Michigan State House Races

Cross-posted at The Western RightRight Michigan, and Red Racing Horses.

All 110 seats in the Michigan House of Representatives will be up for election in November. Republicans currently hold a 59-51 majority, following a 63-47 majority after 2010. There are 40 open seats, 21 held by Republicans and 19 held by democrats.  There are 30 open due to term-limits and 10 just seeking another office.

Republicans gained one new seat (73) and one existing seat (39) due to redistricting, but also lost one existing seat (55) in 2012.  They also lost five incumbents (52, 71, 84, 91, 110), not counting party-switcher Roy Schmidt (76).  They could have won several more seats with a more effective redistricting plan.

Democrats want to take back the state house, but face a difficult playing field.  Of the Republican-held open seats, only 56 and 61 are competitive.  They will try to defeat some Republican incumbents, but it is not clear how they will beat incumbents this year that they couldn’t defeat in 2012.

Meanwhile, Republicans will seek to gain seats.  The best opportunity is the open 84, which was lost due to scandal in 2012.  There are two lean dem open seats (21, 62) that may be competitive.  Republicans will also try to defeat several incumbents who picked up seats in 2012 (25, 71, 91).

State house fundraising is analyzed in the following articles.

Michigan State House Fundraising

Michigan Post-primary Fundraising Reports

Michigan Pre-general Fundraising Reports

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Michigan Pre-General Fundraising Reports

The deadline for pre-general campaign finance reports for the Michigan state legislature was October 24.  The following details the total amount raised in competitive general elections, and cash on hand (COH) in competitive general elections.  Ratings for the races are included.

Governor (Lean R)
R: Rick Snyder 12.5M (1.8M COH)
D: Mark Schauer (1.4M COH)

Lieutenant Governor:
R: Brian Calley 401K (30K COH)
D: Lisa Brown waiver

Attorney General (Lean R)
R: Bill Schuette 3.7M (1.1M COH)
D: Mark Totten 671K (105K COH)

Secretary of State (Likely R)
R: Ruth Johnson 895K (44K COH)
D: Godfrey Dillard  121K (50K COH)

Supreme Court (Likely R/Lean D)
R: Brian Zahra 909K (306K COH)
R: James Robert Redford  393K (153K COH)
D: Richard Bernstein 2.1M (885K COH)
D: William Murphy  246K (124K COH)

Supreme Court (partial term) Safe R
R: David Viviano 855K (296K COH)
D: Deborah Thomas  121K (50K COH)

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Altruism has its own Rewards

Meet Ebola Patient Four

liberalsCraig Spencer, a 33-year-old emergency room doctor, is the fourth confirmed case in the U.S. and the first in the city.
Matt Lockwood, a spokesman for Wayne State University, said Spencer graduated from its School of Medicine in 2008.

“It doesn’t surprise us that one of our medical students was working for an organization like Doctors Without Borders in helping the under-served. A lot of our students come to Wayne State for its reputation of working with the under-served,” he said Thursday night. “Our thoughts are with him, and we wish the best for him.”

REST

It’s way past time for Michigan’s public universities Socialism indoctrination centers to be weaned from the taxpayer’s teat with allowing them to financially stand on their own merit. If an adult chooses to enter these hives of egalitarianism they should pay full ticket price without coercive governmental subsidy. Which, this leads us back to our deceitful CPA governor who steals from K-12 only to prop up those like Matt Lockwood collecting a taxpayer funded paycheck while braying about their alumni Fabianism with reckless abandon.

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Free And Open Markets OR Enforcement Of Contract?

Bill-SchuetteOne would think that a member of the party supporting ‘free and open markets’ would be inclined to liberate those same markets.

Yet recently and not for the first time, the Michigan Attorney General’s office has investigated, and prosecuted privately-held businesses for responding to demand and availability in ways they felt were necessary.  Using taxpayer dollars, the AG’s office obtained a $500,000 settlement from a provider of propane, because that business raised its prices.

Though some of the investigation had legitimate reason to happen (established deals were not being honored), the underlying premise that the AG’s office presents is one that seemingly panders to the “its just not fair” crowd. When Schuette says :

“I’m happy we can put money back into the wallets of hard-working families who paid steep prices to heat their homes last winter while already trying to make ends meet.”

He is not saying he is “happy to provide enforcement of contract”

THAT is a problem.  Its not the job of the Michigan Attorney General to make sure pricing is fair.  Its not the Job of the Office of the Attorney General to ensure people can afford their utilities or everyday needs. Its definitely not Bill Schuette’s job to “put money back into the wallets” of those he deems to have been victimized by a brutally cold winter, or those who must provide the resources to deal with it.

