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Issue 1465 April 22, 2012
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(L/R) Mike Green, Ron Mindykowski and Kevin Daley

NEW BALLPARK: Dems in Full Court Press to Regain State Senate Seat

Does Redistricting Give Bay Teacher Leverage in Challenge to Mike Green?

April 14, 2014       Leave a Comment
By: Dave Rogers

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The upcoming Bay area state senate race provides some new chin-scratching aspects for political observers to consider:

1-A new ballpark with the addition of Lapeer County, unfamiliar territory to both Senator Mike Green, 65, and Democratic challenger Ron Mindykowski, 52,and the elimination of Arenac, Huron and Sanilac counties;

2-A Republican primary in August, pitting term-limited State Rep. Kevin Daley, 56, R-Attica, (Lapeer County) against Green, R-Mayville, (Tuscola County).

An all-star cast of Michigan Democrats will help launch local teacher Ron Mindykowski's bid for the 31st State Senate seat on May 1.

"The residents of the 31st District have gone four years without a Senator working for them," Mindykowski wrote, charging hard out of the gate in a fund-raising and rally-announcing letter.

Mindykowski already has sparred tentatively with Green in a Bay City Times interview with reporter Sam Easter, causing the GOP stalwart to explain his vote in favor of taxing retirees' pensions, opting to grant business tax breaks he felt would create jobs.

Green had defeated former State Rep. Jeff Mayes in 2010 with help from a blizzard of an estimated $1 million in advertising from Republican groups and a GOP wave of voter approval that swept the state.

This time, the political sages speculate, perhaps there won't be so much GOP funding after a primary -- a process that often saps the campaign finance strength from the winner.

The opponents, whoever they are, will square off in a newly configured district, now just including Bay (Mindykowski's home), Tuscola (Green's home base) and Lapeer (newly added to the district and Daley's home).

Daley is seen by some as a heavy-hitter in state agricultural politics, having been president of the Michigan Milk Producers Association and currently chair of the House Agriculture Committee.

Meanwhile, the Michigan Democratic Party sees a hole possibly opening and is ready to run for daylight should the light appear. The prospect of grasping a seat despite redistricting shenanigans by the opposition is no doubt intriguing to the underdogs.

The district is considered a tossup, although Barack Obama beat John McCain in 2012 by a 53-47 ratio, more than 7,000 votes, George Bush won it over John Kerry by 4,600 tallies.

"The Homegrown Choice for Change," headlined the announcement of a rally Thursday, May 1 5-8 p.m. at Arbeitoer Hall, 1304 S. Wenona St., will feature Senate Democratic Leader Gretchen Whitmer, Senators Rebekah Warren and Jim Ananich, former state senator and Member of Congress James Barcia, State Rep. Charles Brunner, Bay County Executive Thomas L. Hickner and former Bay County commission chair Brian Elder, an attorney in Auburn.

Mindykowski forcefully stated his priority: education funding.

"I have been appalled by the drastic cuts to public education and it is one of the main issues that have inspired me to run for the State Senate," he wrote. He also took aim at Gov. Rick Snyder's "higher taxes for middle class families and seniors," and said his goals included eliminating the new retirement tax."

Mindykowski did not mention Green's latest legislative initiative, a bill legalizing the sale of short-barreled shotguns recently adopted by the Legislature and signed by the Governor.

On his website Green said that while the primary justification for the legislation was concern over the previous ban's constitutionality, many firearms manufacturers and retailers pushed for the change because of the potential economic benefit.

"This legislation was primarily about taking yet another step in state law to better recognize the Second Amendment rights of the people," Green said, restating a consistent theme that more liberal gun laws are desirable. "But it also opens the door for firearms manufacturers and retailers to consider Michigan as a real option for doing business and creating jobs."

The race may come down to whoever appeals more to seniors, ala the tax hike aspect, and to urbanites, with the more heavily rural counties of Arenac, Huron and Sanilac now out of the picture. Lapeer, listing 63,600 registered voters, is a balance to Bay, with 79,200 registered.

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Dave Rogers

Dave Rogers is a former editorial writer for the Bay City Times and a widely read,
respected journalist/writer in and around Bay City.
(Contact Dave Via Email at carraroe@aol.com)

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