Happy Holidays!
from Barb, Nell & Tina
2012-2013 Election Cycle Re-Cap
Since 2004, MI List and MI Good Guys distributed over $260,000 to 90 races.
During the 2011-2012 election cycle, MI List and MI Good Guys endorsed thirteen candidates and distributed $31,000 directly to their campaigns. Nine MI List/MI Good Guys candidates won on November 6th!
To the generous and loyal MI List and MI Good Guys Donors - thank you for helping to make these campaign strong and to taking 70% of them over the top to victory.
To every candidate -- thank you for running! To our friends who didn’t prevail (this time) - we salute your courage and resolve. Know that we are proud of and grateful to you all.
Together, we helped keep Michigan blue for President Obama.
Endorsed Candidates in order by District
Hon. Debbie Stabenow, United States Senate
Hon. Dian Slavens, State Representative, 21st House District
Pam Jackson, Candidate, 39th House District
Gretchen Driskell, State Representative-Elect, 52nd House District
Susan Schmidt, Candidate, 69th House District
Theresa Abed, State Representative-Elect, 71st House District
Winnie Brinks, State Representative-Elect, 76th House District
Collene Lamonte, State Representative-Elect, 91st House District
Lon Johnson, Candidate , 103rd House District
Sharon Gray, Candidate, 108th House District
Scott Dianda, State Representative-Elect, 110th District
Hon. Lisa Brown, Oakland County Clerk-Elect & State Representative 39th District
Julie Rogers, Kalamazoo County Commissioner-Elect, 5th District
Own Yourself -- VOTE!
Influential Women Speak Out on the Election
by Marianne Schnall of the HuffPost Blog
The inspiration to do this piece occurred when two very special people in my life highlighted for me how critical this election really is. The first was my good friend, playwright Eve Ensler, founder of the global anti-violence movement V-Day, who at the end of a recent interview, expressed to me her heightened concern about what she feels is at stake...Read the full article at HuffPost Blog.
2012 Endorsees
MI List Endorses: Theresa Abed
Michigan's 71st House District.
The 71st State House District of Michigan is in Eaton County. Traditionally, the county leans right of center with much of the district being rural. However, the district has slowly started to trend more to the center. Theresa is extremely well connected with her community and has firsthand experience dealing with the issues that Eaton County residents face today. As a county commissioner and school social worker, Theresa has created a strong bond between herself and the 71st district.
Meet Candidate Theresa Abed...
MI Good Guys Endorses: Scott Dianda
Michigan's 110th House District.
The 110th House District is made up of 6 counties in the Western Upper Peninsula plus two townships in Marquette County. This House district has one of the highest average ages per person of any House district in the state, as well as having chronically high unemployment. Over the years, the out-migration of youth has been a severe problem. Dianda believes we need to stop cutting the budgets for schools, quit taxing senior citizen pensions, restore revenue sharing with local units of government, stop having the State House steal powers from townships, county government, and eliminate the unconstitutional “emergency fiscal manager” takeovers of the people’s prerogatives to run their local government and schools.
Meet Candidate Scott Dianda...
MI List Endorses: Gretchen Driskell
Michigan's 52nd House District.
Michigan's 52nd State House District seat was held by Democrat Pam Byrnes for three terms (2004-2010). In 2010 Christine Green (Dem) ran for the open seat and lost to Mark Ouimet (Rep). After 2010, the district lines were redrawn, excluding Ann Arbor and Pittsfield; and including Salem Twp. While initially this might be seen as a blow to our chances to win the seat back, it may favor our race because the new district creates a more homogenous voting population.
Meet Candidate Gretchen Driskell...
MI List Endorses: Sharon Gray
Michigan's 108th House District.
Michigan's 108th House District is comprised of three counties, Delta, Dickinson and Menominee and is located in the south-central area of the Upper Peninsula. Major employers in the area include public education, building and construction trades, agriculture, pulp and paper, and tourism. Sharon has a primary election against Judy Nerat (D) who lost in 2010 to Ed McBroom (R).
Meet Candidate Sharon Gray...
MI List Endorses: Pam Jackson
Michigan's 39th House District.
In every sector of Michigan's 39th District the same concerns resonate: education, jobs, and community. Funding for education and efforts to bring jobs to Michigan and keep them here are clear priorities. Community concerns include public safety; preservation of bridges, waterways and parks; and the recently imposed pension tax which has had a devastating effect on some Senior Citizens, forcing them to decide between buying food or medication.
