The Hastily-Assembled Authoritative Guide To Primary Day 2018

     Has it really been almost two years since I last posted one of these?

     Indeed, things have been relatively radio silent around here since November 2016, mostly because I've been trying to keep the silence on the actual radio to a minimum. Admittedly, in between trying to fill way too many hours of airtime a week on the radio, cover elections in Flint, and not lose my damn mind in the process, this place kind of fell by the wayside. Not that I ever stopped keeping up on politics and news of the world, but time just didn't allow for me to keep putting out longform articles like these.

     That, obviously, has changed, and I should be able to get back to semi-irregularly posting here again. (Especially if certain formerly-anonymous corruption-based pages should ever rise up from the swamp again.) That said, we have a primary on Tuesday, so let's get to it!

• Governor. Rick Snyder is, of course, term limited, and as such, the leading candidates on the GOP side were known well before any announcements were made, but there are a few long-shot bids as well, one from a Tea Party darling who's a favorite in more religious circles, the other a doctor by trade with something more of a centrist message. The Democratic side, meanwhile, has its seemingly pre-ordained choice along with a few political newcomers seeking to push the party further left.
  
       Brian Calley (R)- The most pragmatic of any candidate on the Republican side. Most recently spearheaded that failed initiative to make Michigan's legislature a part-time one. Paints himself as a political outsider or the continuation of the status quo, depending on which is convenient at the moment. Is basically Rick Snyder 2.0, for all that it implies. Along with Schuette, is getting a decent amount of funding from dark-money super PAC's whose contributors are largely unknown.
  
       Bill Schuette (R)- He's been campaigning for governor pretty much since Rick Snyder took office. Of course, he lost my vote at any point in the future when he took the fight against gay marriage to the Supreme Court at our expense. Apart from his role in prosecuting the Flint water crisis, Schuette's tenure as Attorney General has mostly been marked by high-profile fights for mostly ideological causes that don't really help the average citizen in this state.
  
       Patrick Colbeck (R)- If Calley and Schuette are just too moderate for you, then here's your guy. His plan to literally rewrite history in the mold of long-discredited "historian" David Barton has been documented at length here in the past. Then there's the racist smear attacks on Democratic challenger Abdul El-Sayed, that even other Republicans have chastised him for. Also the same guy that whined on social media about the sacrifice he made going to work in the legislature for a mere $70,000+ a year.
  
       Jim Hines (R)- The Saginaw obstetrician is big on ideas, a little less so on how to accomplish them. He's made education a centerpiece of his campaign, but offers little beyond "local control" and "abolish Common Core." Wants to fix the roads, but has no plan on how to fund them, other than saying he won't need to raise taxes to do it. Good luck with that.
  
       Gretchen Whitmer (D)- The "establishment" candidate on the Dem side. Which means, at least, that she has some semblance of experience in actually getting policy passed. Of course, it also means things like being in the pocket of Blue Cross Blue Shield, where her father was formerly a CEO, and which naturally leaves her opposed to any attempt at single-payer health care. Other than that, she checks most of the Democratic party-line boxes, including a $15 minimum wage and marijuana legalization. Has the support of the UAW and the MEA, along with other dark-money organizations whose backers are unknown.
  
       Abdul El-Sayed (D)- Detroit's health commissioner. Has been at the helm of several successful public health initiatives in Detroit, and as such his words on issues in that sphere carry far more weight than those of somebody who's being bankrolled by the biggest health insurer in the state. Carries the endorsement of numerous progressive leaders, and says the right things to appeal to that demographic, including his refusal to take campaign money from corporate lobbyists, though he may ultimately be admittedly a bit much of an idealist to be effective in this office, especially as somebody who has never held any elected office.
  
       Quick aside here: It's truly incredible how much intolerance is still being displayed publicly in this state, and it plays a large part in why El-Sayed is fighting an uphill battle here. It seems not a day goes by that somebody around here is yelling about how all Muslims hate America, or want to install sharia law, or some other ridiculous thing. Which would be like suggesting all Christians hate gay people, or don't believe in science, or something equally absurd. And before some mouthbreather jumps in to remind us that "they throw gay people off buildings in Muslim countries," which is rich coming from people who vote for politicians that want to outright criminalize homosexuality, Abdul has publicly supported efforts to include LGBTQ individuals in Michigan's Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act. Now admittedly, telling Colbeck "all Muslims hate you!" didn't help the "Muslims are not a group-thinking monolith" argument cause at all, justified though it may be. But when dealing with people who are of the mindset that your way of life is not compatible with the very country you call home, it's hard to blame the guy for being angry.
  
