GOING 40

The state House’s 40th District, covering Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, and the eastern half of West Bloomfield, which has been represented by Republican Mike McCready for the last six years, is drawing more and more interest as the April 24 filing deadline gets closer. Joining announced Republican candidate newbies Malissa Bossardet and Mike Banerian are Joe Zane, an IT professional and Marine vet; Paul Taros, a tea party devotee; and Birmingham businessman, artist and designer Robert Dempster, who rumor has it is looking at getting into the race. One Republican, while acknowledging that Dempster “doesn’t know politics,” said he would add an interesting dynamic to the race. He’d be “an adult in the room,” since Bossardet “is a screwball. You need to know people in the community, and I’m not sure she knows anyone. Taros is hard/hard/hard right. I don’t see people embracing him. Banerian is a young kid – he’s 23 – and while he’s strong in the Armenian community, he thinks he knows everything. The 40th District is an educated, mature district,” the pol opined. “I’m not sure they’ll embrace someone like Banerian, Bossardet or Zane.” Another young Armenian, Democrat Mari Manoogian, announced her candidacy for the race, joining Nicole Bedi on the other side of the ticket. Manoogian said she is the great-grandchild of survivors of the Armenian genocide, a Seaholm and George Washington University graduate, as well as a graduate of their law school. She interned for former Rep. John Dingell (D) and U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Powers while in college and law school.