The race for Michigan’s comically gerrymandered 11th district is one of the most interesting in the country. The story really started two years ago when Thad McCotter botched his reelection campaign by hiring some idiots who photocopied signatures for his nominating petitions and then proceeded to get busted by elections officials. If McCotter himself wasn’t a big enough oddball, his […]

Michigan’s 11th Congressional District is one of the most highly gerrymandered districts in the state. I mean, geez, just look at this travesty: Clearly, when Republicans redrew that district, they had no interest in the Democrats (read: black people) of Pontiac voting in their election. The newly redrawn district contains much of the former territory and is a hotbed of […]

Bobby McKenzie, one of three Democratic candidates for the 11th Congressional District seat now held by Kerry Bentivolio, received the coveted endorsement of Dean of the House John Dingell this past week. McKenzie is a former counterterrorism officer for the U.S. Department of State and will face off against Dr. Anil Kumar and former progressive radio host Nancy Skinner in […]

Last week the Michigan AFL-CIO gave its endorsements to two statewide candidates and several Congressional candidates: Mark Schauer, Governor Gary Peters, U.S. Senate Jerry Cannon, U.S. House – CD 1 Dan Kildee, U.S. House – CD 5 Pam Byrnes, U.S. House – CD 7 Sandy Levin, U.S. House – CD 9 John Conyers, U.S. House – CD 13 Yesterday, Mark […]

Named an Emerging District in the DCCC’s Red to Blue program, MI-11 could be a winner for Democrats. On Monday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) announced the first 35 districts in its Red to Blue program. These candidates — which include Jerry Cannon (MI-01) and Pam Byrnes (MI-07) — have earned a spot on Red to Blue by surpassing […]

It starts with getting involved and ends with getting out the vote. “When Democrats vote, Democrats win.” You’ve heard it before, and there’s a good reason why: It’s true. The Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) is calling on Democrats across the state to spring into action for 2014. The earlier we mobilize, the better our chances of winning. Want proof? According […]

The Democratic candidate for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District stands to give Republicans a run for their money. In news from the Bobby McKenzie campaign, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has placed McKenzie on its Jumpstart program, according to MIRS. The DCCC began the Jumpstart program (PDF) this year to give what it considers “top-tier” candidates early financial, communications, operational […]

Like many Democrats, I’m all for seeing Benson run for office. But not running for this one is a smart move. It’s been a topic of great speculation in the last month or so — especially after meetings with high-level Democrats in Washington — but Jocelyn Benson announced on Tuesday that she will not be running for Congress in Michigan’s […]

Candidate for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District launches initiative seeking real stories of foreclosures executed by Trott and his law firm. During the housing market crisis, there’s a good chance you or someone you know went through a foreclosure or eviction. And if you live in Michigan, it might have been done at the hands of David Trott in his position […]

The story’s still unfolding, but this could be one heck of an interesting race. In breaking news on Friday, Inside Michigan Politics (IMP) reported that the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) has been calling members of Michigan’s congressional delegation to say Jocelyn Benson is running in Michigan’s 11th Congressional District. The information came from two “highly placed” Democrats, but a […]

There’s a third possibility, too, in what’s shaping up to be an interesting race. In his first media interview, counterterrorism expert Bobby McKenzie told Inside Michigan Politics early Thursday that he’s running for Michigan’s 11th Congressional District as a Democrat. McKenzie, who most recently worked for the U.S. State Department, is set to announce his bid on Thursday. He told […]