Suggestions for Michigan's contested State Senate seats in the Republican Primary
Several contested Republican races around the state are worth noting.
In this edition, the State Senate contests are looked at. We should note that several candidates are lousy at getting their message out, have inadequate websites, and may have not social media skills. If we had to look too hard to find info on them, it was not helpful.
7TH DISTRICT STATE SENATOR – Pat Colbeck vs. Matt Edwards
RightMi.com gives a hearty recommendation for Patrick Colbeck
This is the guy who has faced down Obamacare, Common Core, higher gas taxes, and general laziness and stupidity in the State Senate for the last four years. Do we agree always? Not so much, however Colbeck is hardly a stick-in-the-mud, and has carefully reviewed alternatives when challenged.
Easy choice for Pat Colbeck
10TH DISTRICT STATE SENATOR Jake Alexander Null vs. Tory Rocca
RightMi.com Has no recommendation.
12TH DISTRICT STATE SENATOR Bob Gray vs. Jim Marleau
RightMi.Com Recommends a change from Marleau, who barely hit the 31% on the RightMi.com legislative scorecard.
The former Teamster, UAW, and NEA member cannot be any worse.
13TH DISTRICT STATE SENATOR Ethan Baker vs. Al Gui vs. Marty Knollenberg vs. Chuck Moss vs. Rocky Raczkowski
RightMi.com Has no recommendation.
15TH DISTRICT STATE SENATOR Mike Kowall vs. Matt Maddock vs. Ron Molnar
RightMi.com recommendation is Matt Maddock,
Maddock has the ability to win, coupled with the advantage of NOT BEING Mike Kowall. Kowall’s record is identical to that of Marleau, voted for welfare expansion, corporate expansion, and one of the only good things he HAS worked on was on the PPT, which now must be revisited with prop 14-1? Fergetaboudit.
Go with Matt Maddock
20TH DISTRICT STATE SENATOR Margaret O’Brien vs. Ron Zuiderveen, Jr.
RightMi.com recommendation is Ron Zuiderveen, Jr.
Bottom line Margaret? Medicaid trix is for BAD kids. Even though Ron doesn’t seem to be even running a credible campaign, he would have our vote.
28TH DISTRICT STATE SENATOR Kevin Green vs. Peter MacGregor
RightMi.com recommendation is Peter MacGregor
MacGregor voted AGAINST medicaid expansion, and is not a shill for the corporatists. Where we disagree is not unforgivable as far as I can tell, and frankly he is an electable effective candidate. This is not a shot against Kevin Green however.
Peter MacGregor is a reasonable conservative, and has earned the state senate opportunity.
31ST DISTRICT STATE SENATOR Kevin Daley vs. Mike Green vs. Jeffrey Phillips
RightMi.com recommendation is Mike Green
Green has voted against Obamacare (medicaid expansion) and like MacGregor, has a few votes that are not litmus in our view. He is good representation of the 31st district. No reason to toss a good Republican at this point.
34TH DISTRICT STATE SENATOR Geoff Hansen VS. Nick Sundquist
RightMi.com recommendation is Nick Sundquist
Nick Sundquist early on announced his opposition to Hansen’s support of Obamacare. For full disclosure I (Jason Gillman) have personally donated money to Sundquist’s campaign (outside my own district) in the hopes Hansen is removed from office. It would be a good time, and a message sent.
We hope the 34th district voters agree.
37TH DISTRICT STATE SENATOR Wayne Schmidt vs. Greg MacMaster
RightMi.com recommendation is Greg MacMaster
We have had plenty of articles on this site chronicling the ways in which Wayne is more of a tool for corporatist elements of Lansing and Detroit. He has has frankly misrepresented himself, when posing as a supporter of Freedom to Work and other promising reforms. Schmidt is the quintessential RINO, bought and paid for by special interests who has through desperation has let loose the dogs of war in the 37th district state senate contest.
Spending on Schmidt advocacy is about 4-1 to that of MacMaster if one includes the “thank Greg MacMaster” messages by AFP on MacMasters side of the equation. From the amount of mail received and radio and TV ads played, it is likely this campaign has expense totals of three quarters of a million dollars on the Schmidt side alone. Some of those reports will never be seen however, as at least one of the ‘PACs’ associated with the mailers attacking MacMaster has no nexus in Michigan, and is not registered, though it is spending well beyond the threshold for campaign finance.
Stephen Linder, who Lansing informants had suggested is responsible for the PAC (Michigan’s Responsible Taxpayers PAC), said he has never heard of the PAC when we spoke with him, and argued that because it is issues advocacy, it is perfectly legal to be outside of Michigan campaign finance. Linder’s firm Sterling corp, which merged (or was bought/sold) with LE&A recently hired a former Schmidt press secretary Denise Decook (who up till a couple months ago was issuing Schmidt releases), yet Linder maintains there is no connection to the PAC and the advertisements from MRT PAC.
Do voters support ‘Obamacare Wayne,’ and the ‘Same ol Schmidt’ tactics out of Lansing, or do they go with the guy who said no to Medicaid expansion when it mattered most?
We go with Greg MacMaster on this one.
(13)Nuh Uh.
(2)
The recommendations on this sight are well-thought and right on. I have to laugh, as many running are blasts from past--like Jim Marleau. Couldn't vote for him as a Township Supervisor--how'd he get this far???? I note that rag "Record-Eagle" did a correct article on campaign finance, but on the wrong race. The real story was the 37th Senate District--Shame on them for not providing the real news. OMG--do the PAC's funding this garbage in this race believe We the People are thaaaat stupid!!!!!!!
Jason, Schmidt is a corporatist tool however Greg MacMaster voted FOR the Medicaid Expansion http://grassrootsmichigan.com/?page_id=2870
Double check http://www.michiganvotes.org/RollCall.aspx?ID=666980
I do believe in redemption Joan. The second vote revealed a reconsideration. He heard from his constituents and looked a little harder.
J-man, sooner or later y'all's going to consider the harpy old pious twat source, which likes to consider herself important but, in the bigger picture, has done nothing but serve aid the enemy that expanded Medicaid.
Marty Knollenberg seems like the best choice in the 13th. Moss and Rocky have both endorsed Trott; Marty has not.
Marty Knollenberg not only voted for Rick Snyder's pension/income tax hikes, but he even had the audacity to deny it in front of the Troy Area Tea Party meeting shortly thereafter.
To make matters worse (for him, anyway), he argued with the person bringing it up, even when it was pointed out that his vote is on public record.
Moss has no problem flushing money down the toilet as he did with his bill to give money to Highland Park PS after they blew their budget.
And anyone who endorsed Trott, who skipped out on a recent Troy Area Tea Party meeting (among other baggage he's lugging around), doesn't even deserve the time of day, much less a vote.