LOCKED & LOADED

In the “Don’t do as they say” column are Republican candidates Mike Detmer and Ryan Kelley, who seem to be taking the phrase “armed and ready” a little too far. Detmer, a candidate for state Senate (Howell) recently told a crowd that people should “show up armed” at polling places to protect Republican observers’ access to monitor counting ballots. Kelley, of Allendale, is a gubernatorial candidate who had posted a (now deleted) Facebook message to followers telling them “If you see something you don’t like happening with the (voting) machines… unplug it from the wall.” In June, footage emerged of Kelley advancing on the U.S. Capitol on January 6, shouting as he moves along with a crowd of rioters towards the building. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson (D) has referred both Detmer and Kelley to Attorney General Dana Nessel (D) for what they have urged followers to do.