortages that occurred on August 7th will not happen again.

Aileen Dickson, City Clerk, City of Troy, OCCA Past President
Tina Barton, City Clerk, City of Rochester Hills
Cortney Hanson, City Clerk, City of Novi
Leanne Scott, Deputy Clerk, City of Rochester Hills, OCCA President
Deana Mondock, Deputy Clerk, Bloomfield Township, OCCA Vice President
Sherikia Hawkins, City Clerk, City of Southfield, OCCA Treasurer
Cheryl Printz, City Clerk, City of Madison Heights, OCCA Secretary
Jan Roncelli, Township Clerk, Bloomfield Township
Mike Smith, City Clerk, City of Clawson
Barb Pallotta, Township Clerk, Independence Township
Melanie Halas, City Clerk, City of Royal Oak
Pam Smith, City Clerk, City of Farmington Hills
Sharon Tischler, Township Clerk, Southfield Township
Ed Norris, City Clerk, City of Oak Park
Annette Boucher, City Clerk, City of Berkley
Michele Cash, Township Clerk, Lyon Township
Lee Ann O’Connor, City Clerk, City of Rochester
Curtis Wright, Township Clerk, Oxford Township
Amy Burton, City Clerk, City of Bloomfield Hills
Cathy Buck, City Clerk, City of Wixom
Sue Halberstadt, City Clerk, City of Farmington
Sheila Grandison, City Clerk, City of Pontiac
Debbie Binder, Township Clerk, West Bloomfield Township
Cherilynn Mynsberge, City Clerk, City of Birmingham
Laura Moreau, Township Clerk, Springfield Township
Missy Creech, Township Clerk, Commerce Township
Susan McCullough, Deputy Clerk, Oxford Township

Gubernatorial Candidate Drops Out of Antrim GOP Debate Because Of Chairman's Statement

MICHIGAN REPUBLICAN GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDATES

Dr Jim Hines

Last month Antrim County Republican Party Chairman Trucker Randy Bishop raised eyebrows in the Republican Party when he endorsed a democrat for state senate over a fellow Republican.  

Because of Bishop's endorsement, Gubernatorial Candidate Dr Jim Hines issued the following Statement."

Dr. Jim Hines will not participate in the Antrim County GOP debate organized by Trucker Randy Bishop.  

Trucker Randy Bishop

“Trucker Randy has endorsed a pro-choice democrat who is running for the state senate. This democrat also voted against the repeal of the prevailing wage and supported Hilary Clinton for President,” stated Hines.

 Dr. Hines went on to say, “I apologize to the Republican activists of Antrim County for not attending this event but I agreed to participate long before Trucker Randy endorsed the democrat. I do not want to imply in any way that I support the decision of Trucker Randy and that is why I will not participate.”

Mary Treder Lang "I Have Real Solutions For Secretary Of State"

Mary Treder Lang who is running for Secretary of State to replace term-limited Ruth Johnson, and is supported by two former Secretary of State office holders - Candice Miller and Terri Lynn Land, issued the following statement  via e-mail to the delegates of Michigan.

Friends, 

This morning, I was in Lansing to speak to the Michigan Republican State Committee. Thank you to Chairman Ron Weiser and Co-Chair Amanda Van Essen Wirth for the opportunity to address the members and to Mary Ann Rankey for the great introduction. 

I also want to say Thank You to the members of the State Committee for all of the work they do to keep Michigan RED! 

I would like to share some highlights of my remarks from this morning:

The campaign to be Michigan’s next Secretary of State is serious business. It requires real discussions and debate on the issues impacting Michigan’s electoral process and how best to manage the $250 million budget appropriated by the state legislature.
I pride myself on running a positive campaign focused on my platform of Security,

Optimization, and Stability; in fact, the Secretary of State’s race may be the most civil campaign of the 2018 cycle. 

That’s not to say that I will not have a respectful discussion over plans and policy differences between myself and my opponents.

ELECTION INTEGRITY
For example, one of my opponents has been touting a 6-point Voter Integrity plan; however, there is nothing in the plan that is new or innovative. I think we can all agree that, as Republicans, we have always been for: 

• Mandatory photo ID
• Removal of ineligible voters
• Requiring voters be US citizens in order to cast a ballot. 

In fact, half of my opponents plan has already been implemented by Secretary Ruth Johnson over the course of her 8 years in office, including:

• Use of the Social Security database to remove over 500,000 voters who have passed away.
• Completed 1500 post-election audits
• Participation in Interstate Crosscheck, a multi-state partnership, which helped to remove almost 200,000 voters registered in multiple states from the rolls
My plan, “One Citizen, One Vote”, will build off of the good work of Secretary Johnson to keep our elections secure.
• Increasing elections training for clerks and poll workers
• Recruiting additional poll workers to help with understaffed precincts on Election Day.
• Joining ERIC, as a supplement to Interstate Crosscheck. As well as forging partnerships with Secretaries of States across the nation to remove voters registered in more than one state. 

