Guns, Booze, And Cigars: West Michigan Republicans Host "ATF Party" November 4th

By Brandon Hall
(Email Him At WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

The West Michigan Republicans are hosting an "ATF Party" fundraiser on November 4th in Ada.

The event will take place from 3-7pm at the Kent County Conservation Center.

From 3-5, attendees will take part in gun range activities featuring a wide variety of firearms.

From 5-7, attendees will enjoy "cigars, fine whiskey, and fellowship."

The cost of the event is $75. Tickets are available at ATFParty.EventBrite.com

>>>Those interested in sponsoring the event can reach Diane Schindlbeck at schindysplace@gmail.com.

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com
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Casey VanderWeide Launches Campaign For MIGOP Youth Vice Chair

VanderWeide, left, with husband Samuel

By Brandon Hall
(Email Him At WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

The race to replace outgoing MIGOP Youth Vice Chair Michael Banerian has started, and one candidate is already receiving a lot of buzz. 

Her name is Casey VanderWeide, and she's hoping the Michigan Republican Party's State Committee, who will decide Banerian's replacement, chooses her. Banerian left his post after announcing he's running for State House...

VanderWeide, a recent Michigan grad, worked with Michigan Republican Party Chair Ron Weiser last year during his run for U of M Board Of Regents. She was also the Southeast Michigan Chair of the College Republican National Committee.

Also worth noting: VanderWeide is a military wife, her husband Samuel is a Marine.

According to a Facebook statement, VanderWeide says she's ready to serve.

"As you may have heard, Michael Banerian is stepping down as Youth Vice Chair in order to run for the Michigan State House," VanderWeide said. "After much consideration and encouragement from fellow Republican activists, I have decided to run for Youth Vice Chair. I am running because of my passion for grassroots politics, not because I view it as a resume builder or as a means of advancement to run for higher levels of office."

Her statement continues:
"My past experience interning for Ambassador and Chairman Ron Weiser, during his race for the University of Michigan Board of Regents and for his Chairman's race, has demonstrated to me the importance of grassroots involvement.

I also served as the Southeast Michigan Chair of the College Republican National Committee during this past election cycle, in which we turned Michigan Red again and showed the nation that Michigan is a priority. My goal as Youth Vice Chair would be to continue our success and to grow the amount of young activists in our party by developing a statewide program that involves our teenage, college, and young republicans that shows our party's real values.

The Democrats are expecting 2018 to be their year for success. I do not. I believe that we can repeat the same midterm election success that we experienced in 2010 under Chairman Weiser's leadership, with me serving as the next Youth Vice Chair.

However, I cannot do this alone. I will need your support in order to accomplish our goals of keeping Michigan Red by unseating Senator Stabenow, winning the gubernatorial, attorney general, and secretary of state elections, in addition to maintaining our majorities in the Michigan Senate and House."

So far, the only other candidate who has declared is Mike Sullivan of the Grand Valley Republicans... Stay tuned!

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com
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Veteran And State Rep. Tom Barrett BLASTS House Dems For Shocking Prayer+Pledge Of Allegiance Protest

State Rep. Tom Barrett with wife Ashley and family

By Brandon Hall
(Email Him At WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

As National Anthem hysteria continues to spread across America, the Michigan House Dems have decided to join in on the action with their own version of "taking a knee."

Earlier today, many members of the House Dems caucus protested during the opening prayer and Pledge of Allegiance, refusing to participate in a decades long tradition of the Michigan Legislature.

State Rep. Tom Barrett, who has served in the Army for many years (and continues to serve while in the House) absolutely shredded his peers in a Facebook statement.

Barrett called the move "pandering," adding "of course I believe in the right of free speech. I also believe in my right to express my disappointment in their decision."

 Barrett is the leading State Senate candidate to replace Sen. Rick Jones in 2018.

Read Barrett's statement below:

"Today, in a clear attempt to pander to some constituency, members of the House Democratic Caucus protested the Pledge of Allegiance on the floor of the House of Representatives. Each day as we gavel into session we open with prayer and the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. It is a completely non-controversial and unifying reminder of the gravity of the decisions we make on behalf of our constituents. 

