Top 10 Questions Going Into Filing Deadline DayWith the May 16 candidate filing deadline now only days away, the rumor mill is running at full speed with speculation on who’s running and who’s bluffing. Here’s a rundown of some of the latest things to look for as the candidates make their final decisions. 1. Will Rep. Glenn ANDERSON (D-Westland) opt to run against Sen. Laura TOY (R-Livonia) in the 6th Senate District? Anderson has a tough decision to make. Westland Mayor Sandra CICIRELLI is stepping down to run for the 18th District judgeship, leaving her position available. Anderson would love to take a stab at it, but the Senate Democrats really want a big name to run against Toy, viewed as one of the more vulnerable first term members on the Republican side. 2. Will Rep. Lamar LEMMONS III (D-Detroit) run against Sen. Hansen CLARKE (D-Detroit)? As of now, MIRS is hearing the answer is “yes.” Lemmons lost in a primary to Sen. Martha G. SCOTT (D-Highland Park) four years ago, but with Rep. Bill McCONICO (D-Detroit) apparently going after Scott’s 2nd Senate District seat, Lemmons looks like he’s going to pick up and move into the 1st District. Clarke beat incumbent Sen. Raymond MURPHY four years ago to win his seat. 3. To what extent will Detroit Mayor Kwame KILPATRICK get involved in the legislative races? Kilpatrick is poised to have candidates in three of the five Detroit Senate races to go after favorites who did not back his mayoral re-election efforts. Lemmons and McConico are seen as being allies of the mayor, as is former Rep. Triette REEVES, who is running in the open 5th District, although Rep. Tupac HUNTER (D-Detroit) is seen as a favorite there. Also, to what extent is Rep. Gabe LELAND (D-Detroit) vulnerable? Leland’s father, Sen. Burton LELAND (D-Detroit) has been openly critical toward Kilpatrick and with the right candidate running in a small field, Leland Jr. could have a busy summer. 4. Are All In For 27th Senate District? With Rep. John GLEASON (D-Flushing) expected to announce his intentions for the 27th district Senate seat, being vacated by term-limited Senate Minority Leader Bob EMERSON (D-Flint), a potential of five big-named candidates could find themselves in the race. Former Reps. Jack MINORE, Candace CURTIS and Floyd CLACK are joining Patsy Lou WILLIAMSON, the wife of the Flint mayor, in this one. 5. Will former House Minority Leader Mike HANLEY get into the 32nd Senate District? Hanley couldn’t beat incumbent Sen. Mike GOSCHKA (R-Brant) four years ago, but the seat is open now and the field isn’t as star-studded as originally projected. Leave it to Hanley to wait until the end to make his intentions known. 6. Will former Rep. John PAPPAGEORGE (R-Troy) get into the 13th Senate District race? The former House member could throw a wrench into this race if he enters, which is a rumor on the streets. Pappageorge hasn’t returned a call from MIRS to address the rumor one way or the other. If Pappageorge gets in, he could pull moderate Republican votes from Rep. Shelley TAUB (R-Bloomfield Hills) and theoretically boost the chances of super-conservative Rep. Bob GOSSELIN (R-Troy). There is no love lost between Pappageorge and Gosselin, so the one question rumors of Pappageorge’s entry don’t answer is why he might risk helping out a political adversary. 7. Will an opponent materialize in Cassis’ district? Whether or not Sen. Nancy CASSIS (R-Novi) is being seriously considered as Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVOS’ running mate could be made a bit more clear by the filing deadline. As of now, no other Republican has filed to run against Cassis in the 15th Senate District. If she becomes a lieutenant governor candidate you’d think the Republicans would have a Plan B for that fairly safe Republican seat. 8. Could any more people get into the 74th House District race? With Rep. William VAN REGENMORTER (R-Georgetown Twp.) retiring after 24 years in the Legislature, you’d think the entire west side of the state had been chomping at the bit all of these years to replace him. As of now, 10 Republicans have filed to replace him in this Hudsonville/Jenison/Grandville/Coopersville seat. 9. Is Rep. Ed GAFFNEY (R-Grosse Pointe Farms) safe? The answer to this one is appears to be yes. Although the Michigan Chamber of Commerce was originally going to go after the two-term House member in the primary for sponsoring a scale back of the state ban on suing pharmaceutical companies for federally approved drugs, the two sides appear to have broken bread and made up. Gaffney has no primary opponent at the moment and the latest word is that he won’t. 10. Who will run unopposed? Every two years it seems like some House member lucks out and doesn’t have somebody file to run against them. If it happens, it happens in districts that are not a risk for the opposing party to capture. Right now there are eight sitting House members who have no opponent in the primary or general election. That’d make for a stress-free summer and fall.
