U.S. Senate
Former
U.S. Congressman Peter Hoekstra handed Cornerstone Schools’ President Clark
Durant a significant defeat Tuesday, taking 54 percent of the vote. Mr.
Hoekstra’s prize: the chance to run against incumbent U.S. Senator Debbie
Stabenow (D-Lansing). Mr. Durant managed 34 percent of the vote. Randy Hekman,
the former Kent County Probate Judge, took 7 percent and Gary Glenn, the
conservative activist who suspended his campaign in favor of Mr. Durant,
received 5 percent.
U.S. House of Representatives
The
competitive primaries for the right to run for the U.S. House of
Representatives in November received a lot of attention – none more than the
GOP Primary in the 11th District, a seat vacated by the resignation
of former U.S. Representative Thaddeus McCotter. Mr. McCotter’s resignation
left only one name on the GOP ticket – that of Kerry Bentivolio, the ultra
conservative teacher and reindeer farmer. This prompted Republican leadership
to mount the unlikely write-in campaign of former State Senator Nancy Cassis.
Ms. Bentivolio was successful, taking a significant 66-percent of the vote, and
winning a chance to run against Democratic nominee Syed Taj this November.
In
the newly drawn 14th District, two incumbent U.S. Congressman, Gary
Peters (D-Bloomfield Hills) and Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit) squared off against
two additional candidates, Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence and former State
Representative Mary Waters, for the Democratic nod. Mr. Peters ran away with
the election, managing 47-percent of the vote to Mr. Clarke’s 35-percent. Ms.
Waters and Ms. Lawrence registered with 3 percent and 1 percent, respectively.
The
second longest serving member of the U.S. House, Congressman John Conyers
(D-Detroit), will be on the November ballot and very likely return to
Washington following his victory in the crowded Democratic primary for the
newly drawn 13th district. With roughly 57-percent of the vote, Mr.
Conyers held off challenges from State Senator Glenn Anderson (D-Westland),
State Representative Shanelle Jackson (D-Detroit) and State Senator Bert
Johnson (D-Highland Park), who obtained 15, 13 and 11 percent of the vote,
respectively.
In
the only other potentially competitive primary, current judge and former State
Representative Steve Pestka won the Democratic nod in the 3rd House
District over Trevor Thomas for the chance to run against incumbent U.S. Rep.
Justin Amash (R-Cascade Township) in November. Finally, perpetual candidate and
former State Representative Jack Hoogendyk failed again in his latest attempt
to challenge U.S. Rep. Fred Upton (R-St. Joseph), as Mr. Upton cruised 66-34.
State House of Representatives
With
competitive races in Democratic and Republican primaries for the Michigan House
all over the state, PAAdvisory will highlight some of the more closely watched.
First, those that saw incumbent members of the House facing-off:
·
Representative
Alberta Tinsley-Talabi (D-Detroit) defeated Representative Tim Bledsoe
(D-Grosse Pointe) in the race of two incumbents for the new 2nd
House District Democratic nomination.
·
Representative
John Olumba (D-Detroit) defeated Representative Jimmy Womack (D-Detroit) in the
race of two incumbents for the new 3rd House District Democratic
nomination.
·
Representative
Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit) defeated Representative Maureen Stapleton (D-Detroit)
in the race of two incumbents for the new 6th House District Democratic
nomination.
·
Representative
Jon Switalski (D-Warren) defeated Representative Lesia Liss (D-Warren) in the
race of two incumbents for the new 28th House District Democratic
nomination.
In those races where incumbent
Representatives faced challenges, only one lost – embattled State
Representative Kurt Damrow (R-Elkton) lost to Tuscola County Register of Deeds
Dan Grimshaw.
Other incumbents that faced primary
challenges and managed to hold onto their right to their respective party’s
nomination for the November election include Representatives David Nathan
(D-Detroit), Phil Cavanaugh (D-Redford Township), Paul Muxlow (R-Brown City),
Andrew Lafontaine (R-Richmond), and Wayne Schmidt (R-Traverse City).
Those that were successful in some of the
more competitive or otherwise interesting respective party primaries for open
House seats include:
- Pam Faris, wife
of former Lt. Governor John Cherry, defeated Patrick Gleason by 26 votes
in Genesee County.
- Sam Singh
defeated Susan Schmidt in the 69th House District Democratic
primary.
- Former
Representative Sarah Roberts of St. Claire Shores won her party’s nod in
the 18th District.
- Former
Democratic Senator Jim Berryman won the right to challenge incumbent State
Representative Nancy Jenkins in the 57th District.
- Longtime
legislative staffer and Ingham County Commissioner Andy Schor ran away
with the Democratic Primary in the 68th District beating
Griffin Rivers.
- Democratic CPA
Sharon Gray beat former Representative Judy Nerat in the Democratic
Primary to run against incumbent Rep. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan) in the 108th.
- Walker Mayor and
Meijer Foundation General Counsel, Rob VerHeulen won the GOP nod in the 74th.
- Tom Leonard
defeated Kevin Kirk and Mike Trebesh in the 93rd GOP Primary.