Michigan Republican Party
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Michigan Republican Party is the state affiliate of the national Republican Party in Michigan. It is sometimes referred to as MIGOP, which simply means Michigan Grand Old Party.
Saul Anuzis has been Chairman of the Michigan Republican State Commitee since February, 2005 and is campaigning for re-election. Saul is also the only GOP State chairman to host a party blog [1]. Jane Abraham, is Vice-chairman and wife of former U.S. Senator Spencer Abraham. Its National Committee Members are Chuck Yob and Holly Hughes.
Terri Lynn Land successfully won re-election as Michigan Secretary of State in 2006.
Mike Cox successfully won re-election as Michigan Attorney General in 2006.
- The Michigan State Senate will resume it's Republican majority when the 2007 term begins.
- The Michigan State House of Representatives will fall to a Republican minority when the 2007 term begins.
Nine of fifteen current United States House of Representatives from Michigan are Republican.
- Peter Hoekstra (R) of Holland
- Vern Ehlers (R) of Grand Rapids
- David Lee Camp (R) of Midland
- Fred Upton (R) of St. Joseph
- Joe Schwarz (R) of Battle Creek (Tim Walberg (R) will replace Schwarz in January, 2007)
- Mike J. Rogers (R) of Lansing
- Joe Knollenberg (R) of Bloomfield Hills
- Candice S. Miller (R) of Harrison Township
- Thaddeus McCotter (R) of Livonia
The current Governor of Michigan and both U.S. Senators from Michigan are Democrats.
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[edit] History and notable Michigan Republicans
The Republican Party was born in the early 1850s by anti-slavery activists and individuals who believed that government should grant western lands to settlers free of charge. The first informal meeting of the party took place in Ripon, Wisconsin, a small town northwest of Milwaukee, WI. The first official Republican meeting took place on July 6th, 1854 in Jackson, Michigan. The name "Republican" was chosen because it alluded to equality and reminded individuals of Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party. At the Jackson convention, the new party adopted a platform and nominated candidates for office in Michigan.
In 1856, the Republicans became a national party when John C. Fremont was nominated for President of the United States under the slogan: "Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, Fremont." Even though they were considered a "third party" because the Democrats and Whigs represented the two-party system at the time, Fremont received 33% of the vote. Four years later, Abraham Lincoln became the first Republican to win the White House. (For continued history [[2]])
26 Republicans have been Governors of Michigan. The first was Kingsley Bingham in 1855 and the most recent was John Engler who left office January 1, 2003.
Gerald R. Ford was the only Republican U.S. President and also the only Republican U.S. Vice President from Michigan. He is also the longest living President in U.S. History at the age of 93. He and his wife Betty are currently living in California.
No Michigander has ever been Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Thomas W. Ferry is the only Republican from Michigan to become president pro tempore of the Senate. The only Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States from Michigan who was appointed by a Republican President was Henry Billings Brown.
[edit] List of United States Cabinet Members from Michigan who served under a Republican President (In order of Presidential succession)
| Name | Cabinet Position | Years Served | President(s) served under |
|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Erwin Wilson | Secretary of Defense | 1953-57 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Zachariah Chandler | Secretary of the Interior | 1875-77 | Ulysses S. Grant |
| Roy Dikeman Chapin | Secretary of Commerce | 1932-33 | Herbert Hoover |
| Frederick H. Mueller | Secretary of Commerce | 1959-61 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
| Governor George W. Romney | Secretary of Housing and Urban Development | 1969-73 | Richard Nixon |
| Spencer Abraham | Secretary of Energy | 2001-05 | George W. Bush |
| Governor Russell A. Alger | Secretary of War obsolete | 1997-99 | William McKinley |
| Truman H. Newberry | Secretary of the Navy obsolete | 1908-09 | Theodore Roosevelt |
| Edwin C. Denby | Secretary of the Navy obsolete | 1921-24 | Warren G. Harding & Calvin Coolidge |
| Arthur E. Summerfield | Postmaster General obsolete | 1953-61 | Dwight D. Eisenhower |
Zachariah Chandler and Arthur E. Summerfield are also the only Michiganders to become Chairman of the Republican National Committee.
[edit] Chairman List
List of Chairmen of the Michigan Republican State Committee
Elly M. Peterson was the first woman to serve as chairman of any official state party.
[edit] MIGOP Current Staff
| Position | Name | Position | Name |
|---|---|---|---|
| Executive Director | Jeff Timmer | Election Day Operations Director | Gregory Gebraad |
| Political Director | Mary Engelman | Director of Research and Communications | Sarah Anderson |
| Deputy Political Director | Josh Venable | Research Assistant | Brad Jackson |
| Voter Registration/ID Director | Robin Foster | Research Assistant | Robert Wolfer |
| Northern Michigan Field Director | Frank Egeler | Research Assistant | Kaminski Nicole |
| Coalitions Director | Justin Knepper | Finance Director | Anne Marie Lindley |
| Ethnic Coalitions Coordinator | Carmen Hodge | Deputy Finance Director | Michelle Rudoni |
| Thumb Area MI Field Director | Jonathan Hecksel | Finance Assistant | Charice Mitchell |
| Macomb MI Field Director | Victoria Czapski | Accounting Director | Henrietta Tow |
| Political Assistant | Brian Shekell | Accounting Assistant | Michelle Williams |
| Oakland MI Field Director | Ryan Klementowski | Executive Assistant to the Chairman | Megan Danielson |
| Wayne County Field Director | Gailute Dedinas | Assistant to the Chairman | Jerren Osmar |
| Director of Candidate & Party Assistance | Rob Macomber | Webmaster | Bill Carney |
| Political Assistant to Candidates | Anthony Lewis | Staff page at official site. |
