Setting the January 15 Primary
One could almost write a book on the machinations around Michigan's Jan. 15, 2008 primary date.  The basic milestones are: On Aug. 22, 2007, the Republican-controlled State Senate approved by a vote of 21 to 17 S.B. 624, which, as amended, required a statewide presidential primary election on Jan. 15, 2008 (the original bill set a date of January 29).  (reactions).  On Aug. 30, the Democratic-controlled House passed the legislation by a vote of 67 to 34, and the same day the Senate passed a concurred version of the bill.  (letter to candidates).  Gov. Granholm signed the measure into law on Sept. 4.  (press release).

However, on Oct. 24 Mark Grebner, an East Lansing political consultant, filed suit challenging the constitutionality of a provision of the law granting exclusive rights of voter lists to the Democratic and Republican parties. (related)  In Nov. 2007 Ingham County Circuit Court Chief Judge William E. Collette issued an order prohibiting the Jan. 15 primary.  The Court of Appeals upheld the ruling on Nov. 16.  There were efforts to pass a legislative remedy and the parties prepared back-up plans. (press release).  Finally on Nov. 21 the Michigan Supreme Court reversed the lower court rulings.  (reactions).  The ACLU also weighed in on Jan. 11, 2008, filing suit in the U.S. District Court in Detroit challenging the constitutionality of the law, but the primary went ahead. The Jan. 15 date violates Democratic and Republican national party rules, and both the DNC and the RNC have vowed to enforce penalties.

Democrats
Michigan Democrats, in particular Sen. Carl Levin, led the effort to challenge New Hampshire's privileged first-in-the-nation status.  Levin was the driving force behind creation of the DNC Commission on Presidential Nomination Timing and Scheduling which ran in 2005-06.  In April 2006 Michigan Democrats applied to the DNC for Michigan to be one of the new early pre-window states; however the DNC approved Nevada and South Carolina.  Democrats set a preliminary caucus date of Feb. 9, 2008, but Michigan Democratic Party chairman Mark Brewer warned in a March 1, 2007 statement, that that could change.  “There is also a consensus among our leaders that if any state schedules its caucus or primary in violation of the DNC’s rules, Michigan will move its Caucus to an earlier date.  That earlier date may be on or before the date of the offending state’s caucus or primary.”  On June 11, 2007 Florida Democrats announced plans to hold their primary on Jan. 29, 2008, in violation of DNC rules, prompting Mark Brewer to repeat his vow to go early.  "December is a possibility for us," Brewer told The Detroit News, saying he would wait to see what developed.  (See: Gordon Trowbridge.  "State Dem chief: We'll vote early."  The Detroit News.  June 12, 2007).  On Aug. 25, 2007 Brewer presented Michigan's plan for Feb. 9 caucuses, complete with three methods of voting: at 219 voting centers around the state, by mail, or by Internet, to the DNC Rules and Bylaws Committee.  However, events were moving on another track.  On Aug. 30, 2007 the House passed the bill requiring a statewide presidential primary on Jan. 15, 2008 and the Senate concurred.  Brewer issued a statement pointing to "New Hampshire’s stated intent to move their primary before January 19th, in direct violation of the DNC rules," as a rationale for participating in the January 15 primary, despite the prospect of penalties.  The governor signed the bill into law on Sept. 4.

Because the major Democratic candidates had pledged not to "campaign or participate in any state which schedules a presidential election primary or caucus before Feb. 5, 2008, except for the states of Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire and South Carolina," the Democratic primary was largely meaningless.  Democratic chair Mark Brewer submitted eight names to the Secretary of State to appear on the ballot (Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Gravel, Kucinich, Obama, Richardson).  Potential presidential nominees so listed who did not want to appear on the ballot could submit an affidavit with the Secretary of State by 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 9.  Five Democrats did so: Biden, Edwards, Kucinich, Obama and Richardson.  Thus Clinton, Dodd and Gravel appeared on the Democratic ballot. statements