       Shri Thanedar (D)- A self-funded millionaire with several failed business ventures, no political experience, no record of public service, no commitment to any real set of political values, and little more driving him than narcissism and the overwhelming need to be liked, runs for high political office. Sound familiar? Even beyond his lack of qualification for the job, it's become abundantly clear over the last few months that Thanedar is not the progressive candidate he purports to be, and his platform proposals come with a woeful lack of detail. Oh, and there's also the leaving animals for dead after doing chemical testing on them.
  
  While we're here, though, a few things that have no influence on my vote: Whether a candidate was born in this country (Jennifer Granholm wasn't, Rick Snyder was, and both were pretty terrible), how well he speaks his second language (a lot of his detractors on this point seem to have enough trouble with their first), his nationality or his religion. It's rather disappointing, but not entirely surprising, how many people in this state don't know the difference between India, Indonesia, and any Middle Eastern country, and assume that because he's brown-skinned, "he must be Muslim and therefore wants sharia law!" The ignorance is really astounding.
  
       Bill Gelineau (L)- Yes, for the first time ever, there's an actual gubernatorial primary for the Libertarians in Michigan! And further, we may have found a capital-L libertarian that actually deviates from the typical "taxation is theft/let businesses do whatever they want" playbook. In a pleasant surprise for a libertarian candidate, he fully believes in climate change and clean energy, that businesses shouldn't be allowed to avoid their responsibility to be good corporate citizens, and that the state should have some role in protecting the environment. Naturally, he's also fully in support of marijuana legalization and assisted suicide, and against using National Guard troops to fight any foreign conflict where Congress has not passed a declaration of war..
  
       John Tatar (L)-  Right upfront in his intro blurb, he invokes "sovereignty" and "De Jure" governorship. Believes smart meters are government surveillance and the junk science that says they give off harmful electromagnetic radiation. In fact, it's the first issue he brings up on his website. Essentially, he's exactly the caricature you picture a Libertarian candidate to be. Wants to eliminate state income tax entirely, of course, along with several other taxes, and wishes to do away with the State Senate entirely.
• U.S. Senator: A tough race for anybody looking to unseat the incumbent. Many have declared their candidacy at one point or another, from Trump campaign staffer Lena Epstein, to former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Robert Young, to awful musician Bob "Kid Rock" Ritchie. Ultimately, the candidates that made it this far are a bit lesser known than those.
  
       Debbie Stabenow (D)- The incumbent, and senior senator in the state, at that. The rare Dem in this state that actually has the backing of major farmers' groups. Her record, for better or worse, really speaks for itself at this point. Not being primaried this time around, though a few toyed with the idea.
  
       John James (R)- A businessman and military veteran with no prior elected experience. Says all the things you'd expect somebody running on the Republican side of this race to say. Carries Donald Trump's endorsement, for what that's worth. Runs by-and-large a positive campaign, leaving most of the attacks to his primary opponent, instead focusing on where he stands on the issues with a minimal of extravagant promises.
  
       Sandy Pensler (R)- Has spent much time trashing James as possible. Interestingly, he's supposedly trashed Trump behind closed doors, while (like just about every Republican in this state) trying to align himself as much as possible with the guy in public. Ran a previous congressional bid on a platform that was both pro-choice and advocated for government-run healthcare. You can decide for yourself whether he's had a change of heart on all of that... of course, your not-so-humble correspondent hopes that he hasn't, if he somehow gets elected.
  
       Marcia Squier (G)- Originally planned to run for a House seat in Oakland County, decided to do this instead. Claims Stabenow isn't progressive enough and is too "corporatist."
  
  
• U.S. House. This one feels like a foregone conclusion, but there's quite a few challengers here. Paul Mitchell, of course, bought Candice Miller's former seat in the last election.
  
        Paul Mitchell (R)- Still not the hair care guy. Still, more or less, unresponsive to his constituents back home, especially in Lapeer County, his supposed home these days. Still the first person in line to defend anything the president says or does. Is running unopposed in the primary.
  
       Frank Accavitti, Jr. (D)- From last time: "A former mayor of Eastpointe and state rep in Macomb County. He has made a point of talking about bringing broadband to the Thumb, and that his jobs plan calls for incentivizing companies to run broadband across state right-of-ways. Opposes single-payer healthcare because "what about employees in the insurance industry/stockholders of insurance companies?" Still comes off as lobbyist as all hell, mostly because he was one.
  
       Kimberly Bizon (D)- An environmental activist who decided to run for political office. Supports health care for all, more funding for public schools and teachers, fair policies for family farms, and is solidly in the progressive camp on most issues.
  
       Mike McCarthy (D)- This one is an... interesting case. One of his campaign platforms calls for "required national service for all, rich or poor—with an AmeriCorp/Peace Corps and faith-based missions option as well supported as the Marine Corps." Probably the most anti-war candidate out there; he supports taking funding for military weapons and using it for infrastructure instead.
  
