michigan – Page 2

Terry Lynn Land (R) now ahead of Gary Peters (D) in RCP average for Michigan-SEN.

The latest Mitchell Research poll has Land up six (44/38) over Peters; a previous Mitchell poll had her behind by one. This is enough to put her in front, overall; toss out the partisan polls and Terry Lynn Rand is ahead by rather more. Looking at the rend line… well, Gary Peters can’t just seem to catch fire. And I don’t think that the governor’s race is going to help, either: as of this moment Rick Snyder is decently ahead, and in a comfortable place for a Republican governor in a blue state.

Hmm. Snyder needs a little work on his hair. And how tall is he? – Dang, but I quite enjoy being spoiled for choice for 2016.

Moe Lane

Michigan Woman: died in 2008, found in 2014… and voted in 2010.

Gee, I wonder who she voted for.

Voting records in Oakland County show [Pia] Farrenkopf, who has not been positively identified by the Medical Examiner’s Office, is shown as voting in the November 2010 gubernatorial election.

Pontiac city records indicate Farrenkopf registered to vote in 2006 and had not voted until 2010, but officials point out that could have been an administrative error and she may not have actually cast a vote.

The city clerk, who was not in that job in 2010, said infrequent voters tend to vote in presidential elections, like 2008, over gubernatorial elections like the one in 2010.

Continue reading Michigan Woman: died in 2008, found in 2014… and voted in 2010.

Gary Peters (D CAND, Michigan Senate) is now officially In Trouble.

He just replaced his campaign manager. It’s one of the warning signs:

With Michigan looming as a now key Senate race, Democratic Rep. Gary Peters, who is locked in a tight battle with Republican Terri Lynn Land, has replaced his campaign manager.

Paul Tencher, who ran now-Sen. Joe Donnelly’s winning campaign for the Democrats in Indiana last cycle, will take over as the head of Peters’ campaign operation. Tencher will replace Julie Petrick, who is stepping aside for personal reasons, Peters said in a statement.

Continue reading Gary Peters (D CAND, Michigan Senate) is now officially In Trouble.

John Dingell (D, Michigan)… retires. Or perhaps ‘abdicates’ would be a better word?

Sorry, but even I can’t say ‘cuts and runs’ with a straight face. Fifty-eight years in the House is fifty-eight years in the House.

Well, actually seventy-eight: Dingell inherited the seat from his father. And he wants to pass it along like it was a title of freaking nobility: Continue reading John Dingell (D, Michigan)… retires. Or perhaps ‘abdicates’ would be a better word?

Looks like @RepGaryPeters decided to target inconvenient leukemia patient Julie Boonstra.

Speaking solely from a pragmatic point of view, this does not exactly sound like a sensible decision on Rep. Gary Peters’ part:

LANSING – Today Rep. Gary Peters set his Washington DC legal attack dogs out to intimidate and silence Julie Boonstra, a Michigan mother battling leukemia who had the courage to speak up after the insurance plan she liked was cancelled due to the Affordable Care Act.

Instead of listening to Julie’s concerns, Peters took steps to strong-arm Michigan television stations to simply pull “Julie’s Story” from the airwaves. These are desperate political tactics from someone who is increasingly incapable of defending his support for Obamacare.

Continue reading Looks like @RepGaryPeters decided to target inconvenient leukemia patient Julie Boonstra.

Terri Lynn Land (R) outraised Gary Peters (D) in 4Q 2013 (Michigan Senate).

It’s stuff like this that is making Democrats ever-so-apprehensive about the open seat race there:

Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) raised $1 million in the last three months of 2013 according to numbers provided to The Hill, continuing his steady fundraising pace but falling behind the $1.66 million his Senate opponent pocketed in the same time frame.

Peters has consistently posted $1 million quarters since he got into the race. Former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R) matched his $1 million quarter and added $600,000 from her own pocket, part of the $5 million she’s promised to spend in the race.

Continue reading Terri Lynn Land (R) outraised Gary Peters (D) in 4Q 2013 (Michigan Senate).

Jerry Cannon (D CAND, Michigan-01 PRI) claims he has an evil twin who hates #Obamacare.

And it’s an evil twin who apparently answers Jerry Cannon’s cell phone. Confused? Yeah, well, so is everybody else:

Something funny seems to be going on in a Michigan congressional race. Either a Democratic candidate with national-party backing, challenging Republican incumbent Dan Benishek, has an impersonator with access to his cell phone, or his campaign is pressuring a local paper to edit his quotes.

NRO goes onto say “It’s very weird.” And it is. Basically, a reporter interviewed the likely Democratic candidate against Benishek and was given a number to call if he had any further questions or needed a clarification. Perfectly normal, as was the reporter requesting a clarification on Cannon’s views on Obamacare, as it didn’t come up in the interview*. But when the reporter asked Cannon, Cannon/his impersonator replied “I don’t like Obamacare. It’s been a disaster for me. I want to go back to the way it was before.” Continue reading Jerry Cannon (D CAND, Michigan-01 PRI) claims he has an evil twin who hates #Obamacare.

Republican pollster: Terri Lynn Land (R) / Gary Peters (D) 44/36 in Michigan Senate race.

Usual caveats: it’s early, it’s one of a bunch of possible outcomes, it’s a Republican pollster (Harper), and so forth. But this is still pretty good news for Republican candidate Terri Lynn Land. And the Republican party in Michigan, because Harper also checked the generic race:

On the generic Senate ballot, Democrats actually lead in the same race by just over one point — well within the poll’s 3 point margin of error. Land’s favorable/unfavorable rating is 32% to 18%, compared to Peters’ 18% to 18%. Only 51 percent of those surveyed said they don’t know enough about Land to form an opinion, compared to 64 percent for Peters.

That gives the Democrat more upside potential. Still, the result demonstrates that Republicans should not overlook the opportunity created by the retirement of six-term Sen. Carl Levin, D — the first open-seat Senate race in Michigan since 1994, when Republican Spence Abraham won. Although Michigan is considered a “Blue” state in presidential races, it has repeatedly elected Republicans to statewide offices in midterm elections.

Continue reading Republican pollster: Terri Lynn Land (R) / Gary Peters (D) 44/36 in Michigan Senate race.

Stu Rothenberg: Michigan Senate race no longer a lock for the Democrats.

Hey, tell me again how utterly doomed the Republican party is next year.

Republicans don’t need to win Michigan to get the majority in the Senate, but the Wolverine State could become a serious takeover target later next year.

[snip]

Make no mistake, [Democratic candidate Gary] Peters has shown remarkable political agility and starts this race with the edge, but this open seat should no longer be considered safe.

[snip*]

The Michigan Senate race is now rated Democrat Favored according to Rothenberg Political Report/Roll Call.

Continue reading Stu Rothenberg: Michigan Senate race no longer a lock for the Democrats.

Joe Biden gets a Detroit woman killed.

Good job there, Mr. Vice President:

It was shortly before 1 a.m. Nov. 2 and Renisha McBride was involved in an accident with a parked vehicle in Detroit.

More than two hours later and six blocks away, she was shot in the face by a man who told police he thought someone was breaking into his Dearborn Heights home. The 54-year-old homeowner, according to police, said his 12-gauge shotgun discharged accidentally.

Continue reading Joe Biden gets a Detroit woman killed.