In March 2008 there was a flurry of activity on the Democratic side around a possible revote.  In a March 10 op-ed in the Washington Post ("Delegates We Need"), Govs. Jon S. Corzine (D-NJ) and Edward G. Rendell (D-PA), both Clinton supporters, argued for a revote in both Florida and Michigan and volunteered to help raise the funds to pay for such elections.  A spokesman for Gov. Jennifer Granholm noted that, "The Democratic Leadership -- including the Governor -- has asked a committee consisting of Senator Levin, Congresswoman Kilpatrick, Debbie Dingell and Ron Gettlelfinger -- to work with the DNC in coming up with a solution that will allow our delegates to be seated."  The committee recommended Michigan hold a state-run, privately funded primary, but the legislature failed to act before it adjourned on March 20.
    April 4 - Various statements >
    March 31 - Rep. Stupak proposal >
    March 26 - Clinton and Obama campaigns:  statements following U.S. District Court ruling >
    March 20 - Gov. Jennifer Granholm:  "We will turn our attention to other options" >
    March 19 - Hillary Clinton for President:  "Obama’s Re-Vote Pledge: Just Words" >
    March 19 - Groups weigh in: Michigan Change to Win, Michigan GOP >
    March 14-17 - Various statements >
    March 12 - Obama Michigan co-chairs:  "Vote by Mail Not an Option" >
    March 12 - Hillary Clinton for President:  letter, press release on seating delegates from Florida and Michigan. >
    March 7 - Sen. Levin:  "Statement on Michigan Delegate Dispute">
    March 5 - DNC:  "Dean Statement on Florida and Michigan" >
    March 5 - Florida and Michigan Governors:  "Don’t Silence 5,163,271 Americans" >

Republicans
State Republicans established a 2008 Presidential Selection Committee (see April 14, 2007 resolution).  Their preferred option (see July 18, 2007 message from Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis to State Committee Members and County Chairs) was, "A joint, State-run Primary with the Democrats on or before February 5 was, is and remains our preferred option." However, as noted above, there was a degree of uncertainty about what the Democrats would do, so there was also a proposal to hold a State Convention as "the best back-up plan should an agreement on a primary not be reached" failed.  On July 17 the MI GOP's 2008 Presidential Selection Committee voted 13-2 to recommend a State Convention as the best back-up plan (a reaction to July 17 recommendation), but the Policy Committee voted against that recommendation.  When the Jan. 15 presidential primary came under legal challenge, Republicans looked to hold a state convention on Jan. 25-26, 2008 (press release).  There was some talk about whether a convention would benefit one or another of the candidates, but the point became moot with the state Supreme Court's Nov. 21 ruling.

Ballot Access
By party list: Sept. 11, 2007 deadline for Democratic and Republican state party chairs to submit to the Secretary of State names of potential nominees for the presidential primary [M.C.L. 168.614a(1) as amended under PA 52 of 2007].  GOP chair Saul Anuzis submitted nine names (Brownback, Giuliani, Hunter, Huckabee, McCain, Paul, Romney, Tancredo, F.Thompson).  Democratic chair Mark Brewer submitted eight names (Biden, Clinton, Dodd, Edwards, Gravel, Kucinich, Obama, Richardson), however most of these asked not to appear on the ballot (see below).
By petition: Signature requirements: Republican Party candidate: 11,569; Democratic Party candidate: 12,396 by 4:00 p.m. on Oct. 23 (start date Aug. 15, 2007).

Michigan Secretary of State: Presidential Primary Candidates and Information
 Michigan Democratic Party 2008

General Election -- Tuesday, November 2, 2004

Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 2,313,746 (47.81) +Kerry/Edwards (Dem.) 2,479,183 (51.23) Cobb (Grn.) 5,325 (0.11) Peroutka (UST) 4,980 (0.10) Badnarik (Lib.) 10,552 (0.22) Brown (NLP) 1,431 (0.03) Nader (NPA) 24,035 (0.50) Total........4,839,252

2004 Overview Bush made it close in Michigan, but Kerry prevailed in the end with a plurality of 165,437 votes (3.42 percentage points).  Bush carried 68 counties to 15 for Kerry.  The three Detroit area counties (Wayne, Oakland and Macomb) produced 39.5% of the total votes in the presidential race (1,909,115 votes).  Kerry amassed a plurality of 342,294 votes in Wayne county and narrowly won in Oakland county, while Bush narrowly won in Macomb county. General Election Details Kerry/Allies  |  Bush/Cheney '04

