August - 2020

MONEY TALKING

Shout out for this one to the New York Times, where a newsroom of over 1,000 journalists allows time to do the extraordinary, including tracking by zip code the number of people making presidential campaign donations from this April through the end of June. In the Birmingham/Bloomfield area, Joe Biden was leading in terms of the number of people donating to his run to be prez. In Bloomfield Township zip code 48301, 164 people have donated to Biden, and 86 to Donald Trump, whi

TIDAL WAVE

The presidential race is not the only one where a lot of money is flying. Locally, Michigan Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D), who flipped two years ago the 11th congressional district, which winds from southern Rochester Hills, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Troy, and western Oakland and Wayne counties, raised $713,728 for the second quarter of the year, ending June 30. She has so far raised a whopping $3.9 million dollars this election cycle, and has $3 million cash on hand he

TIDAL WAVE

ONE-SIDED

Democratic Congressman Andy Levin of Bloomfield Township, who represents the 9th District, is winning the money race to retake his seat. That’s primarily because his Republican challenger, Charles J. Langworthy, has either not raised any money, or not filed any reports with the Federal Election Committee (FEC) by the June 30 date. Levin, on the other hand, raised $202,872 for the second quarter, for a total of $901,187 for this election cycle. He has $424,893 cash on hand in

FAST & FURIOUS

Republicans are determined to stop Democratic juggernaut Elissa Slotkin, who flipped the perennial 8th congressional district blue in 2018. Paul Junge, who won the Republican primary to man the helm in November, might need to command a Brinks truck, because Slotkin, a former CIA-operative who did three tours of duty in Iraq before double stints at the Pentagon under both Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama, and came home to run for the district that covers Rochester, R

FAST & FURIOUS

STEAMROLLER

Brenda Lawrence (D-Southfield) fought off a primary challenger for her 14th District congressional seat, covering Detroit, Southfield, Farmington, Farmington Hills and West Bloomfield, and if dollars are an indicator, she has no intention of backing off or slowing down. Lawrence raised $130,304 in the second quarter of 2020, for a total of $758,540 this election cycle, and had money in the bank from previous campaigns. Current cash on hand, $859,542. Republican challenger Rob

FAST WITH THE FACTS

MORE TRUTH IN ADVERTISING

Republican Senate candidate John James also seems to be having some issues stretching the truth in an ad currently running in heavy rotation. The ad, which focuses on his physical fitness (an absolute requirement of candidates!) as a military vet, stumbles, The Washington Post pointed out, when it refers to James as an “Army Ranger,” something he also has on a campaign video, Facebook post, and on social media. Turns out, the Army has requirements that anyone who has gone thr

DOWN AND DIRTY

KEEP ON TRUCKIN

A pair of middle aged (we’re being kind) candidates running for office in Bloomfield Township obviously forgot they were no longer in high school (or middle school) when they zoomed up and down the street that township supervisor Leo Savoie lives on well into the evening hours one July night, waving their signs, taking pictures and leaving campaign literature tied to mailboxes up and down the road. Neither Savoie nor his neighbors were amused by the antics of treasurer candi

WHAT’S IN THE WATER

In more “bad behavior by Bloomfield Township candidates” news, Don Valente. a retired attorney, won a spot for township trustee on the Republican ballot on the August 4 primary. While he participated in a candidate forum with Bloomfield Hills High School students – he failed to answer our Primary Guide questions, instead venting hatred for current supervisor Leo Savoie, who lost his bid for re-election – where he said, “I am seeking a position as a trustee because I believe a

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