Questions will be answered in the Primary Election set for August 2, 2010. Pictured above are candidates: (L) Jennifer Cass Barnes, (Top Right) Charles Brunner and (Bottom Right) Brian Elder. Big Questions to be Answered Aug. 3 in District Judge, State Rep Races
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Jennifer Cass Barnes --- Who Faces Four Challengers in an Aug. 3 Primary -- Will Her Incumbency listing actually be an asset?"
That question, asked by Bill Ballenger in his recent statewide newsletter "Inside Michigan Politics," will be answered two weeks from Tuesday, on Aug. 3 when local voters go to the polls for the primary election.
Another question that will be resolved is whether the celebrity of Mayor Charles Brunner, on his trips to Washington to "save" the auto industry here, will carry over to votes for state representative.
The race between Brunner and Brian Elder may come down to a city vs. county standoff, some political observers speculate, noting the city has had considerable negative news what with police and firefighters plastering the town with ads aiming to convince the public not to support staff cuts.
Brunner, of course, has gone out on a limb to issue vetoes to stop police and fire staff reductions. How that will play with the public is an uncertain bet, but it would appear to be good politics.
Both candidates promise "jobs, jobs, jobs" -- par for the course -- but probably something state legislators can do little to affect in the long run.
Dozens of candidates who have furiously been staging fundraisers and pounding on doors have stirred the pot of voters who are expected to turn out in good, but not astronomically high, numbers on Tuesday, Aug. 3.
Primaries are often ho-hum affairs, but with five Republican hopefuls for governor and two Democrats scrapping for advantage, plus the local fisticuffs, observers see more than usual interest on the part of voters.
Republicans Mike Cox, the current attorney general, and U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, are running neck-and-neck in the polls. However, that may not mean much if "The Nerd," Rick Snyder, throws big money at the race in the next two weeks with a TV blitz. That may be his only chance.
Meanwhile, former Gov. William Milliken, a moderate Republican from Traverse City, has endorsed Snyder, calling him "a refreshing new presence." As a young student 30 years ago, Snyder was a volunteer in one of Milliken's campaigns.
With the Republicans chopping themselves to bits, that would seem to leave a glimmer for the survivor of the Democratic face-off with at least an even chance to win in November. But, if history is any barometer, this would probably be a year the GOP has the advantage.
Outgoing Democratic governor Jennifer Granholm has been burning bridges all over the place, according to informed observers, especially with appointments to judicial posts that are raising the ire of local attorneys in Saginaw, Gratiot and other counties.
Also, scandals have a way of breaking in the waning days of a campaign, so perhaps we could expect some more dirt to surface in some of the races.
After local attorneys went to the State Court of Appeals last month to challenge the incumbency designation of recently appointed Jennifer Cass Barnes, things apparently have quieted down in the race for a six year district judgeship.
The players were all business in a forum hosted by a local lawyer recently but behind the scenes the action remains contentious. It will no doubt remain so until November as the two top vote getters in a field of five slug it out to the finish.
Big money is being thrown at the race, reflected by the sign wars and television ads aired by some of the candidates. Remember, this is about a $120,000 a year job, with big pension benefits, so for attorneys it is the "golden goose" ready to lay an egg for whoever can claim it.
Voters get to pick only one candidate out of five, so some surprises may be in store, especially if the turnout is lighter than expected.
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