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GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan – Republicans in Michigan met Saturday to select candidates for statewide races that former President Donald Trump sought to influence as he flirted with another White House nomination.
About 2,500 party delegates began voting at a congress center in downtown Grand Rapids. The event is a test of Trump’s influence in the closely watched competitions for attorney general and secretary of state – the highest law enforcement positions and elections in Michigan, which are currently held by Democrats.
Trump has backed his allies Matthew Deperno as attorney general and Cristina Caramo as secretary of state, and even held a rally for them weeks ago. Political newcomers support his false claims about his loss in 2020 in the swing state. If they win the convention for “approval” over other Republicans, they must have a clear path to the official nomination of a second convention in August and face Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in November.
Trump said his preferred candidates would not allow Michigan to be “stolen” in the next presidential election. He lost the state by 154,000 votes to Joe Biden. However, Trump’s preferred list has drawn criticism from the Republican Wing, which sees candidates as eligible in the fall and is disappointed that state party leaders have openly backed them instead of being neutral.
Depernoy’s main rival for the nomination is Tom Leonard, a former legislative leader and party candidate for 2018, whom Trump later nominated as an American lawyer in Western Michigan. State Representative Ryan Berman is also running.
Bernadette Smith, one of the party’s vice presidents, told the audience that DePerno “is the only candidate who will fight for the integrity of the election.” As DePerno supporters marched to the front of the hall to show their support, a video was released in which Trump advertised DePerno and called Leonard “Rhino” – or a Republican by name.
DePerno unsuccessfully filed a lawsuit after a human error caused the rural district of Antrim to misrepresent Biden’s local victory over Trump. It was quickly corrected, but was used to spread misinformation about voting equipment.
DePerno was “in the field, working when no one else was,” Smith said.
US Republican Jack Bergman called on delegates to support Leonard.
“Notice my words: Democrats are motivated and we will only win if we present our best candidates,” he said. “I truly believe that he is the only candidate in this race with integrity, tenacity, determination and the ability not only to win in November, but also to act as Attorney General on the first day.”
In the race for secretary of state, Caramo, an instructor at a community college, faces US envoy Bo Lafav and Chesterfield official Cindy Berry.
As a sign of how widespread electoral fraud is, the party uses machines to count votes, but in turn also counts ballots by hand in compromise with activists. The results are not expected until mid to late afternoon, depending on whether a second round of voting is needed if no one gets a majority.
Nominees for the entire Michigan State are elected to party conventions, with the exception of the primary election for governor and the U.S. Senate. The climate of the by-elections is expected to favor Republicans, but incumbent attorneys general and secretaries of state rarely lose.
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