Here we go again…
Since Democratic House Rep Jim Ananich was elected to the state senate in a special election, his House seat in the 49th district has been a hot commodity. There are several Democratic candidates who will face off in the August 6th primary but one of them sticks out like a bit of a sore thumb. Karyn Miller, the current Supervisor of Charter Township of Flint has an interesting history. As a Republican.
In 2006 when she ran for Township Supervisor, she ran as the Republican candidate against Democrat Doug Carlton. She lost but, in 2008, she switched parties and won and has been Supervisor ever since.
Miller also appears to be anti-Choice. According to her Township Supervisor bio, she once volunteered for the Pregnancy Helpline in Brighton, Michigan. That Helpline is run by the Pregnancy Help Clinic, a rather notorious group who intimidate pregnant women into not having abortions though they are clever enough not to make their intentions obvious.
Finally, Miller had campaign donations to both the Republican Party and the gubernatorial campaign of corporatist billionaire Dick DeVos in 2007 and 2007:
[Source: Michigan Secretary of State campaign finance page, click image for a larger version”]
When you look at her website, Miller only lists four issues on her “Issues” page: more jobs, increased public safety, less taxes and better education. These are issues that could from any Republican’s campaign site and few Democrats run on “less taxes”.
You have several Democrats to choose from in the 49th district. Before you vote, ask them some hard questions on their positions regarding a woman’s right to choose a safe and legal abortion. And ask Karyn Miller what prompted her move from the Republican Party to the Democratic Party. If she is truly a Democrat, that’s fine. But, given her past, it’s questionable whether or not that’s simply a convenience to get elected in a Democratic district.