CUSTOMER SERVICE
Another area we all agree on is that wait times in branch offices are too long. While I am a proponent of using today’s technology to reduce the wait time in branch offices, one of my opponents has been saying at events that “technology isn’t the answer.” 

Advancements like Mi-Time, the appointment service which holds your spot in line so you do not have to wait at the branch office, have become very popular. It gives customers the freedom to run errands rather than sit in a crowded room waiting for their number to be called. Instead of building on this innovated solution, my opponent looked back to the 80’s to promote ideas that Michiganders first rejected under the Richard Austin administration. 

I want to “Respect Your Time in Line” by:
• Increasing online services
• Introducing an ExpressSOS app for your smart phone
• Expanding Mi-Time into more branch offices 

Simply put, for today’s modern times, Michigan’s next Secretary of State needs to have the experience and background to put forth bold solutions that incorporate the technological tools Michiganders rely upon in their everyday life. 

As I said, there is room for healthy debate and discussion during this campaign and I welcome the opportunity to highlight the differences between myself and my opponents. I will continue to do so in a respectful manner and I hope my opponents do the same. 

God Bless,

Mary Treder Lang, CPA

Other candidates running on the Republican Ticket include Joseph Guzman and Stanley Grot.

AG RACE: Leonard Vs Schuitmaker The Gloves Are Off Brass Knuckles Are On

This past week the race for Michigan Attorney General turned vicious.  Despite using his wife in a campaign commercial, candidate Tom Leonard, sent out a very stern warning to Tonya Shuitmaker stating that his wife was off limits.  He stated that someone, but didn't name who, was poking around trying to get information about his wife's employement.  There have been rumors that there maybe some conflict of interest between his wife's job and the role of Attorney General if he is elected.

Also word got out this week into the Michigan Republican Precinct Delegate Group on Facebook that Tom Leonard donated at least 4 times to liberal Genessee County Prosecutor David Leyton.  Leyton was supported by Planned Parenthood.  


We have included both letters that were sent out to the delegates this week for you to decide who is right.

Here is Tom Leonard's email:

I have received dozens of calls, texts, and emails about the negative campaign being run from my opponent. They even include messages from party leaders within her own congressional district telling her to cut it out.

A strong commitment to our shared conservative principles is important. We need leaders who live up to that high moral standard and who will make us proud. That is why I am so disappointed in Senator Schuitmaker.

Desperate candidates sometimes resort to desperate actions – I get that. Unfortunately, that’s just politics. But after a couple weeks of hit pieces against me, she is now trying to go further and attack my family. That is unacceptable.
We recently found out her campaign consultant has requested personal information about my wife Jenell from her former place of work. I don’t know what Senator Schuitmaker is fishing for, but she is clearly looking for something to attack my wife for her own personal gain. 

This is wrong. This is above and beyond the desperate campaign mudslinging we all hate. My wife and daughter should be absolutely off-limits to personal attacks. If Senator Schuitmaker wants to take her campaign to the gutter, then she should keep focused on me. Leave my family out of it.
I am so deeply disappointed in her, and I feel awful for Jenell. Please know that no matter what my opponents do going forward, I am going to continue to talk about the issues that matter to you and about the conservative successes we have had in the Michigan House.

We all want leaders who will deliver on tax relief, second amendment rights and protecting the unborn. We are doing that in the House every day, and I am proud to run on that record. We all want an Attorney General with a record of fighting crime. In my case, that was on the tough streets of Flint as a prosecutor. I am proud of my law enforcement background, and I will be talking more about that in the days and months ahead as the convention and fall campaign approach.

You have my word – I am going to do all I can to keep my campaign focused on the issues that matter to you and not on the innocent families of my opponents. I know the type of convention campaign I am going to run - honest, effective, well-organized, and strong. It will be a campaign I can be proud of - that my family would be proud of - and that you can be proud to support.

I hope you will join me in sending a message to others that we aren't going to reward desperate actions.

Simply put, Tonya: cut it out. Our families are off limits.
Sincerely,

Tom Leonard

Now here is Tonya Schuitmaker's response:

Yesterday, my opponent in the Attorney General’s race, Tom Leonard, sent an email titled “Desperate campaign attacks” and denounced “the negative campaign being run from my opponent.”


For him to tell people he opposes negative campaigning is quite a shock, because as he’s traveled the state, he criticizes fellow Republicans, and the day I announced my candidacy, a so-called “news” website attacked me and ran Facebook ads promoting the fake news story. Who owns this website? Tom Leonard’s political consultant. Tom Leonard is clearly comfortable with negative campaigning, but only if it suits his political interests and especially when he can hide behind others.

