In late August, just about every municipal clerk in Michigan received a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for a copy of every ballot cast in the 2016 general election from a mysterious out-of-state requestor named “Emily” from a New York operation called the “United Impact Group.” According to the Washington Free Beacon, United Impact Group is a non-profit arm of Priorities USA, a super PAC which counts George Soros as a top funder. FOIA requests for ballots from pre

Candidates for the 13th State Senate District (Berkley, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Clawson, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak and Troy) are ready to throw down on their campaigns, with both Republican Marty Knollenberg and Democratic challenger Mallory McMorrow each having more than $100,000 to spend. Knollenberg, who raised $11,850 in the latest statement period (from July 23 to August 27), has an ending balance of $147,608. McMorrow raised $30,995 during the same qu

Candidates in Michigan’s 40th District House seat (Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, Birmingham, West Bloomfield) have each raised more than $100,000 during this year’s election cycle. Republican candidate David Wolkinson raised $53,336 during the last period (from July 23 to August 27), and a total of $126,004 for the whole cycle, of which $41,000 was a loan, and he had an ending balance of $19,291. Democrat candidate Mari Manoogian raised $26,514 during the latest peri

Speaking of the 40th District House seat, which is open, numerous residents of the district recently received a push poll survey call, presumably from Republican David Wolkinson’s campaign, asking those who received the call if they preferred Wolkinson or Democrat Mari Manoogian, then asking them if they knew that Wolkinson was a businessman, and that Manoogian “lived away in Washington DC.” They also asked how they would feel if they knew her only job experience was “two in

Word from the Michigan Information and Research Service (MIRS) is that several reliably Republican Oakland County state House districts could be in trouble of turning blue in November, in some cases for the first time. The aforementioned 40th District (Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and West Bloomfield), which has been Republican for as far back as memory serves, is currently held by state Rep. Mike McCready (R) – but MIRS noted that the affluent district

State Sen. Marty Knollenberg (R-Troy, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Royal Oak) has told us he likes to make one-on-one phone calls to voters in his district to talk to them about their concerns. Word is that part of that strategy is extra steps to make personal appeals to female voters in Oakland County who may hold the key to which political party makes headway this election year. MIRS speculated that his campaign could be in trouble. Those person

Milford bondsman and Tea Party Republican candidate Matt Maddock isn’t taking any chances this November. “For the first time in the 44th House District (Highland, Milford, Springfield, Waterford, White Lake), we’ve got a Democrat running,” Maddock said. She’s very aggressive. Her name is Laura Dodd. She’s cutesie, she’s knocking on doors, and she’s going to give us a run for the money.” Dodd, who holds a master’s degree in non-profit administration from Notre Dame, where she