I attended the Stand Up Livingston candidate forum on July 12 to hear from candidates in the Republican primary. On the roster were some candidates for the Livingston County Board of Commissioners: Meghan Reckling, District 3; Nick Proctor, District 5; and Daniel Schifko, District 6. Also in attendance were Mike Detmer, who is challenging incumbent state Sen. Lana Theis in the 22nd state Senate district, and Matt DePerno, candidate for Michigan’s attorney general.
One may ask why I, a progressive, chose to attend such a meeting. The answer is simple: I don’t live in an echo chamber and I believe in taking an active role in understanding the platform of all candidates, particularly those who may be representing me after the November election.
5th District County Commission race
It’s no secret that the 5th district county commission race is one of the most interesting primaries this county has seen in a while. Because there isn’t a contested Democratic primary, the voting field is essentially open on the Republican side, causing lifelong Democrats to dip their toes into the crossover voting pool.
In the Republican primary, former Howell Mayor Nick Proctor is challenging incumbent Jay Drick.
In a stunning and impressive move last week, Proctor and Kasey Helton, the 5th District Democrat with no primary challenge, vowed bipartisanship toward the advancement of all residents our county. This move, however, was not well-received at the Stand Up Livingston event.
Proctor maintained his composure as the room heated during his presentation. He confirmed his stance on several key issues: being pro-vaccine but anti-mandate; admitting voting irregularities but confirming a Biden win in the 2020 election; and saying he would have voted for accepting the highly publicized $1.5 million in COVID funding that the county commission rejected.
Proctor explained the nuances to the loss of taxable values in Howell that required action to restore 3 mils, but he maintained pride in the low taxes and grants that improved the city. Proctor described himself as a constitutionalist, a pro-Second Amendment candidate who seeks “to represent all of the district,” and who “believes in civil discourse,”
6th District County Commission race
Next up was Daniel Schifko, who cooled off the boiling hot room but not before the self-described “soft spoken” woman moderating had been heckled in a cringeworthy show of disrespect by the emotionally charged crowd.
Down-to-earth with a long history of civic engagement that he says started in the 7th grade, Schifko has served as a trustee on the Brighton Township Board. He touted endorsements from Right to Life and Farm Bureau, and said he has specific knowledge as to the intricacies of voting processes due to his experience as a poll challenger and precinct delegate.
Things got sticky for Schifko regarding his description of how a voter without identification is still allowed to vote by signing an affidavit, and when the crowd bristled, Schifko sought advice from state Rep. Ann Bollin of Brighton Township, who was in attendance.
The crowd tempered as Bollin, a former Brighton Township clerk, stood to explain the official process. (Official information regarding voter affidavits can be found by clicking here.)
Schifko was asked about his relationships with state Sen. Lana Theis and Meghan Reckling, chair of the Livingston County Republican Party, which I assume was a personal question based on what seemed to be an anti-Theis/Reckling crowd based on jeers from the audience.
Schifko’s response was mature in that he stated the two are entitled to their stances on individual issues (election integrity), and that he thought they are “good people.” The 2020 election was a hot topic of the night, made clear early in the evening that anyone who wasn’t in alignment with the election being “stolen” was in for a rough time.
Schifko, while acknowledging he has not seen the entirety of the film “2000 Mules,” believes “something happened” and that “absentee voting is nonsense” and that “we should all feel like our votes count.”
“2000 Mules” is a 2022 American political film by political commentator Dinesh D’Souza that falsely claims unnamed nonprofit organizations paid Democrat-aligned “mules” to illegally collect and deposit ballots into drop boxes in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin during the 2020 presidential election. D’Souza has a history of creating and spreading conspiracy theories.
I have watched this film, and while there is compelling information presented, the reality is that I myself could be labeled a mule simply because of my proximity to a voting location (I live and exercise daily within feet of a polling place). To me, it’s just false logic. I encourage everyone to judge for themselves.
In the end, Schifko was cut short due to timing.
No Reckling
I fully expected to hear from Meghan Reckling because she was was on the roster, but I don’t believe she was in attendance.
Ballots
After a few announcements regarding GOP business, there was a call to action for school board and library candidates and a link to view your sample ballot. I share that here and a map to the newly redistricted areas (super handy because the change is confusing) here.
Detmer
Next up was Mike Detmer, who is challenging state Sen. Lana Theis in the 22nd state Senate district.
This was definitely Detmer’s crowd, and he was beguiling and, at times, even funny.
Denying the results of the 2020 election right off the bat served as chum for the hungry crowd. Detmer swiftly moved on to the “establishment” attacks on his shaky financial history, explaining away the serious financial trouble he finds himself in, troubles that span almost a decade and will continue through his court-mandated garnishments that will last at least four more years.
Detmer downplayed his first 2016 chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, saying that he “discharged” it at the advice of his attorney — which isn’t how it works, but, whatever — although court records indicate his case was dismissed due to non-payment. That document is here.
Detmer claims the mailers funded by the DeVos family attacking his dead father are disgusting, and not how he wants to run a campaign, although his own is well-known for its vitriolic social media posts, so I’m not sure who is the pot and who is the kettle.
Interestingly, Detmer gave a hat tip to Jordan Genso, the Democrat running in the 22nd District, and he promised him something his opponent won’t: “a debate on the issues.”
Detmer continued to rail against the DeVos attack mailers by pointing fingers at Theis’ record regarding auto insurance, senior pension tax, and Theis’ unwillingness to stay fixated on the 2020 election. Not altogether shocking was his support of constitutional carry, full forensic audits, and his anti-CRT, SEL, DEI stance, along with his partnership with the controversial Moms for Liberty group to “take back our schools.”
What I found to be egregious was when a member of the audience asked Detmer what he would do if William Clay Ford mandated vaccines for Ford employees. Detmer’s response was to tell Ford, the CEO of one of Michigans largest employers, to “get the hell out.”
I don’t know about you, but that’s throwing the baby out with the bath water, and that’s an awful decision for Michigan’s economy, but it’s not surprising coming from someone with such an obvious lack of financial literacy. This lack of literacy, compounded with his demands for hand counting ballots and more wasteful spending to audit an already audited Michigan election at a cost of nearly $23 million, served to cement my vote in this election.
Then, Detmer had the absolute audacity to say (in response to his critics that say he’s only running for the money) that taking the job in the state senate would be “a pay cut.”
A pay cut?
Such a gutsy thing to say from someone who forgets that his entire financial history for the last 7 years is public record.
The current base pay for Michigan Senate is $71,685. According to Detmer’s court filings, his said his salary at the time of his second bankruptcy filing in October 2021 his own income was $2,946.67 a month, which works out to $35,360.04 a year, and amended with the bankruptcy court in January of 2022 to average $56,000 annually.
At one point, a member of the audience asked Detmer that if he were to be hired for the job as state senator, would he commit to tell the truth and listen. Detmer responded with a simple “yes.” I am certainly not one to punch down, but it appears that Detmer sits on a throne of lies.
I couldn’t stick around to hear DePerno and I hope I get to hear him in person at some point before the election, but I have definitely learned more about the candidates up for consideration in August. I encourage everyone to get out and attend these meetings to see how the candidates respond to the issues: it’s a real eye opener.
