Posted by Dan from Michigan.
Be there or be square.
FreeRepublic
There are two special elections here.
The first one is for the state senate seat, district 26 which covers Livingston, Shiawasse, and Clinton Counties. This seat was held by Mike Rogers of Brighton, who is now our congressman. This is a heavily republican area(Clinton County and Livingston County are 2/3 to 3/4 repub, Shiawasse 50/50 but Bush won).
The three frontrunners are:
Valde Garcia - State rep from Clinton County. I'll be meeting him tonight at a gun rights meeting in Dimondale. He wrote a gun rights article I posted a long time ago. . He is also pro-life. I'll be meeting him at a gun rights meeting tonight in Dimondale about 20 minutes from where I am.
Judie Scranton - She's a moderate republican. Many don't like her since she is pro-choice. She is currently my state rep. I'm a friend of the family as well(I played football with her son). She always answers my emails, and she is good on the 2nd amendment, although quiet on it.
Larry Julian - I have one problem with Julian, and it isn't him. He's from a swing district that can do democrat. His views are about the same as Garcia's and he is an ex-State police trooper.
The also rans are repubs Richard Samul, Richard Sheffer, and democrats Bob Burns, Thomas Ford, and Rosemary Reed. They don't have a chance, and I never heard of any of them.
Macomb County - State rep district 33.
I believe this was Janet Kukuk's seat. She was a strong pro-gunner, and unfortunatly passed away of cancer.
I know little about the candidates here. The repubs are Daniel Acciavatti, Nicholyn Brandenberg, Maria Carl, Leon Drolet, Linda Harcrove, Roger Krzeminsky, Richard Puffer, Kenneth Reiff, Mark Sanborn, Wayne Stanford, and Kathy Vosburg.
Democrats running - Norman Dueweke, Scott Mazey, Joe Miller, and Richard Onaga.
Please VOTE February 27
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More good, detailed info from Dan:
Vacant House seat attracts 15 contenders
By: Chad Selweski, Macomb Daily Staff Writer January 24, 2001
A crowd of 15 candidates have filed for the north Macomb state House seat that became vacant in November upon the death of Rep. Janet Kukuk. The seat will be filled in an upcoming special election.
The 33rd District vacancy attracted 11 Republican candidates as Tuesday's filing deadline passed. But perhaps the biggest surprise was that four Democrats have set their sights on the seat, despite the GOP dominance of the district.(BTW - MCRGO says this one will be TOUGH)
The 33rd District encompasses Macomb Township, Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore, New Haven, Lenox Township and northern Clinton Township.
The Democratic contenders in the Feb. 27 primary election are Macomb Township businessman Richard Onaga, teacher Norman Dueweke of Macomb Township, New Baltimore attorney Scott Mazey and political newcomer Joe Miller, also of New Baltimore.
An insurance and financial services agent, Onaga lost a 1998 bid for county commissioner but he believes a Democrat may have a chance of victory in the 33rd District in an unusual, mid-winter vote.
"In a special election, anything can happen," said Onaga, 48. "In a special election, turnouts are traditionally very low. Whoever can get their voters out has a chance."
Onaga said he will run as a moderate Democrat stressing education and environmental issues, as well as his experience as a member of the Macomb Township recreation board, the Clinton-Macomb library board and the Central Macomb County Chamber of Commerce board.
Dueweke, a frequent commentator on the local political scene, is making another run for office after an unsuccessful campaign for county commissioner in 1992 and for the Chippewa Valley school board in 1999. He said he will run in opposition to the state's new concealed weapons law, which will allow most citizens to carry a pistol for protection.
"I'm for gun control and (against) the CCW law, it's one of those Dave Jaye laws," said Dueweke, 58, referring to the GOP state senator who co-sponsored the gun legislation.
In contrast, Mazey, making his first run for office, hopes to portray himself as a conservative Democrat who can appeal to Republican voters in the March 20 general election.
"A lot of times people vote Republican, not really knowing why they're Republican," said Mazey, 32. "I'm a strong NRA (National Rifle Association) member. That's not normally a Democratic forte, but I feel strongly about the (gun) issue."
While Mazey supports the state's new concealed weapons law, he's also appealing to traditional Democratic support from labor, particularly the United Auto Workers. Mazey's grandfather, Emil Mazey, served as secretary-treasurer of the UAW International for decades.
Miller, 69, is a retired Air Force recruiter and military policeman who said he opposes the "obscene" pay raises proposed for legislators. Miller said he would also favor eliminating government pensions for state elected officials.
"Elected officials, after they're in office for some time, become politicians," he said.
The Republican front-runners in the crowded race are county Commissioners Leon Drolet and Nicki Brandenburg, sheriff's department Det. Sgt. Mark Sanborn and Maria Carl, wife of the late state Sen. Doug Carl.
All four made their intentions of running known weeks ago.
Other Republicans in the field are:
Former Macomb Township trustee Roger Krzeminski, 59, who lost a bid for township treasurer in the August 2000 primary.
GOP activist Kenneth Reiff, 40, a first-time candidate from Clinton Township.
Daniel Acciavatti, 29, of Chesterfield Township, vice president of PAMAR Enterprises, a family-owned, New Haven-based road building company. Acciavatti's father, Pat, recently served as chairman of the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners.
Kathy Vosburg, 48, who served as an aide to Janet Kukuk. Vosburg, a Chesterfield Township resident, has won the endorsement of Kukuk's daughter, Tamara Rungtranont.
Linda Hargrove, 42, of Macomb Township, a dance instructor at Dakota High School.
Richard Puffer, 49, of Chesterfield Township, an employee at the Macomb County Community Mental Health Department.
Wayne Stanford, 35, who ran unsuccessfully in November as an independent candidate for Lenox Township supervisor.
Be there or be square.