Props to Drolet & Cropsey
Senator Alan Cropsey and Representative Leon Drolet are going against the tidal wave of endorsements of Congressman Joe Schwarz and are endorsing Tim Walberg for Congress.
Tim Kelly for State Representative
The race that I am doing in Saginaws 94th district for Tim Kelly was just mentioned in MIRS News as the 5th hottest race in the state:
5. 94th District (Bob BLAINE v. Tim KELLY/Ken HORN) The Democrats have themselves a quality candidate for once in this Saginaw seat. Blaine, a conservative county commissioner, is pro-life and pro-gun, exactly what you need to be as a Democrat to win this district. More importantly, he’s known in the district, will raise money and will work. The Republican candidates don’t look bad either and with this district having around a 55 percent Republican base and a history of recent GOP victories, the winner of the Kelly-Horn primary has a natural advantage.
Saginaw’s 95th District
Five candidates are vying for Carl Williams’ open seat due to term limits. Among those are Roma Thurin, Charles Braddock (has not filed to date) Andy Coulouris, Joyce Seals and Terry Sangster.
While I am not too intuned to what goes on on the other side of the aisle, this race looks like a race between Andy Coulouris (Assistant Prosecutor) and Terry Sangster (Vice Chair County Commission).
If I were advising Mr Sangster I would tell him to define the race early and often. Perhaps saying “Mr. Coulouris puts you in jail, and if elected state Representative I will keep the checks coming.”
If advising Coulouris I would tell him to be tough on crime and tout his prosecuting credentials. Paint Sangster as part of the old guard that oversaw the city of Saginaw becoming less safe than Detroit.
COULOURIS NOTES:
*According to the Saginaw Democrat website Andy Coulouris’ biggest issues are to support and increase welfare and protect the environment
*27 yrs old
*Served on the city commission
*Graduated from the University of Michigan
*As Vice President of the UofM Student Assembly he voted to fund the radical organization “By Any Means Necessary” whose leader Luke Massie is a known communist.
*Interned in the White House and was given Monica Lewisnkys desk and chair.
Personally I think this race is about jobs and crime, no matter what party. TV 5 reported that it is safer in downtown Detroit then Downtown Saginaw. Something has got to be done about this.
The winner of the August primary will face Republican Joel Wilson.
Dick DeVos Rockin in the Free World
Yesterday Dick DeVos was in the area. He stopped in Midland and then an event at the Saginaw country club which was well attended. He mentioned the divide between East and West saying that we are all Michiganders which was a good move in his geographic location at the time. His speech was good…he’s a soft spoken guy. The speech centered around economics and the questions were dominated by business issues. Although it’s good, I want to hear about guns and abortion too.
Dick’s bus rolled into Bay County shortly after 9pm where be bowled at Bay Lanes with the local Republicans. (He didn’t do so well) Their was almost as much staff with him as local people who were their to meet him. After Zack Nuncio saw him drinking a beer he assured him that he had his vote!
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The year of the college Republicans.
Three college Republicans are running for public office this year. The true strength of the state organization will be revealed with how much support it gives to its candidates.
Bill Kelly is running for State Representative in Flint Township
Zack Nuncio is running for State Senate against Jim Barcia
Eric Shaefer is running for State Representative in Bay County
Good luck guys!
