Livingston County Sheriff Mike Murphy — whose political ambitions have been the subject of much speculation this past year — confirmed that he is considering a run in the Republican primary for the seat currently held by term-limited state Sen. Lana Theis (R-Brighton).
“I’ve got a lot to sort through,” Murphy said, adding that he hasn’t yet made his final decision.
Murphy’s activities in the last election — from hosting President Donald Trump’s campaign event to video-taping endorsements of other candidates in areas outside Livingston County to getting his own website — have raised his political profile.
The sheriff, a popular member of the Livingston County community, has been involved in many community organizations, including the Second Chance Network, the Salvation Army, the Livingston County United Way, Leadership Livingston, and the Sunrise Rotary Club. He’s also served as chair of the Livingston County Republican Party.
Murphy voluntarily resigned from the LACASA Board of Directors last fall after a tenure of 25 years because he didn’t want the controversy of the Trump visit to cloud the work LACASA does.
Theis — who served four years in the state House and eight in the state Senate — represents Michigan’s 22nd state Senate District, which consists of Livingston County and parts of Genesee, Ingham, Oakland, and Shiawassee counties.