Conservative Intel was outed by the Detroit News as to being a site owned by  John Patrick Yob who owns Strategic National a campaign firm representing Tom Leonard as well as other candidates including U.S. Senate Candidate Sandy Pensler, former U.S Senate Candidate and now one of Several candidates for Congress in the 11th District Lena Epstein, as well as Secretary of State Candidate Stanley Grot.

Why is Tom Leonard suddenly against “negative campaigning”? Because my campaign is letting Delegates know that he donated repeatedly to a liberal Democrat’s campaign. This liberal Democrat was endorsed by Planned Parenthood and was weak on illegal immigration. In fact, when the Attorney General’s seat was last open, in 2010, Tom Leonard donated to liberal Democrat David Leyton, who Bill Schuette defeated in the general election.

Tom Leonard says, “I didn’t recently become a conservative because I wanted to pander to delegates.” If he’s been a conservative for such a long time, why did he donate over and over and over to a liberal Democrat? The Attorney General’s Office is very important in Michigan and Delegates deserve to know this information; Tom Leonard is certainly not sharing it as he campaigns around the state.

Fake Outrage

In yesterday’s email, my opponent specifically accused me and my campaign of “trying to go further and attack my family”, “requesting personal information about my wife”, and “clearly looking for something to attack my wife”. He added, “my wife and daughter should be off-limits to personal attacks” and that he feels “awful” for his wife.

So, what supposedly caused these comments? A Freedom of Information request was made to find out the taxpayer-funded salary and benefits of the Head of the Film Office, the entity that distributed film tax credits until its core function was eliminated in 2015. Yep, that’s it. The Mackinac Center requests this public information on a regular basis and our campaign is doing a standard check to see the latest information as we review his record.

Strong American Campaigns

American campaigns are about a vigorous exchange of ideas, sharing your vision and differentiating with the opposition. John Adams and Thomas Jefferson fought it out, along with Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford, George W. Bush and John McCain, and we all witnessed the 2016 Republican Presidential Primary. Abraham Lincoln would have never won the Republican nomination for president if his team had avoided differentiating himself from the other Republican candidates. In Michigan, the Gubernatorial candidates are mixing it up, just as they do every time the seat is open, and elections all across our state will contain disagreements among candidates, but the people will sort it out and our democracy will go on as it always has.

Since our country survived the strong campaign tactics of John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, Ronald Reagan, George W. Bush, Donald Trump and our Michigan candidates, I suspect we will survive some back-and-forth in the Attorney General’s race. I believe the biggest shame would be to keep information hidden from Delegates during the nomination process, and then we find out a candidate’s vulnerabilities in a general election against the Democrats, or if elected, people are surprised by the newly elected official’s actions. Our party is most definitely intellectually strong enough that we can have fact-based discussions in elections throughout our state, so the Delegates and voters can make informed decisions.

Sincerely,


Tonya Schuitmaker

Lucido legislation signed into law to protect falsely accused

State Rep. Peter Lucido’s three bills to protect falsely accused individuals was signed into law this week.

“The phrase ‘innocent until proven guilty’ is the foundation of

our country’s court system and I’m pleased that will be the law in Michigan,” said Lucido, of Shelby Township. “There’s no excuse to keep that when someone never faces a day of trial, much less is not convicted after trial.”

These bills require all arrest and personal identification information - such as fingerprints, mugshots, DNA, and other descriptive data - and statements are to be erased should the charges be dropped before trial or when an individual be found to be falsely accused or charged and found Not Guilty after trial. The legislation also requires removal of similar data from the Law Enforcement Information Network, used by law enforcement agencies across Michigan.

“People are having their lives cut down simply by someone Googling their name,” said Lucido, vice chair of the House Law and Justice Committee. “We’re guilty until proven innocent in the court of public opinion, but this will help make certain our legal system meets the constitutional standard.”

The legislation was inspired by a specific criminal case when Lucido, a licensed attorney, represented a Macomb County individual who faced charges before the witness retracted her statement and the charges were dropped prior to trial. Even with dropped charges, his client had to deal with lifelong effects of the case.

“This person did nothing wrong, yet his life was essentially destroyed every time he applied for a job or even shared his name with someone,” Lucido said. “It was an absolute travesty of justice. I wish I can turn back the clock to help that man and others who led lawful lives outside of a false accusation.”

House Bills 4536, 4537 and 4538 are now Public Acts 65, 66 and 67 of 2018, respectively.

Peter said after the passage of his bill, "I am proud that my recent legislation to protect those falsely accused was signed into law this week. I believe we need to protect Constitutional rights and follow due process of law. If someone who is accused and charges are either dismissed by prosecution or if they are found to be falsely accused or charged OR FOUND NOT GUILTY AFTER TRIAL, their arrest and personal identification information - such as fingerprints, mugshots, DNA, and other descriptive data - and statements are to be ERASED. "