Maybe there won’t be a Republican primary for the 47th District state House seat after all.
Current state Rep. Hank Vaupel can’t run again because of term limits. So far, Livingston County Commissioner Bob Bezotte, who was Livingston County Sheriff until he decided to not seek re-election in 2016, has thrown his hat into the ring for that seat, as did fellow Republican and Howell resident Mike Detmer, which meant there would be a primary.
But in a tweet today, Detmer said he is considering foregoing his primary run for the state House seat, and running instead against U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, the Democrat from Holly who knocked off incumbent Republican Mike Bishop in 2016.
In his tweet, Detmer asked for input about whether he should run against the freshman representative, who will likely prove a formidable candidate for whoever challenges her; so far, no Republican has filed to take on Slotkin in the general election.
State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder, R-Dexter, who is in her first term, is reportedly considering a run against Slotkin. A registered nurse, she is an adjunct faculty member at Washtenaw Community College and the University of Detroit Mercy.
Detmer, with 15 years in the automotive industry, 10 years in the lending industry, and is a licensed Realtor, has said that he’s not a politician, which is why voters should elect him.
“My experience is the same as most of the voters in my district,” Detmer said in a release earlier this year about his intention to run for the state House seat. “You get up, work hard, and do what you need to do to take care of your family. The vast majority of the people I know in Livingston County don’t have time for excuses and are fed up with ineffective career politicians. That’s why I’m running.”
The 8th Congressional District includes all of Livingston and Ingham counties, as well as northern Oakland County.