Past Results

1996 Clinton (Dem.).....1,989,653 (51.69) Dole (Rep.).........1,481,212  (38.48) Perot (Ref.)............336,670 (8.75) Others (4+w/ins)......41,309 (1.07) Total........3,848,844 Overall 3,912,261 people voted out of 6,677,079 registered.  The VAP was 7,072,000 for a turnout (% of VAP) of 55.3%. ll 1992 Clinton (Dem.).....1,871,182 (43.77) Bush (Rep.).........1,554,940 (36.38) Perot (Ind.)............824,813 (19.30) Others (4+w/ins)......23,738 (0.56) Total........4,274,673 Overall 4,341,909 people voted out of 6,147,083 registered.  The VAP was 6,947,000 for a turnout (% of VAP) of 62.5%.	2000 Bush/Cheney (Rep.) 1,953,139  (46.15) +Gore/Lieberman (Dem.) 2,170,418 (51.28) Browne/Olivier (Lib.) 16,711 (0.39) Hagelin/Goldhaber(NLP) 2,426 (0.06) Phillips/Frazier (UST)  3,791 (0.09) Nader/LaDuke (Grn.) 84,165 (1.99) Buchanan (w/in) 1,851  (0.04) Total........4,232,501 Total voters: 4,279,299 Turnout (% of VAP) was 58.2% Notes:  The Democratic, Republican, Reform, Libertarian and Natural Law parties all retained ballot status from 1998.  The US Taxpayers Party of Michigan and the Green Party of Michigan qualified by petitioning, submitting the required 30,272 valid signatures (1 percent of the total vote cast for governor in 1998) by July 20, 2000.  No Reform Party nominee appeared on the ballot because competing factions submitted two sets of papers, one for Buchanan and one for Hagelin.	2000 Overview The battleground state of Michigan went to Gore by a plurality of 217,279 votes (5.13 percentage points).  Bush carried 58 counties to 25 for Gore.  Almost 40% of the total vote (39.8%) comes from the Detroit area (Wayne, Oakland and Macomb counties).  Gore piled up a plurality of 307,393 votes in Wayne county and narrowly won in Oakland and Macomb.  As expected, Bush did well in Western Michigan (Kent County/Grand Rapids and the surrounding counties).  He underperformed in the city of Detroit, and would have had to have done better in Western Wayne county as well as in Oakland and Macomb to carry the state. A statewide school vouchers initiative, Proposal 1, was overwhelmingly defeated, 69.1% to 30.9%. General Election Activity

In the U.S. Senate race, Rep. Debbie Stabenow (D) defeated incumbent Sen. Spencer Abraham (R) 49.47% to 47.86%, gaining a plurality of 67,259 votes (2,061,952 votes to 1,994,693 with 111,040 votes for five other candidates).  In the 8th CD, Mike Rogers (R) defeated Dianne Byrum (D) by just 111 votes after the recount -- 48.79% to 48.75% (145,190 votes to 145,179 with 7,340 votes going to four other candidates).

• Voters can request an Internet ballot to vote in Michigan's 2004 Democratic Presidential Caucus from January 1-31, 2004 and can vote over the Internet from January 1 until 4 P.M. EST February 7, 2004.

There was a fair bit of controversy over Michigan's Internet voting option.  Joel Ferguson, DNC member from Lansing, led the challenges, emphasizing the discriminatory impact of unequal home access to the Internet and security problems.  The DNC's Rules and Bylaws Committee took up the matter but gave final approval at its Nov. 22, 2003 meeting.  28.4 percent of those participating (46,543 of 163,769) voted via the Internet:

Caucus Vote Totals by Voting Method
Michigan Democratic Party

	Moseley Braun	Clark	Dean	Edwards	Gephardt	Kerry	Kucinich	Lieberman	Sharpton	Uncomm.	Write In
Internet	39	4,047	8,944	7,046	270	22,999	1,432	267	1,380	81	38	46,543
Caucus Site	130	5,346	13,285	12,263	160	49,208	3,326	126	9,602	250	48	93,744
Mail	20	1,562	4,796	2,596	521	12,611	500	266	422	166	22	23,482
Total	189	10,955	27,025	21,905	951	84,818	5,258	659	11,404	497	108	163,769
	0.12%	6.69%	16.50%	13.38%	0.58%	51.79%	3.21%	0.40%	6.96%	0.30%	0.07%

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Copyright © 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action.