Michigan’s 2010 General Elections

By Roger Martin, APR

Nov. 2

Last day to

register Oct.

4

• New Governor and Lieutenant Governor

• Attorney General and Secretary of State

• All 148 members of the Legislature

• Michigan’s 15 (for now) members of the U.S. House of Representatives

Nov. 2 will decide…• New Governor & Lieutenant Governor• Attorney General & Secretary of State• All 148 Legislators• Michigan’s 15 (for now) members of

the U.S. House of Representatives

• Two Supreme Court justices • Two statewide ballot questions• State Appeals Court• More than 700 county commission

seats and 200 local judicial offices

Governor & Lt. GovernorVirg Bernero

“Angriest Mayor”

Mayor of Lansing

Running mate:Brenda Lawrence,Mayor of Southfield

Rick Snyder“One Tough

Nerd”

Former Gateway President

Running mate:Brian Calley,State Rep. of

Portland

Attorney GeneralDavid Leyton

Genesee CountyProsecutor

Bill Schuette

Former member of Congress,

State Senator,State Agriculture

Department director,

Appeals Court judge

Secretary of StateJocelyn Benson

Highly regarded assistant law professor at

Wayne State University

Ruth Johnson

Oakland County Clerk,

Former State Rep.,Dick DeVos’ running mate for Lt. Gov. in

2006

Michigan Legislature

•All 148 state lawmakers face voters — 38 in state Senate; 110 in House.

•29 of 38 state Senators are term limited

•34 of 100 state House members are term limited

State Supreme Court•Millions will be spent on both sides of what is supposed to be a “nonpartisan” office.

•Big prize is majority control of the court and the ultimate decision on “reapportionment”

•Republican nominees are incumbent Justice Robert Young, and Wayne County Circuit Judge Mary Beth Kelly

•Democratic nominees are Appeals Court Judge Alton Thomas Davis and Oakland County Circuit Court Judge Langford Morris

Young and KellyJustice Robert

Young

• Former general counsel of AAA Michigan

• Appointed by Engler in 1999, elected in 2002

• Conservative Incumbent

Mary Beth Kelly

• Former commercial litigation at Dickinson Wright

• Appointed by Engler

Davis and MorrisAlton Thomas

Davis

• Current Appeals Court Judge

• Incumbent appointed after Justice Elizabeth Weaver resigned

Langford Morris

• Oakland County Circuit Court Judge since 1992

• Appointed by Engler and won three times

State Supreme Court

Alton Thomas Davis

Langford Morris

Justice Robert Young

Mary Beth Kelly

?

U.S. House of Representatives

• We will elect all 15 (for now) of Michigan’s members in the U.S. House

• Likely to lose seat after reapportionment

• Michigan’s current delegation includes 8 Democrats, 7 Republicans

• Three competitive races

1st Congressional DistrictUpper Peninsula/Part of Northern MI

Gary McDowell

Current State Rep. from Rudyard

Dan Benishek

Tea Party Activist

Surgeon from Crystal Falls

7st Congressional DistrictSouth-Central Lower Michigan

Mark Schauer

First-term U.S. Rep. from Battle Creek

Tim Walberg

U.S. Rep from Tipton

9st Congressional DistrictPart of Oakland County

Gary Peters

First-term U.S. Rep. from Bloomfield Hills

Rocky Raczkowski

Former state House Rep. from

Farmington Hills

U.S. House of Representatives

• Incumbents will win the 12 other seats• Democrats control:– U.S. House: 255-178 with 2 vacancies– U.S. Senate: 57-41, 2 independents holding

seats• GOP must:– win 39 seats held by Democrats to gain

control of U.S. House. – win 10 seats held by Democrats to gain

control of the U.S. Senate.

Two Statewide Ballot Questions

Prop 10-1 •Con-con?

Prop 10-2

•No felons in office

Two Statewide Ballot Questions

Proposal 1• Every 16 years MI voters are

asked if the state should hold a constitutional convention. – If passes, 148 convention

delegates would be elected in a statewide election held by May 3, 2011.

– Delegates would meet in Lansing by Oct. 4, 2011.

– Convention would be unlimited in scope and content — delegates could write a new constitution or offer any amendment.

– If an amendment or a new constitution is approved, it must be presented to all MI voters within 90 days

Proposal 2• Would prohibit certain

felons from holding elected office in Michigan.

Objective & Useful Information

www.MIVote.org•Non-partisan guide to candidates and issues

Secretary of State- http://bit.ly/7cJZSH•Elections in Michigan website

www.MichiganTruthSquad.com•Non-partisan website providing analyses of campaign ads and literature from candidates for Gov., state Legislature and Congress

Thank you.

Roger Martin, APR@AdvocateMan

rmartin@mwadvocacy.com