Michigan Republicans shift pitches to voters weary of election fraud claims

Benson told Bridge on Thursday that it’s frustrating to see candidates for major offices “who have gained celebrity based on casting and repeating lies and misinformation and painting their political opponents as threats.”

“It really underscores the perilous moment that we’re in,” Benson said.

Karamo said comments from Benson and other Democratic candidates about people who question the 2020 election “just creates more suspicion.”

“If I was the elected official, and people have concerns about how I was doing something, I would invite the public to see more, because that’s the only thing that’s going to create more trust, not demonizing citizens asking questions,” she said.

The group Voters Not Politicians — which is also backing a ballot initiative, Promote the Vote, aimed at expanding early voting and absentee ballot access — sent a questionnaire to all Republican and Democratic candidates for the state Legislature to ask their thoughts on whether they believed there was fraud in the 2020 election as part of their endorsement process.

Ninety Democrats and five Republicans responded, and the group ultimately endorsed only Democratic candidates.

Nancy Wang, executive director of Voters Not Politicians, said the group wants to make clear to voters that electing candidates who spread election lies could put the democratic process at risk. Claiming there was fraud in the 2020 election was a “dealbreaker,” she said. 

“We are seeing 2020 conspiracy theories kind of reemerge and be part of what some of these candidates up and down the ballot are using to get support. And that is alarming,” Wang said.

In many parts of Michigan, congressional and state districts are so uncompetitive that those who supported overturning the state’s election results or suggested widespread fraud don’t have to mention the issue at all.

That’s because they are virtually guaranteed re-election. 

At the congressional level, the four Republicans who signed onto a brief backing a failed federal lawsuit that sought to delay the Electoral College vote and block electors from Michigan and other states from participating remain in office and are all running for reelection in comfortably Republican districts. The Republican incumbents are Jack Bergman of Watersmeet, Bill Huizenga of Zeeland, Tim Walberg of Tipton, and John Moolenaar of Midland.

Lisa McClain, another congressional Republican who took office in January 2021, supported an investigation of the 2020 election. She is also running for reelection in a heavily Republican district in November. 

Eight of the 15 Republican state lawmakers who signed onto a brief challenging Michigan election results are on the 2022 general election ballot: Joe Bellino of Monroe, Michele Hoitenga of Manton, Matt Maddock of Milford, Greg Markkanen of Hancock, Luke Meerman of Coopersville, Jack O’Malley of Lake Ann, Brad Paquette of Niles, and Doug Wozniak of Shelby Township.

Rep. Gary Eisen, R-St. Clair Township, another who signed that letter, lost to fellow incumbent Republican Andrew Beeler in his district during the primary election. 

Maddock, who is running for a third term in the House, is closely aligned with Trump and worked to recruit and support new Trump-endorsed candidates to the Michigan Legislature. Half of the 10 Trump-endorsed state legislative candidates advanced through competitive primaries.

Among them is Rachelle Smit, who served as the township clerk of Martin in Allegan County. 

She lists election integrity as the top issue on her website, noting she supports a forensic audit “after seeing the countless irregularities with the 2020 election which Lansing refuses to investigate.”

“In order to have a successful 2022 Election, we must stand together to fix the 2020 Election,” her website states. “I will fight for election integrity in the State of Michigan which includes going back to paper ballots and giving the foreign voting machines the boot.”

A majority of legislative Republicans who were serving in 2020 didn’t sign onto letters or legal briefs questioning election results, and a Republican-led Senate committee that investigated the 2020 election found no evidence of fraud. 

More popular among GOP lawmakers are efforts to tighten election security moving forward, including requiring proof of identification when voting, preventing election clerks from accepting non-government donations and ending a sworn affidavit option for voters without ID.