Sander Levin Picks Sides in Primary #MI14

Levin endorsed Hobbs in the 14th District primary. (Chris Maddaloni/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Sander M. Levin endorsed state House Democratic Floor Leader Rudy Hobbs on Wednesday in the Democratic primary for Michigan’s 14th District.

“When elected to the U.S. House, Rudy will be a powerful advocate and a tireless fighter for the residents throughout the 14th District in Detroit and Oakland County,” Levin said in a press release. “I look forward to actively supporting his campaign.” Full story

Remainders: Conservatives Buy Airtime for Mark Sanford

• #IASEN: Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey will not run for Senate and has encouraged Republican Rep. Steve King to seek the open seat instead.
• #MTSEN: EMILY’s List President Stephanie Schriock confirmed her interest in a bid for Senate.
• #MISEN: Rep. Gary Peters, D-Mich. discussed his Senate campaign in an interview with CQ Roll Call.
• #MI14: Several Detroit-area Democrats are positioning to run for Peters’ seat including his primary foe from 2012, former Rep. Hansen Clarke.

What we’re mulling on Thursday…

Full story

Detroit Democrats Expected to Flood Peters House Seat #MI14 | The Field

Clarke, center, might run again. (Scott J. Ferrell/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Now that Democratic Rep. Gary Peters has officially entered the Michigan Senate race, Detroit-area Democrats have started to eye his House seat for 2014.

Democrats are assured to hold this majority-minority district, which voted for President Barack Obama with more than 80 percent. Party operatives expect a crowded 14th District primary filled with familiar names of local lawmakers and candidates who have run for this or nearby seats before.

Potential candidates include: Full story

Michigan: Gary Peters Prevails Over Hansen Clarke in Democratic Primary

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Gary Peters easily defeated fellow Rep. Hansen Clarke in a Democratic primary created by the redrawing of Detroit-area districts.

Peters led Clarke in the 14th district, 47 percent to 35 percent, with 89 percent of precincts reporting. Peters, who came to Congress after winning a competitive race in a suburban Detroit district in 2008, will be the Motor City’s first white Congressman in several decades. Full story

Michigan: A Bizarre 14th District Debate

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

DETROIT — Rep. Hansen Clarke (D-Mich.) sat in the audience Thursday night, quietly listening to his opponents debate.

Four candidates — including his colleague, Rep. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) — touted their credentials for the seat, while Clarke sat out of the debate, watching among a small crowd in the Wayne State University Law School auditorium.

Last month, Clarke said he would no longer participate in debates because of “racist rhetoric” in the 14th district race. But in a bizarre evening, Clarke appeared at the National Association of Black Journalists forum anyway to promote his struggling candidacy.

“I thought this was the proper forum for everyone to actually compare who we are as people, and for me to be able to address firsthand any issues,” Clarke told reporters afterward. “I felt it was important for me to be here and be available at this one time.”

Full story

Michigan: Poll Gives Gary Peters Big Lead Over Hansen Clarke

Rep. Gary Peters is facing off against a fellow Democratic Member in a primary next month. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

A new poll shows Rep. Gary Peters ahead of Rep. Hansen Clarke by double digits in their upcoming Democratic primary in Michigan’s 14th district.

Peters led Clarke, 45 percent to 27 percent, according to a survey released Wednesday and sponsored by Fox News 2 Detroit. Full story

Michigan: Members Choose Sides in Hansen Clarke-Gary Peters Race

Rep. Gary Peters received donations from a couple of his House Democratic colleagues. (Douglas Graham/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

A few House Democrats have picked sides in the approaching primary between Reps. Gary Peters and Hansen Clarke, according to their finance reports.

Democratic Reps. John Larson (Conn.) and Norm Dicks (Wash.) donated to Peters through their committees. Democratic Reps. Marcia Fudge (Ohio) and Mike Honda (Calif.) gave to Clarke through their campaigns.

Michigan lost a House seat because of population loss, and Republicans in the Legislature dismantled the Detroit area seats in their redraw of the Congressional map last year, prompting the Clarke and Peters matchup.

The two lawmakers will face off Aug. 7. The winner of the primary in the Democratic stronghold will likely be the next Member of Congress for the 14th district.

Michigan: Filing Deadline Arrives With No Surprises

Rep. Tim Walberg (R) will not have a top challenger for his re-election race this November, leaving Democrats with a major recruitment hole in the Michigan map.

Instead, Democrats will focus their efforts on a rerun race between freshman Rep. Dan Benishek (R) and former state Rep. Gary McDowell (D) in the state’s Upper Peninsula.

The Wolverine State’s Congressional races were set today, when the candidate filing period closed at 4 p.m. There were no major surprises among the dozens of petitions, including Walberg’s race. A couple of weeks ago, former GOP Rep. Joe Schwarz declined to challenge Walberg as a Democrat.

Michigan shed a House seat due to population loss, and Republicans led a redraw of the state’s Congressional boundaries last year. As a result, a few Democrats filed to run for re-election in new territory around Detroit.

Full story

Morning Roundup: Member-Vs.-Member Races

(Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

The front page of today’s Roll Call features Shira Toeplitz’s report from the ground in Cleveland and Toledo, Ohio, on the Democratic primary between Reps. Marcy Kaptur and Dennis Kucinich. Their March 6 contest will be the first of 12 Member-vs.-Member races decided this redistricting cycle.

The numbers in the redrawn 9th district, which stretches 120 miles along Lake Erie’s shoreline, favor Kaptur over Kucinich because it takes in more of her current territory. But, as Toeplitz points out, long odds have never stopped the two-time failed presidential candidate and one-time “boy mayor” of Cleveland from running before. Full story

Michigan: UAW Endorses Gary Peters

(Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Rep. Gary Peters has won a key endorsement in his race against Rep. Hansen Clarke for Michigan’s 14th district. Members of the United Auto Workers have decided to back Peters in the Member-vs.-Member Democratic primary.

“As a Member of Congress, Gary Peters has shown tremendous leadership and courage by leading the fight for the automotive industry, including his work to secure the auto loans which saved over a million American automotive jobs,” said Chuck Hall, director of UAW Region 1.

Full story

FEC for Breakfast: Member-Vs.-Member Race Fundraising

At Roll Call, there’s no race like a Member-vs.-Member contest. Here’s the fundraising breakdown for these redistricting-forced battles, plus our picks for which Member won the money battle in the fourth quarter:

Democrats Vs. Democrats:

• CA-30:  Rep. Howard Berman obliterated Rep. Brad Sherman by bringing in almost eight times his haul in the fourth quarter. Berman raised just more than $1 million, while Sherman raised just $126,000. Sherman still has more in his bank account with almost $3.7 million in cash on hand. But Berman is quickly catching up and now has close to $2.9 million in the bank. MONEY WINNER: Berman, by eight-fold.

• CA-44: Rep. Laura Richardson raised more than Rep. Janice Hahn in the fourth quarter, bringing in $103,00 compared with the newly elected Congresswoman’s $77,000. Richardson had more in the bank, too, with $132,00 in cash on hand. Hahn reported $76,00 in cash on hand. MONEY WINNER: Richardson, by a little.   Full story