FreeRepublic
There are two special elections here.
The first one is for the state senate seat, district 26 which covers Livingston, Shiawasse, and Clinton Counties. This seat was held by Mike Rogers of Brighton, who is now our congressman. This is a heavily republican area(Clinton County and Livingston County are 2/3 to 3/4 repub, Shiawasse 50/50 but Bush won).
The three frontrunners are:
Valde Garcia - State rep from Clinton County. I'll be meeting him tonight at a gun rights meeting in Dimondale. He wrote a gun rights article I posted a long time ago. . He is also pro-life. I'll be meeting him at a gun rights meeting tonight in Dimondale about 20 minutes from where I am.
Judie Scranton - She's a moderate republican. Many don't like her since she is pro-choice. She is currently my state rep. I'm a friend of the family as well(I played football with her son). She always answers my emails, and she is good on the 2nd amendment, although quiet on it.
Larry Julian - I have one problem with Julian, and it isn't him. He's from a swing district that can do democrat. His views are about the same as Garcia's and he is an ex-State police trooper.
The also rans are repubs Richard Samul, Richard Sheffer, and democrats Bob Burns, Thomas Ford, and Rosemary Reed. They don't have a chance, and I never heard of any of them.
Macomb County - State rep district 33.
I believe this was Janet Kukuk's seat. She was a strong pro-gunner, and unfortunatly passed away of cancer.
I know little about the candidates here. The repubs are Daniel Acciavatti, Nicholyn Brandenberg, Maria Carl, Leon Drolet, Linda Harcrove, Roger Krzeminsky, Richard Puffer, Kenneth Reiff, Mark Sanborn, Wayne Stanford, and Kathy Vosburg.
Democrats running - Norman Dueweke, Scott Mazey, Joe Miller, and Richard Onaga.
Please VOTE February 27
----
More good, detailed info from Dan:
Vacant House seat attracts 15 contenders
By: Chad Selweski, Macomb Daily Staff Writer January 24, 2001
A crowd of 15 candidates have filed for the north Macomb state House seat that became vacant in November upon the death of Rep. Janet Kukuk. The seat will be filled in an upcoming special election.
The 33rd District vacancy attracted 11 Republican candidates as Tuesday's filing deadline passed. But perhaps the biggest surprise was that four Democrats have set their sights on the seat, despite the GOP dominance of the district.(BTW - MCRGO says this one will be TOUGH)
The 33rd District encompasses Macomb Township, Chesterfield Township, New Baltimore, New Haven, Lenox Township and northern Clinton Township.
The Democratic contenders in the Feb. 27 primary election are Macomb Township businessman Richard Onaga, teacher Norman Dueweke of Macomb Township, New Baltimore attorney Scott Mazey and political newcomer Joe Miller, also of New Baltimore.
An insurance and financial services agent, Onaga lost a 1998 bid for county commissioner but he believes a Democrat may have a chance of victory in the 33rd District in an unusual, mid-winter vote.
"In a special election, anything can happen," said Onaga, 48. "In a special election, turnouts are traditionally very low. Whoever can get their voters out has a chance."
Onaga said he will run as a moderate Democrat stressing education and environmental issues, as well as his experience as a member of the Macomb Township recreation board, the Clinton-Macomb library board and the Central Macomb County Chamber of Commerce board.
Dueweke, a frequent commentator on the local political scene, is making another run for office after an unsuccessful campaign for county commissioner in 1992 and for the Chippewa Valley school board in 1999. He said he will run in opposition to the state's new concealed weapons law, which will allow most citizens to carry a pistol for protection.
"I'm for gun control and (against) the CCW law, it's one of those Dave Jaye laws," said Dueweke, 58, referring to the GOP state senator who co-sponsored the gun legislation.
In contrast, Mazey, making his first run for office, hopes to portray himself as a conservative Democrat who can appeal to Republican voters in the March 20 general election.
"A lot of times people vote Republican, not really knowing why they're Republican," said Mazey, 32. "I'm a strong NRA (National Rifle Association) member. That's not normally a Democratic forte, but I feel strongly about the (gun) issue."
While Mazey supports the state's new concealed weapons law, he's also appealing to traditional Democratic support from labor, particularly the United Auto Workers. Mazey's grandfather, Emil Mazey, served as secretary-treasurer of the UAW International for decades.
Miller, 69, is a retired Air Force recruiter and military policeman who said he opposes the "obscene" pay raises proposed for legislators. Miller said he would also favor eliminating government pensions for state elected officials.
"Elected officials, after they're in office for some time, become politicians," he said.
The Republican front-runners in the crowded race are county Commissioners Leon Drolet and Nicki Brandenburg, sheriff's department Det. Sgt. Mark Sanborn and Maria Carl, wife of the late state Sen. Doug Carl.
All four made their intentions of running known weeks ago.
Other Republicans in the field are:
Former Macomb Township trustee Roger Krzeminski, 59, who lost a bid for township treasurer in the August 2000 primary.
GOP activist Kenneth Reiff, 40, a first-time candidate from Clinton Township.
Daniel Acciavatti, 29, of Chesterfield Township, vice president of PAMAR Enterprises, a family-owned, New Haven-based road building company. Acciavatti's father, Pat, recently served as chairman of the St. Clair County Board of Commissioners.
Kathy Vosburg, 48, who served as an aide to Janet Kukuk. Vosburg, a Chesterfield Township resident, has won the endorsement of Kukuk's daughter, Tamara Rungtranont.
Linda Hargrove, 42, of Macomb Township, a dance instructor at Dakota High School.
Richard Puffer, 49, of Chesterfield Township, an employee at the Macomb County Community Mental Health Department.
Wayne Stanford, 35, who ran unsuccessfully in November as an independent candidate for Lenox Township supervisor.