       Jeremy Peruski (I)- Possibly the hardest to pin down of any candidate in this race. As far as we can tell, he's anti-tariff, pro-simplifying the tax code while in support of closing corporate loopholes, opposes Trump's handling of environmental issues and the EPA under Scott Pruitt in general, and has made much of his support for skilled trades and vocational training.
  
       Harley Mikkelson (G)- Green Party, for everything that's worth. Little to no information online.
  
  
• State Senator.
       Gary Glenn (R)- These days, he's been mostly publicizing the fact that his primary opponent is being largely funded by Consumers Energy, who you might say have a bit of an axe to grind with Glenn. Of course, he has the DeVos-backed Michigan Freedom Fund in his pocket. But don't let any of that that distract you from the fact that this guy is a hardcore homophobic bigot. Think Todd Courser without the adultery, but with more attacking newspaper editors for having the audacity to be gay.
  
       Kevin Daley (R)- Don't let the fact that his primary opponent is completely unhinged and homophobic distract you from the fact that Consumers Energy *really* likes them some Daley, and have put some serious money behind him. Of course, having your opponent making statements that vaguely sound like threats against the reps of said energy companies does that.
  
       Cynthia Luczak (D?)- Bay County Clerk. Her website is rather light on all but the most generic of stances, and there's a reason for that: other than perhaps Lapeer County commissioner Cheryl Clark, Luczak is probably the most conservative Democrat running in any race locally. Lines up fairly well with the NRA's stances on firearms, and she's anti-abortion to boot. Makes one wonder why she bothers running as a Democrat.
  
       Joni Batterbee (D)- The most unapologetic progressive candidate in this race. The one Dem in this race who has not shied away from social issues in the slightest, which may not help her cause in such a solidly Republican district, but is still refreshing to see, regardless.
  
       Bill Jordan (D)- A client of Detroit-area political operative Joe DiSano, Jordan is probably the most mainstream Dem in the race. Wants a part-time legislature, wants to take Lansing out of education, supports protecting the Great Lakes (who doesn't?), wants to give high-schoolers more options for vocational training.
      
       Chuck Stadler (D)- Apart from what is possibly the most typo-ridden campaign website ever, there's nothing here that particularly stands out.
      
  
  
• State Representative. Not much to say here, which is not necessarily a bad thing when you compare to the previous holder of the office. No real primary on either side, so here's your two general election candidates:
  
       Gary Howell (R)- The incumbent. I've had a few issues with Howell's votes and stances in the time he's been in office, but by and large, he's done exactly what he's said he would do, and has made an effort to push new transparency laws through the House. Obviously not being primaried, and as he's already won this seat twice handily, there's not much reason to think he faces much of a challenge.
  
       Chris Giles (D)- Part of me half expected ex-Imlay City mayor and two-time runner-up for this seat Margaret DeLuca to go for it again. But as such, political newcomer Giles is the only candidate running. Strongly aligned with the Bizon-Batterbee "progressive" wing of the area party. Hey, when you're already cannon fodder against an incumbent in a solidly red county, why not go for broke?
  
  
• Ballot Proposals. There are renewals up for the senior citizen millage and the Lapeer Community Schools millage, both of which should pass, but the real point of contention here has been a proposed library millage, which would go towards building a new library on the corner of M-21 and Millville. Naturally, with a price tag of $13 million, opposition has emerged, though riddled with false information. "It's too far away; it's not even in city limits!" You mean to say that Rolland-Warner Middle School isn't in city limits, and a location in front of that campus is too far for students at that school, Zemmer, Mott, and the School Formerly Known As Lapeer West? And that extra 1.3 miles, otherwise known as "a three-minute drive, an eight-minute bike ride, or a less than 25-minute walk" is too much to ask anyone east of the library to travel? The only other argument really out up against it is "the one we have is just fine!" But is it? The library has made several arguments that the space isn't large enough to accommodate the parking needed, nor to be able to make technology more readily available for those without, nor to host the programs they want to without paying out to book one act multiple times in succession, nor to add more books without eliminating the ones they already have. And studies have found that libraries return on average $5-10 for every dollar invested, and that millenials are more likely to use public libraries than older generations. As for the current location, that would go back to the city, likely to be used as a new city hall. What do you do with the old one? Personally, I'd like to see them move in some of the dozens of offices taking up storefronts downtown and free up some space for actual retail, because that is what is going to attract people to downtown, but that's just me.

     As always, don't just take my word for it; I've linked campaign websites and FB pages in the name of each candidate here, so you can read up more on them for yourself. Research. Ask questions. Hell, ask questions of the candidates themselves!

     If they can't answer them, then maybe they don't deserve your vote.