CHANGING PLACES

With the announcement by Sen. Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak, Bloomfield Township, Warren) that he is retiring in 2018 after 35 years in Congress, there is an all-out scrum to replace him. The open 9th Congressional seat – which encompasses Bloomfield Township, Royal Oak, Huntington Woods, Warren, Sterling Heights, Mt. Clemens, Roseville, and Clinton Township in Oakland and Macomb counties, has Democrats lining up, as well as at least one Republican so far. First in line is Levin’s son Andy Levin of Bloomfield Township, who earlier this fall debated throwing his hat in for governor. Now we know why he didn’t. Andy announced his candidacy hours after his dad said he was retiring. Currently running a private sector energy marketplace, Andy worked as a deputy in the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic Growth and was a director of worker training for the state under former Gov. Jennifer Granholm. “I feel mixed about Andy,” said one Democratic bigwig. “He’s incredibly well pedigreed, but he’s not a slam dunk. He lost a winnable state Senate seat in a Democratic year (2006) with a lot of money and a lot of push from longtime Democrats.” But a few pundits believe some voters will just see the name Levin, and not even realize that Sander retired and Andy’s name is the replacement on the ballot.