Meet Candidate Pam Jackson...
MI List Endorses: Collene Lamonte
Michigan's 91st House District.
Michigan's 91st district is a highly competitive swing district. Political pundits have declared the race for this legislative seat to be the most competitive in the state in 2012. The district's residents are 95% Caucasian and 4% African-American or Hispanic. Major job sectors are sales and office work, management/professional jobs, and production/transportation jobs. While the high school graduation rate is slightly better than the state average, the college graduation rate among constituents is 16% (compared to the 22% state average).
Meet Candidate Collene Lamonte...
MI List Endorses: Julie Rogers
5th County Commission District/Kalamazoo County
Kalamazoo County has been redistricted for 2012 and the 5th is a tossup district, highly competitive with no incumbent running. The 5th district is made up of Alamo Township and parts of Kalamazoo Township and Oshtemo Township. Currently, only 2 out of 17 Commissioners are women.
Meet Candidate Julie Rogers...
MI List Endorses: Dian Slavens
Michigan's 21st House District.
Representative Dian Slavens is running for her third term in House District 21, which includes the City of Belleville, Canton Township and Van Buren Township. She plans to run a grassroots campaign with a lot of volunteers and will be knocking doors everyday. She has fought two hard races in 2008 and 2010 through her neighbor to neighbor grassroots campaign, she won 51% - 49% both times.
Meet candidate Dian Slavens...
Great Women of the Great Lakes!
Raising $17,000, sponsored by 20 individuals and attended by over 60 donors, current office holders, candidates and political operatives, the Great Women of the Great Lakes 5 fundraiser exceeded expectations! Co-Hosted by Jenifer Martin & Mark Fendrick and Marianne Udow-Phillips & Bill Phillips at the Martin/Fendrick home in Ann Arbor, House Democratic Floor Leader Kate Segal from Battle Creek's 62nd House District, gave a rousing speech about the importance of pro-choice candidates as a key part of the strategy to reclaim the House majority. MI List endorsed candidates State Representative Dian Slavens 21HD, Pam Jackson candidate for the 39HD and Gretchen Driskell candidate for the 52HD were presented with checks and had the opportunity to meet and thank donors personally. Of particular note was the enthusiastic attendance by a number of graduate students from the University of Michigan and the re-invigoration of MI Good Guys - the pac for pro-choice Democratic men!
You can still contribute! Visit our page at ActBlue.
Thank You MI List Supporters!!!
Champions of Choice
Cheryl BergmanPam Byrnes
Mary Currie
Martha Darling
Sandy Fortier
Leigh Greden
Lee Gunn
Lori Lamerand
Ann Larimore
Jenifer Martin
Carol Rearick
Patricia Tupacz Scribner
Marianne Udow-Phillips
Defenders of Choice
Joanie BinkowRuth Carlos
Christine Green
Susan Greenberg
Margy Long
Peggy Pitt
Marjorie Shuman Saulson
Michigan Woman Lawmakers Silenced By GOP After Abortion Debate 'Temper Tantrum'
Rep. Lisa Brown
Two Democratic woman lawmakers in Michigan, Rep. Lisa Brown (West Bloomfield) and Rep. Barb Byrum (Onondaga), said Republican House leaders refused to allow them to speak on the House floor Thursday after their emotional remarks opposing an anti-abortion bill the day before.
Read the full Huffington Post article by Laura Bassett.
Rochelle Riley: An attack on women -- and democracy
Rep. Barb Byrum
...here's what really happened in the Michigan Legislature this week: Democracy was shut down. And women's voices were silenced. If our state's other legislators, our voters and our patriots allow it, then we deserve what we get.
Read the entire Freep article by Rochelle Riley.
Female Legislator Who Dared Say ‘Vagina’ During Abortion Debate Banned From Speaking on House Floor
After offending Majority Floor Leader Jim Stamas by using the offensively medically accurate word "vagina" in an impassioned floor speech opposing Michigan's draconian new abortion law, State Representative Lisa Brown was banned indefinitely from speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives.
Read the entire Jezebel article by Erin Gloria Ryan
The 2012 Project
Rutgers Center for American Women and Politics has launched a "national, non-partisan campaign to increase the number of women in Congress and state legislatures by taking advantage of the once-in-a-decade opportunities of 2012."
MI List Candidates
Below are some of the candidates MI List has endorsed since its founding in 2004.
