Down goes another one
Michigan is one of the most pivotal electoral states (along with Pennsylvania and Wisconsin) that Democrats need to win in not just presidential election years but do well in midterm years as well, if we are to avoid slipping further down the path of autocracy that Republicans have been threatening us with. While Michigan currently has a strong Democratic governor who is up for re-election, the state’s Republican primary for governor has been a horror show – a playing field of extremists – half of which were disqualified for forging signatures to get on the ballot, among them the candidate many pundits expected to be the frontrunner.
Now, another Republican candidate – Ryan Kelley – has been arrested outside his home by the FBI for his participation in the January 6 hearings. This is coming at the worst possible time for the GOP – as they’re trying to make the case that what happened that day was little more than a protest – or a secret plot by Antifa that they did all they could to block the investigation of. Kelley is unfortunately captured on video declaring the event as war – and has been charged with trespassing along with knowingly engaging in an act of physical violence against a person or property.
While many of you are focused on particular congressional Republicans or Republican governors you don’t like, an important part of the battle we’re going into is saving seats that we worked hard to flip in the last midterm election. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is an important one to get behind. The GOP nominee will be disastrous for the state no matter who they pick while Whitmer has presided over a budget surplus and supported investment in clean energy while fighting for abortion rights in the state. It also helps if she has a Democratic-controlled legislature to enact her agenda.
James Sullivan is the assistant editor of Brain World Magazine and an advocate of science-based policy making