State - Detroit Crowded primaries dominate some Michigan races State will be looking at minimum of 3 new members of Congress next year

By Mike Householder Associated Press Writer DETROIT (AP) -- With two of Michigan's congressmen unexpectedly retiring this year and a longtime Detroit congresswoman fighting for her political life, the outcome of the Aug. 3 primary could give a peek at just how different Michigan's 15-member delegation will look after the midterm elections. Veteran Reps. Bart Stupak, D-Menominee, and Vernon Ehlers, R-Grand Rapids, are stepping aside this year. Add to that Holland Republican Pete Hoekstra's run for governor, and the state will be looking at a minimum of three new members of Congress early next year. Republicans also are pushing hard to unseat first-term Democrats Mark Schauer in the 7th District and Gary Peters in the 9th. If Republicans win just one of those and hold seats elsewhere, power in Michigan's congressional delegation -- Democrats currently enjoy an 8-7 edge -- would turn from blue to red. First, though, they have to decide who will represent the party in those races. The absences of Hoekstra and Ehlers on the ballot after 18 years has led to GOP free-for-alls in the conservative western Michigan 2nd and 3rd districts. Seven Republicans are running for Hoekstra's seat, while five are running for Ehlers'. Both races also have Democratic primaries. The slew of GOP candidates could increase the influence of tea partiers if no clear front-runner emerges, and many of the candidates are actively courting their votes. The 2nd District GOP race includes businessmen Bill Cooper of Norton Shores and Field Reichardt of Grand Haven; former state Rep. Bill Huizenga of Zeeland; state Sen. Wayne Kuipers and ex-NFL player Jay Riemersma, both of Holland; Chris Larson of Ferrysburg; and Ted Schendel of Honor. The Democratic primary pits Hope College history professor Fred Johnson of Holland against Lake County Commissioner Nicolette McClure of Idlewild. In the 3rd District, all the GOP candidates except Air Force veteran Bob Overbeek of Wyoming are from Grand Rapids. They include state Rep. Justin Amash, state Sen. Bill Hardiman, former Kent County Commissioner Steve Heacock and attorney Louise "Ellie" Johnson. Ehlers has endorsed Heacock. Both Democratic candidates also are from Grand Rapids: attorney Pat Miles and Paul Mayhue. On the other side of the state, Democrats are having their own battle for the 13th District seat currently held by Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick. The congresswoman's son, former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, is serving time in prison for parole violations in a text-messaging scandal and faces new federal tax and fraud charges. Kwame Kilpatrick's multiyear stretch of bad press has rubbed off on his mother, who barely held off a primary challenge two years ago by 2,000 votes. This year she faces five primary opponents in a district that includes large sections of Detroit. Winning the primary nearly guarantees a general election win in the heavily Democratic city, and only one Republican has filed. Kilpatrick's primary challengers include Crime Stoppers of Michigan President John Broad from Grosse Pointe Farms; state Sen. Hansen Clarke of Detroit; Glenn Plummer, a Detroit businessman and pastor; Vincent Brown of Garden City; and Stephen Hume of Detroit. Republicans are hoping to wrest three congressional seats away from Democratic hands. They're targeting Schauer of Battle Creek and Peters of Oakland County's Bloomfield Township, and hope one of three Republicans running against Schauer and four running against Peters will carry a primary victory through to the general election. Schauer's GOP challengers include businessman and former cattle rancher Marvin Carlson of Manchester; Brian Rooney, a lawyer and Iraq war veteran from Dexter whose grandfather founded the Pittsburgh Steelers; and Tim Walberg of Tipton, who held the 7th District seat for one term until Schauer beat him in 2008. In the 9th District, the race includes businessman and Army Reserve officer Rocky Raczkowski of Farmington Hills; Paul Welday, chief of staff to U.S. Rep. Joe Knollenberg until Peters unseated Knollenberg two years ago; Anna Janek of West Bloomfield; and Richard Kuhn of Waterford. Neither Schauer nor Peters face primary opponents. In the 1st District, state Rep. Gary McDowell of Rudyard is the lone Democrat in the race to succeed Stupak. But the GOP side of the ticket was crowded even before the 18-year congressman decided to retire. Crystal Falls physician Dan Benishek was one of the Republicans who got in early, driven by his anger over the federal health care changes. State Sen. Jason Allen joined the race after Stupak announced his retirement, moving from Traverse City to Alanson so he'd be within the district, which encompasses the Upper Peninsula and much of the northern Lower Peninsula. Also on the GOP ballot are Linda Goldthorpe of Curtis, Tom Stillings of Antrim County's Torch Lake Township, Don Hooper of Iron River and Patrick Donlon of Mackinac County's St. Ignace Township. ---------- Associated Press Writer Kathy Barks Hoffman in Lansing contributed to this article. Published: Tue, Jul 20, 2010

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