Tag: McManus

"I'm very excited about my campaign for Secretary of State, and I look forward to a spirited and vigorous race," McManus said. "Michigan needs bold leaders who are willing to stand up for what they believe in, and that's why I am especially proud to be the first candidate to file my affidavit and signatures to officially become a candidate."

Becoming a convention candidate isn't as easy as signing a slip of paper, lest the Democrats or any other stick-in-the-mud wreak havoc with the process by flooding the nominating convention with trouble makers.  Michigan Republican Party convention rules require candidates for Secretary of State, Attorney General, Supreme Court and each of the various higher ed boards to demonstrate a certain modicum of support from local Party leaders from across the state.

With those rules in place, a candidate's official filing takes on additional significance.  It demonstrates, especially this early, a well organized campaign and a good bit of popular support among the activist set.  

In McManus's case, she filed her affidavit and submitted the official high-signs of five Congressional District Chairs.

A Republican from Lake Leelanau, McManus has run thus far on issues like election reform and promoting fiscal conservatism. She sponsored legislation putting a 'shot clock' on the Secretary of State to require timely resolution of campaign finance violations (like, say, the investigation into massive Mark Schauer-led violations that seemed to drag on forever) and she has taken the lead on consolidating the departments of natural resources and environmental quality.

In the field of potential Secretary of State candidates, Cameron Brown, Judy Emmons and Anne Norlander remain "on the clock."

Detroiters 18 and older: 603,000

National voter registration: 67.6%

National African American voter registration: 60.7%

Projected Detroit voter registration: 375,000 (approx.)

Number of bad registrations flagged for removal: 47,000

Total projected voter roll plus acknowledged bad entries: 422,000 (approx.)

Detroiters registered to vote: 633,000

Phantom voters: 211,000

Hu-wha?!

Yep.  You read it here first, boys and girls.  According to the best projections, historical records, census and registration figures there are somewhere in the neighborhood of 211,000 voter ID cards floating around the Motor City that have no business even existing.  

The Tower goes to great lengths to explain away the fact that more registered voters exist than eligible  voters, highlighting ad nauseam the problems with federal law that require bad voter registrations to remain on the books for two federal election cycles before being removed (that 47K number above) but never does the rest of the arithmetic.

211,000 phantom voters.  

Here are a few more numbers to consider, from the top of the ticket...

2008 General Election results-
DEM: 96.93%
GOP: 2.65%

2006 General Election results-
DEM: 95.05%
GOP: 4.33%

2004 General Election results-
DEM: 93.61%
GOP: 5.93%

I'll say it again... 211,000 phantom voters.  211,000 phantom voters in a city that has spent the last two election cycles going more than 95/5 for the Left.

I'm just glad I'm not the only person who thinks that's a problem.  In exclusive interviews with RightMichigan, 2010 Secretary of State candidates Cameron Brown, Michelle McManus and Anne Norlander each expressed concern about the integrity of registration rolls and groups like ACORN who have been caught red handed registering everyone from Mickey Mouse to Daffy Duck in cities across the country.

The Democrats argue that very few bad registrations make it all the way to City clerks, but I (don't) know 211,000 non-existant Detroiters who'd take issue with that claim.

Both the Michigan Republican Party and the Michigan Democrats are holding their winter conventions this weekend and on the GOP side, the campaigns for Governor, Secretary of State and Attorney General unofficially begin.

Not that there isn't one major difference.  Over on the RIGHT side of things, convention delegates... thousands of them... will select the Party's candidates for AG and SoS (the gubernatorial nominee s selected by both parties via primary).  Over on the LEFT its up to the UAW.  No.  Hyperbole aside.  Seriously.  

It appears the Dems have already selected their AG nominee.  Despite her connection to a massive Bureau of Elections investigation into serious campaign finance irregularities stemming from the 2006 election, state Senator Gretchen Whitmer all but has that spot sewed up.

John Cherry is the man with all of the Big Labor backing in the race to follow Jennifer Granholm at the state Capitol.  Barring a huge electoral shocker, that just leaves holes in two places.  MDP still needs a nominee for Secretary of State and he or she simply must be black.  Not Hispanic.  Not Asian.  Not Jewish or Indian or Arab.  Black.  Because quotas are cool, apparently.

No matter how you cut that cake, though, there isn't much excitement left in the selection process for Democratic activists.  Quite simply, they have no input.  

QUITE the contrary over at the Michigan Republican Party.  This weekend, aside from the technical work of officially selecting Ambassador Ron Weiser to be the next Party Chairman, picking various vice chairs and other Party positions, the activists and volunteers and normal, average working moms and dads from across the state will have a chance to get a good long look at more than a couple of handfuls worth of candidates.

Read on...

And with the new year, primary races begin to shape up and take form for many of those offices.  One that is shaping up faster than the others is the Republican Primary field for the Secretary of State's office.

As we move through the year Right Michigan will be working hard to bring you profiles, updates and interviews with the men and women who will occupy all of our political discussions throughout the cycle and we're starting today.

Several weeks ago I had a chance to speak with Calhoun County Clerk and Register of Deeds Anne Norlander, our first official candidate for Secretary of State.  

Today she's got company.  State Senator Michelle McManus just announced her intention to seek the same office and was good enough to take a few minutes to speak with RightMichigan about her background, her platform and elections in Michigan.

So where does she stand on issues like no-reason absentee voting, photo ID and the timely resolution of campaign finance complaints?

You'll have to read below the fold to find out...