Maddock Reality Show
Late April had all the makings of a reality show gone bad for Milford-based Republican Michigan House member Matt “Mad Dog” Maddock, coming off the GOP state early nomination convention where the MAGA forces (Mad Dog among them) officially took over the state party, with Trump-backed candidates securing ballot spots for secretary of state and attorney general. That was on Saturday, April 23, as the party schism between traditional party members and 2020 election-deniers played out. Three days later Maddock was officially bounced out of the House Republican caucus. Yep. No official reasoning was provided because caucus proceedings are secret, or they are supposed to be. Oakland Confidential was able to break the secrecy veil back in March with word that at least one member of the House Republican caucus had filed a formal complaint with the caucus chair against Maddock for visiting (unannounced) the districts of other party members where he spent time criticizing the incumbents and promoting primary challengers. One of the reasons making the gossip rounds was the Maddock expulsion reportedly had to do with him publicly sharing information from caucus sessions. We are now told that on that fateful day, when the Maddock decision was announced, there was a ”standing ovation” in the caucus supporting the expulsion. So much for thoughts of Maddock becoming House Speaker if Republicans hold the majority after the voting this November in which he seeking a third term, this time in the newly drawn 51st district that takes in Milford, Highland, White Lake and a sizable portion of Springfield and Commerce townships. As to the November race, Maddock took 59.5 percent of the vote in 2020 and slightly under that when first elected in 2018. His Democratic opponent this year is Sarah May-Seward of White Lake, a local bartender whose husband is a firefighter. Seward ran unsuccessfully for White Lake Township Trustee in the 2020 election.