Axios Detroit

August 03, 2022
☕ Happy hump day! We're moving a little slowly this morning after staying up for election coverage, which is the focus of today's newsletter.
🥵 Today's weather: Hot and partly sunny with a chance of thunderstorms after 3pm. High near 94, but the temperature will feel closer to 100 with humidity.
Today's newsletter is 910 words — a 3.5-minute read.
1 big thing: Dixon to face Whitmer in November
Tudor Dixon, Republican nominee for Michigan, speaks during CPAC in Florida in February. Photo: Tristan Wheelock/Bloomberg via Getty Images
Tudor Dixon, a conservative commentator turned gubernatorial candidate, will face Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in November after winning the Republican primary.
- Dixon was leading with 40.5% of the vote early this morning. Bloomfield Hills businessman Kevin Rinke was trailing behind her at 21.9%, with 77% reporting, per NYT.
Driving the news: Dixon received former President Trump’s backing late last Friday despite her opponents pleading with the former president to stay out of Michigan's race.
- She's the first woman to earn her party's nomination for governor in Michigan.
- Dixon's victory was powered by a late surge in the polls over her four primary challengers following Trump's endorsement.
Between the lines: Dixon was relatively unheard of up until a signature fraud scandal disqualified five candidates, including the two perceived front-runners — former Detroit police chief James Craig and businessman Perry Johnson.
- Dixon struggled to raise money before earning the financial backing of the DeVos family, which tagged her as the establishment candidate.
- There was some uncertainty about whether Trump would endorse Dixon due to her relationship with the DeVos family, since the then-Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos considered invoking the 25th Amendment to remove Trump from office after the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
What we're watching: Whitmer brings a huge fundraising lead with her campaign account at $14.7 million.
- 2022 is the first election since 1974 that a Michigan governor is seeking re-election with their party in the White House.
2. Trump-backed Gibbs defeats incumbent Meijer
John Gibbs at a rally hosted by former President Trump in April near Washington, Michigan. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
John Gibbs, a Trump-endorsed political newcomer, defeated incumbent Peter Meijer for Michigan's redrawn 3rd Congressional District, AP reports.
Driving the news: Gibbs is the latest pro-Trump candidate to oust one of his few remaining GOP critics.
- Meijer, a freshman congressman who voted to impeach the former president, is the grandson of the Midwest grocery chain founder.
Why it matters: Gibbs' victory signals Republican voters' continued allegiance to the former president.
- A Black software engineer who worked on housing issues for the former president’s staff under HUD Secretary Ben Carson, Gibbs received Trump’s backing earlier this year.
Between the lines: Gibbs, who's publicly floated a number of outlandish right-wing conspiracy theories, brings a potential general election liability for the more competitive district that hasn't seen Democratic representation since 1976.
- The West Michigan primary was one of several in which Democrats meddled on behalf of far-right candidates in hopes of securing a more favorable matchup in November.
Context: The new congressional map made the district significantly more competitive, and Hillary Scholten, the Democratic challenger, lost to Meijer by just six points in 2020.
Go deeper: Our Trump endorsement tracker
3. Stevens cruises in battle of incumbents
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens celebrates her 11th Congressional win last night in Birmingham. Photo: Joe Guillen/Axios
U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens declared victory in Michigan's closely watched 11th District primary outside Detroit against fellow incumbent Rep. Andy Levin, further illustrating progressive Democrats' vulnerability.
Why it matters: Stevens' victory follows a pattern this year of more moderate candidates beating progressives in Democratic congressional primaries almost two-thirds of the time.
Catch up quick: The race pitted two incumbents against each other because the state redrew its legislative boundaries. The new 11th District is more diverse and solidly Democratic.
- The race also tested Democrats' support for Israel — a PAC started by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee spent more than $4 million to help Stevens, the Washington Post reports.
Of note: Levin's loss snaps a decades-long run in office for his family's political dynasty, which includes his father Sandy, a longtime congressman, and his uncle, Carl, the late former U.S. senator.
What they're saying: Stevens gave an energetic victory speech at the Townsend Hotel in Birmingham, urging supporters to vote in November, "especially for Democratic women."
- "Let's pass a national right to abortion care. Let's do that for the girls who are relying on us. Let's do it for the moms who never thought they'd see this day," she said.
4. The Grapevine: You heard it here
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib clinched a win over Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey in the 12th District Democratic primary. The redrawn congressional district includes part of Detroit, Southfield and Dearborn. (AP)
A state GOP primary watch party in Lansing was canceled after a man entered the party's headquarters saying he was "planning on shooting up the building and burning it down." (Axios)
Rep. Shri Thanedar appears to be leading the crowded field in the 13th District Democratic primary, over Adam Hollier and Portia Roberson, with 30% reporting early this morning. (NYT)
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5. Smooth night at the counting site
Detroit election officials count absentee ballots Tuesday night at Huntington Place. Photo: Sam Robinson/Axios
There weren't any major issues to report from Detroit's absentee ballot counting site at Huntington Place yesterday.
Driving the news: Over 1.1 million Michiganders voted with absentee ballots, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said.
- And more than 3,000 people took advantage of Michigan's same-day registration in order to cast votes on-site.
What they're saying: "We owe a debt of gratitude to the more than 1,600 township, city and county clerks of Michigan, as well as their staff and to the thousands of election workers," Benson told reporters late last night.
- Election workers at Huntington Place counted 43,000 absentee ballots yesterday.
The latest: A Republican poll challenger was removed from Huntington Place for "harassing and agitating" workers, according to Daniel Baxter, the former city election director who oversaw yesterday's counting process. He argued with poll inspectors before being carried out by security.
- Around 50 Democratic and Republican challengers were present at the counting site yesterday, with about 20 total challenges throughout the counting process, Baxter said.
- Flashback: Huntington Place, formerly TCF Center, became an inflection point for election conspirators following the 2020 election. Republican challengers claimed they were being shut out of the process.
Our picks:
Joe is reading about Miami Dolphins owner (and U of M megadonor) Stephen Ross' suspension from the NFL for the team's recruitment of Tom Brady.
🥤 Annalise is sad to learn that if Everett has never had Vernors, he's likely never had a Boston Cooler.
😴 Sam is going to sleep well tonight!
☘️ Everett likes neither Boston nor Coolers.
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