January - 2019

READY FOR HIS CLOSE UP

Andy Meisner It’s been rumored for a long time, but Oakland County Treasurer Andy Meisner is finally ready to confirm that he is exploring a run for Oakland County Executive in 2020. The Democrat, a Huntington Woods resident who first became treasurer in 2008 and was reelected in 2012 and 2016, and previously was a state representative, said being the treasurer has helped form who he is. “It’s mission will always be my mission,” Meisner said, while acknowledging that “Oakland

READY FOR HIS CLOSE UP

BIG SHOES TO FILL

Robert Wittenberg With Andy Meisner hoping to head up Oakland County, that leaves an opening at the county treasury. Foreseers of different stripes – both Democrat and Republican – have been telling us that state Rep. Robert Wittenberg (D-Huntington Woods) is thinking about moving from the state House to the county complex. “He’s smart, and he works hard,” said one source. Also rumored to be kicking the tires is former state Rep. Vicki Barnett (D-Farmington Hills), who just s

BIG SHOES TO FILL

MOVIN’ ON UP

Mike McCready Speaking of Patterson, loyalty has its privileges. Former Rep. Mike McCready (R-Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township) learned that first hand, when Patterson appointed McCready as Oakland County’s new director of the Department of Economic Development & Community Affairs, where the former state lawmaker began January 1. McCready, who narrowly lost an election for state Senate to Democrat Rosemary Bayer for the 12th District in November, brings a bus

MOVIN’ ON UP

SAME OLD BOSS

Haley Stevens The push by Democrats for a new generation of lawmakers during the 2018 election failed to bring new leadership to Congress, as former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) was elected to her former role. Freshmen Democratic congresswomen for the 11th District Haley Stevens (Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills) and Elissa Slotkin (Rochester, Rochester Hills) of the 8th District said during their campaigns they wouldn’t support Pelosi in her bid for speaker, with bot

SAME OLD BOSS

POLITICAL CRYSTAL BALL

Elissa Slotkin Even before members of the 116th Congress were sworn in, political prognosticators began predicting who will have the advantage in 2020 and beyond. In December, the Cook Report, an independent newsletter that analyzes elections and campaigns, ranked Michigan’s 11th District, currently held by Democrat Haley Stevens (Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills) as “leaning Democrat,” while fellow Democrat of the 8th, Elissa Slotkin’s (Rochester, Rochester Hills) is already con

POLITICAL CRYSTAL BALL

NO POTTED PLANT

David Potts The 100th Michigan Legislature had not even been sworn in, and the sharks were already circling the boats, smelling blood. Not that anyone’s dead in the water – at least not yet. Republican David Potts of Birmingham confirmed it wasn’t the excitement of New Year’s Eve that had him announcing that he was running for the state House of Representatives in the 40th District before Rep. Mari Manoogian (D) had even taken the oath of office. The former county commissione

NO POTTED PLANT

RAISING THE BARR

When you’re running for something like state party chair, the thought is you should set an example for others in your party – hypothetically, at least. Seems candidate Gina Barr, a Republican activist from Pontiac, who is running for chair of the Michigan GOP along with John Akouri as co-chair, failed to disclose some financial problems on her party candidate affidavit form – a big no-no, according to MIRS, a news and analysis of state government. MIRS pointed out that while

RECENT POSTS:

ARCHIVES:

ALSO FOLLOW US HERE:

@downtownpublications.com

@downtownpublications

@downtownpubs