ABANDONED BY STATE
We detailed in past months the complaints from the Oakland County Republican Party about the failings of the state party organization. Among them, the state Republican Party issued endorsements in Oakland judicial contests (including at least one Democrat-backed contender) without consulting with the GOP folks in this county. In early October, Oakland Republican Party Chair Vance Patrick sent out an email blast with additional sniping about the state organization which is run by Milford-area state Senator Jim Runestad. The plea to local Republicans was headlined: “We’ve been left to fend for ourselves.” In the email Vance Patrick detailed how for the first time in two decades state party officials failed to provide support, including staffing, to the Republican organization in Oakland. Oakland Confidential is being told that Republicans in other counties have similar complaints, just like they had when we first noted the inter-party tensions. Meanwhile, Vance Patrick in late September sent out an email missive to followers actually pushing party members to request absentee ballots for the November 3 election, despite the national and state party officials advocating in-person voting as the way to combat the “cheating” of failed ballots, according to the Republican canard promoted since the 2020 election. Even Donald Trump, who has voted by absentee ballot himself, changed his tune just recently and is telling his followers to request the ballots, the popularity of which soared during the Covid pandemic several years ago.
Vance Patrick Jim Runestad