In response to Michigan Republicans’ chaos and disarray showing no signs of stopping anytime soon, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement:
“As Michiganders head to the polls for early voting, the Michigan GOP is still a raging dumpster fire ahead of their dueling nominating contests – and it looks like it’s only getting worse. After they tried to replace one problematic Trump loyalist party chair with another as part of a messy leadership fight, it appears the Michigan GOP’s logic is to just pour gasoline on the fire and hope for the best. We’ll see how that goes in November.”
In Michigan, statewide early in-person voting began today — but neverending chaos from state party Republicans spell disaster for the upcoming primary (and rival caucus-style convention).
New York Times: “As early in-person voting began on Saturday in Michigan, a fight for control of the G.O.P. in the crucial battleground state plunged Republicans there deeper into a political maelstrom, with rival factions potentially barreling toward hosting dueling nominating conventions. As if things weren’t already confusing.”
“In a little over a week, the state will host a traditional primary on one day, and then a caucus-style convention a few days later. Now, it seems, there could actually be two conventions, in different parts of the state, each claiming legitimacy.”
The Detroit News: “Some of the meetings were marked by feuding, shouting and the presence of police. At the convention in Genesee County, a group whose members dubbed themselves the ‘MAGA Midnight Riders’ attempted to take over. In Oakland County, Kristina Karamo, whom some Republicans believe is still chairwoman of the Michigan GOP, was both applauded and heckled. At one point, Karamo could be heard telling one critic to ‘quit the alcohol.’”
Michigan Republicans’ problems began when Trump was elected — and they haven’t known peace ever since.
Mother Jones: “Radicals Took Over the Michigan GOP. Now They Can’t Stop Losing.”
Mother Jones: “Just seven years ago, Donald Trump became the first Republican presidential candidate to win Michigan since George H.W. Bush. But as the state GOP moved further and further to the right, Democrats capitalized on the extremism to string together major victories in 2018, 2020, and 2022, when they took full control of the state government for the first time in four decades. In the wake of this rout, the GOP has doubled down.”
Mother Jones: “The Michigan GOP ended up having its worst performance in decades. DePerno, Dixon, and Karamo lost by 9, 11, and 14 points, respectively. Democrats took back the state House for the first time in more than a decade and gained control of the state Senate for the first time since 1983. On top of that, Trump-backed congressional candidate John Gibbs lost his bid for a seat by 13 points after successfully primarying freshman GOP Rep. Peter Meijer, who had voted to impeach Trump and belongs to one of Michigan’s wealthiest families.”
CNN: “‘Incompetent dumpster fire’: Michigan GOP rocked by financial turmoil and infighting”
“Kristina Karamo – a former community college professor with limited political experience – became the head of the state party in February after pushing far-right election conspiracy theories and promising to end the party’s reliance on traditional wealthy donors. Now, some of the pro-Trump party members who voted Karamo into office have soured on her leadership and accuse her administration of working to destroy the party by failing to fundraise and sparking division among the party rank-and-file.”
Associated Press: “Michigan’s attorney general filed felony charges Tuesday against 16 Republicans who acted as fake electors for then-President Donald Trump in 2020, accusing them of submitting false certificates that confirmed they were legitimate electors despite Joe Biden’s victory in the state.”
The Michigan Republican Party is entering 2024 with their weakest operation yet, all thanks to Trump, and it’s clear no one has learned their lesson.
Bridge Michigan: “Donald Trump on Friday recognized Pete Hoekstra as chair of the Michigan Republican Party, throwing his political weight behind the former ambassador amid an ongoing leadership dispute.
“The support for Hoekstra by the former president doesn’t settle the dispute but puts significant pressure on Kristina Karamo to relinquish her claim to the post three weeks after critics voted to oust her in what she called an ‘illegal’ meeting.
“Hoekstra will ‘make The Republican Party of Michigan GREAT AGAIN, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement to be its Chairman,’ Trump wrote on his social media site, Truth Social.”
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