Today, however, members of the House Democratic Caucus decided to protest that. 
Here is the reality-we are not entertainers, celebrities, or athletes. We don't make ESPN highlight reels, we make laws that affect the lives of our neighbors, our kids, and our communities. 

Unlike NFL football players, each and every legislator took an oath of office pledging to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of the State of Michigan. The Pledge of Allegiance serves as a reminder of that oath that we all took on our first day in office. It brings to the front of my mind each day the gravity of the decisions we make in our State Capitol. None of us are forced to come here and represent our districts. This is a voluntary position. Any member who protests the unifying message of our Pledge of Allegiance-and to the republic for which it stands-should examine their priorities and decide if they are fit to serve. Do we not have any shared values anymore in our society? Is there nothing we can find as common ground with one another, not even our Pledge of Allegiance to our flag? 

Some of you are familiar with the story of my great-grandfather, Louis Rabaut. He was a congressman from Michigan who is best known for adding the words "under God" to our Pledge of Allegiance in the early 1950s. Amazingly he was a Democrat. I never met him because he died 20 years before I was born. I'm sure he is rolling over in his grave today from the embarrassment of what has become of this sad display.

And before anyone asks-yes, of course I believe in the right of free speech. I also believe in my right to express my disappointment in their decision."

According to MIRS:

"Ten members of the House Democratic caucus linked arms on the House floor today as opposed to putting their hand over their heart for the Pledge of Allegiance as a way to draw attention to racial injustices..." 

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com
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Senate Candidate John James Killed Terrorists While In The Military (And He's Happy To Tell You About It)

By Brandon Hall
(Email Him At WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

John James, a decorated Vet, West Point grad, and successful businessman, is running for the Republican nomination for Senate. James is hoping Debbie Stabenow to the unemployment line.

Earlier this week, James released a strong video that has many people talking.

In it, James openly brags about killing terrorists during his time in the military.

“I flew 750 hours of combat in Baghdad, and on exactly zero occasions did anybody ask me my age before I put a hellfire missile down a terrorist’s throat,” James said.

>>>Check out the ad HERE

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com
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No Support For President Trump? A Tale Of Two Mackinac's

By Brandon Hall
(Email Him At WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

Reading comments about the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference from Detroit News Editor Nolan Finley, as well as political operative Dennis "The Menace" Lennox, I found myself immensely perplexed... Did they attend the same conference I did?

Finley and Lennox claim they saw almost no support for President Trump on the Island. Lennox even compared the President to Voldemort from Harry Potter, claiming Mr. Trump was "he who shall not be named."

While the focus of the conference was on Michigan politics and 2018, there was no shortage of support for President Trump on Mackinac.

People wore Trump hats, shirts, and buttons all over the place! The Michigan Trump Republicans had a strong presence, and a Trump impersonator who attended multiple events was a YUGE hit. 

According to Matt Maddock of the Michigan Conservative Coalition, who brought him to the island, the impersonator took over 1,000 pictures with people, mostly conference attendees, and even some tourists.

Attend pretty much any reception, and President Trump was right at the top of issues being discussed.

As I took a cigar break and watched the U of M/Purdue game through the window of the restaurant next to my hotel, a young Hispanic waitress came outside after seeing my MAGA hat just to tell me how thrilled she was with the President.

She said if it were not for Mr. Trump bringing down the waves of illegal immigration, she wouldn't have had a job this year, as many illegals are hired during the summer to staff the Island's establishments. That's just one of many conversations that took place regarding President Trump over the weekend.

What Finley and Lennox seem to be referring to is the crowd over at the Grand Hotel. 

There, the official program took place, and it was entirely Michigan focused. Even then, multiple speakers mentioned President Trump, including RNC Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, and multiple Congressman on the legislative panel.

Don't get me wrong, a lot of great folks hang out at the Grand. However, that is also where many of the big donors and establishments stalwarts post up, they rarely venture on down the road to mingle with the grassroots activists and local party leaders attending receptions and events.

If they had, they'd find a much different scene than at the Grand, where make no mistake, President Trump was far from "he who shall not be named," he was the talk of the town, with repeated displays of support from all sorts of people.

