READY, AIM, FIRE

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has Rep. Mike Bishop of Rochester and Rochester Hills in their crosshairs for 2018, formally listing the MI-8 seat as one they want to flip, and think they have hit the bullseye with former Bloomfield Hills resident Elissa Slotkin, who recently moved back into Michigan to her family’s farm in Holly, after a stellar career in the CIA and Defense Department. A 1994 Cranbrook grad, she stated that 9/11 occurred during her first week at Columbia University for graduate school, setting her on her life’s trajectory. “I decided I would join the intelligence community and work to prevent future terrorist attacks against the United States,” Slotkin said. Besides being a Middle East analyst for the CIA, she was deployed to Baghdad, serving three tours of duty, and meeting her husband, Dave Moore, a retired Army colonel. She worked in W.’s White House in various defense and intelligence roles, in the Defense Department under Obama, and until January 2017, was the Acting Secretary of Defense for Russia, Middle East, Europe and Africa. Lest folks think she’s a carpetbagger coming home to run for office, her great-grandfather started Hygrade Foods, of Ballpark Franks fame, and she has family here. While Bishop beat his Democratic opponent Suzanna Shkreli, 56 to 39 percent, in 2016, he may now have a true challenge. She’s actively raising money, and we assume there’s family money she can turn to.