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The CPA’s $400,000,000 Shell Game Revealed

Well, what else would one expect from a number-cruncher who pilfered millions to play with dead babies?

Maybe, oh I dunno, like buy a computer directly from Gateway?

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Governor Snyder’s “Gay Advocate” Puppeteer Wants Your Help

A Snyder Cronyism

URGENT HELP NEEDED: An internal poll of the Michigan Femdom Fund has shown that Governor Snyder is up 100% to 0% over his challenger Mark Schauer. This “internal” poll must have only included “pegging” their staff members for these results? A Femdom Fund Logo

But this November the stakes are too high and we need your help. Please consider making a donation today of $20, $35, $50 or whatever you can generously afford to help us assure that Gov. Snyder is re-elected as to advance the Common Core, Gay Marriage and other progressive issues that Gov. Snyder will support.

For those low information voters and party loyalist I have compiled a list of bullet points, headlines and search phrases as to make it harder for those types to justify to themselves how they cast their votes!

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Real Civil Rights Leadership

Outstanding courage on display in Lansing yesterday (H/T Stacy Swimp)

A generous crowd of pastors and ministers as well as others who see the fight for forced ‘equality’ under the guise of civil rights to be not only wrong, but dangerous to real civil rights and equality reforms.

The legislature would be making a grave mistake by enabling more of the family and liberty destroying agenda through the LGBT desired changes to the Elliot Larsen civil rights act.  By forcing one group to accept another group’s behavior or face punishment is an affront to our constitutionally protected liberties.

Credit is due to those who take this seriously enough to stand up and face its evil.

Thank you and God bless.

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Pay up Suckers

Never underestimate the local ‘Team R’ actors who will roll with RINO Ron’s DIA Bailout.

gingell_mike_smIn the letter, which Gingell read to The News, Gargaro said he wants to work on connecting the three art authorities — which are contracted with the DIA and collect tax money on behalf of the county — with compensation decisions by meeting with them three or four times a year.

“So the county art authorities have opportunity for input, so that’s a good measure,” Gingell said. “They would review the DIA audited financial statements and discuss it in an open forum with the art authorities. It’s definitely more outreach, more transparency, more practical steps to address compensation.”

Reached by The News Wednesday afternoon, Gargaro declined to discuss the specifics of the letter or what it was offering. “I haven’t had a chance to speak with the commissioners about it yet,” Gargaro said.

In other words, Eugene Gargaro hasn’t read the official script yet.

Gargaro is expected to meet with commissioners during their caucus Thursday morning, Gingell said. That will take place just before the start of the regular board meeting, at which commissioner Dave Woodward, D-Royal Oak, had planned to offer a resolution to dissolve the Oakland County Art Authority, which sends $11 million a year to the DIA.

Gingell said once all 21 members of the board read the letter and speak with Gargaro, “my personal opinion is things will move on” and the issue of dissolving the art authority will be over.

REST

Yep. Easy peasy. Just another case of watching the layers of bureaucrats and their insider onion peel.

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And In The Meantime

Attorney_General_Bill_Schuette_410797_7A press release today alerts us of a major strike against ‘energy price terrorism’ in Michigan’s winter wonderland!

Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette’s office says:

 Attorney General Bill Schuette today announced his Corporate Oversight Division has secured more than $500,000 for approximately 5,600 Michigan propane consumers to resolve customer complaints against AmeriGas concerning propane-pricing issues during last winter’s heating season. This settlement marks a key development in his ongoing investigation into hundreds of consumer complaints related to propane pricing and delivery during the 2013-2014 winter season.

“Cooler autumn weather means many Michigan families are already anxious about upcoming heating bills,” Schuette observed. “I’m happy we can put money back into the wallets of hard-working families who paid steep prices to heat their homes last winter while already trying to make ends meet.”

Put that money back!

Oh, and in the meantime, after beating up the suppliers who might just run out of propane or fail to deliver due to cost controls the NEXT harsh winter, perhaps the AG can turn his attention to the real villains; The EPA, and the Obama administration, which is turning up the heat on all of the UP ratepayers through unconstitutional environmental badgering of our utilities.

Oh, and don’t let Levin and Stabenow fool you in the link above.  Destroying the middle class and depopulating the UP is their life’s work as much as anyone’s.

 

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