BOOTS ON THE GROUND
After coming this close in his race in 2018 to become attorney general, former state Speaker of the House Tom Leonard (R-DeWitt) is doing it all again in 2022. Attorney general and secretary of state candidates from each party are chosen at state party conventions, and not at the primary election, so it’ll be interesting to see if Leonard can prevail among the base of the party, considering it has gone full-on Trump, and the former president has already knighted Kalamazoo attorney Matthew DePerno, who filed a suit following the election in 2020 in Antrim County. Also running for the Republican nod is state Rep. Ryan Berman (R-West Bloomfield, Commerce Township). But what Leonard has, and the other candidates lack, is the endorsement of Right to Life, which for over 50 years has been a Republican kingmaker and force in local elections, putting boots on the ground going door to door to help candidates. Local Republicans who want to see traditional GOP values back in the party, are hopeful Leonard gets the party nod, and believe he will, “but it won’t be easy. The convention is where the crazies are.” The Michigan GOP convention is April 23, 2022.