It's clear that two Mackinac's exist, the one at the Grand, and the one down the road. Don't buy into claims or insinuations that Michigan Republicans don't have President Trump's back, they overwhelmingly support him.

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com
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Michigan Chamber Of Commerce Pushes For Repeal Of Term Limits

MI Chamber CEO Rich Studley

By Brandon Hall
(Email Him At WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

Michigan voters overwhelmingly support term limits for state legislators, but it's no secret Lansing insiders fantasize over removing or amending them.Any change would require a constitutional amendment...

The latest effort to change Michigan's term limits is coming from the Michigan Chamber Of Commerce.

The Chamber says they are studying the issue for a possible ballot campaign, and will decide in January of 2018 on how to move forward. In addition to term limits, they are also looking at ways "to improve the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of the state legislature."

According to a statement from the Chamber CEO Rich Studley:

"“The Michigan Chamber’s Board of Directors today voted to direct Chamber staff to reach out to other individuals and groups to determine if there is sufficient organizational and financial support to move forward next year with a possible amendment to the State Constitution regarding term limits and government accountability," Studley said. "This government reform effort could focus on revising term limits and other changes to improve the effectiveness, accountability and transparency of the state legislature. The specifics of this government accountability proposal remain to be determined. Chamber staff will report back to the Board of Directors in January 2018.”

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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com
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Epstein And Rocky Enter 11th District Congressional Race As Trott Retirement Rewrites Michigan's 2018 Script

By Brandon Hall
(Email Him At WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com)

Rep. David Trott is calling it quits, opting not to run for a third term in 2018. Trott says his retirement is consistent with the Founding Fathers vision of a citizen's legislature, legislators serving briefly, then returning to the private sector. 

With an open primary in a Republican friendly district now in play, all hell is breaking loose as the race begins to impact other contests: the script for Michigan politics in 2018 has been tossed out and is now undergoing a rewrite.

Rocky Raczkowski was the first out of the gate to declare for the Trott seat. 

Raczkowski, a businessman and Veteran who led President Trump's Michigan Veterans coalition in 2016, has run for Congress before, losing by just 2% to now Sen. Gary Peters when he represented the old 9th Congressional District. Rocky is popular among conservative grassroots leaders, he's been around the block with a race like this before, and make no mistake, he will be a major player in this immensely competitive campaign.

Businesswoman Lena Epstein dropped out of the US Senate race earlier this week to run for the 11th District seat. Epstein plays well in the suburban Detroit district and will definitely be a front runner. This move leaves John James in a great position to capture momentum, as many of Epstein's supporters want an outsider candidate to take on Debbie Stabenow. James, a decorated West Point Veteran and businessman, definitely fits the bill.

State Sen. Mike Kowall has announced he is dropping out of the race for Secretary of State and is rumored to be declaring for the 11th District seat soon. Kowall shouldn't be underestimated by anyone in this race... Kowall's exit leaves Shelby Township Clerk Stan Grot in a prime position to capture the nomination, though MSU Professor Joseph Guzman has plans of his own.

State Rep. Klint Kesto is said to be passing on the State Senate race to replace Kowall and instead may enter the Trott replacement battle. That leaves former State Rep. Hugh Crawford and State Rep. Jim Runestad on the ballot for that primary.

A big wildcard? Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard. 

Bouchard is said to be the top choice to replace L. Brooks Patterson as Oakland County Executive in 2020. Bouchard can run for Congress and fall back on the Patterson seat if needed, but if he runs and wins the Trott seat, Republicans may have a tough time keeping Patterson's office in 2020. With high name ID and the ability to fundraise, Bouchard would be a major player in the Trott replacement fight should he choose to enter...

Other races and candidates may be impacted in the future, so stay tuned! One thing's for sure, Michigan's 2018 political script is undergoing a big league rewrite. Who will come out on top? We won't know until the finale...but it will be a fun season!
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Brandon Hall is a lifelong political nerd from Grand Haven, and is the Managing Editor of West Michigan Politics.

>>>Email him at WestMIPolitics@Gmail.com
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