Benishek Out - Arcand or Allen In? Michigan 1st Congressional Seat Wide Open

Michigan 1st District Congressman Dan Benishek (R), announced Today that he would not seek reelection, keeping with a self imposed term limit.

Dan Benishek

"Today I'm announcing that I won't seek re-election next year, which will allow me to focus my time and attention on helping our veterans and working to make things better for the families and workers throughout Northern Michigan, and devote more time to my family," said Benishek in a statement released to UPMatters.com.

Benishek promised to stay in Congress for only 3 terms when he first ran 6 years ago.   Once considered a Tea Party darling when he beat incumbent Bart Stupak (D), he fell from favor with the Tea Party for his votes on continueing resolutions that increased the national debt and continued to

Alan Arcand

fund Obamacare.

Two names being mention to replace Benishek include Alan Arcand - a  business owner from Iron Mountain Michigan and  former state Sen. Jason Allen, who lost to Benishek in the 2010 primary by just 15 votes.  Allen has served as deputy director of the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency since 2011.

Michgan Primary Shows Tea Party Is Alive And Well

Although the Tea Party suffered some losses with the election losses of Tom McMillin, Alan Arcand and Peter Konetchy for Congress,  Matthew Maddock for State Senate, Wendy Lynn Day, Angela Rigas, and Deb O'Hagan for State Representative, there were many victories.

Tea Party and Christen victories included; Justin Amash, 3rd District Representative in Congress who battled a tough primay, 7th District State Senator Patrick Colbeck, Lana Theis, 42nd District State Representative, Jim Runestad, 44th District State Representative, Cindy Gamrat, 80th District State Representative, Todd Courser, 82nd District State Representative, Gary Glenn 98th District State Representative, Triston Cole, 105th District State Representative, Lee Chatfield 107th District State Representative.

These victories were hard fought as the Establishment  branch of the party did everything they could to prevent the Tea Party and Christian Conservatives from winning .

In the 3rd Congressional District Brian Ellis, a business man was chosen by the Establishment Republicans to challenge Sophmore and Tea Party Favorite Justin Amash.  Brian Ellis was endorsed by Retiring Congressman Mike Rogers. Rogers had been at odds with Justin Amash over Amash's stance against the NSA spy agency, the NDAA where American's deemed terrorists can be held indefinitely and lose their constitutional rights.  Justin bucked many in his party and voted against the Continuing Resolutions that kept funding Obamacare.   Former Congressman and 2012 Senate Candidate Pete Hoekstra also supported Ellis.  The nastiness in the campaign was so bad that yesterday at his victory party Justin told Brian Ellis and Pete Hoekstra how he really felt.  

"Brian Ellis, you owe my family and this community an apology," Amash said. "You had the audacity to try to call me today after running a campaign that was called 'the nastiest in the country.' "I ran for office to stop people like you."

"I want to say to lobbyist Pete Hoekstra, you're a disgrace," said Amash, noting the former U.S. representative who appeared in a TV ad for Ellis. "I'm glad we can hand you one more loss before you fade into total obscurity and irrelevance."

In the 107th District the Establishment was so desperate to keep power and their Representative Frank Foster that they courted the Democrat party and asked for their help to take a stand against the Tea Party.

Chatfield's challenge came as a result of Foster's overall liberal voting record (Obamacare-Medicaid expansion, Common Core) but primarily his advocacy for the homosexual activists' top agenda item.

Gary Glenn who is a strong voice for marriage between a man and a woman also won his seat easily. In the race in the 98th Gary Glenn's religious beliefs were attacked for his Christian beliefs on gay marriage. Former Michigan Gubernatorial  Dick Devos' family donated heavily to Glenn's opponent and Devos' right hand man, Greg McKnielly, Dick Devos' right hand man and who quickly got married to his gay partner when the window for gay marriage was briefly opened earlier this year, also worked hard against Glenn.

In the 44th House District there was no love lost between conservative favorite Jim Runestad, who has a conservative record to stand on, versus Liz Fessler Smith, a relative new comer that came from a rocky political family , rose quickly through the ranks and was supported by many Establishment Republicans. 

Liz Fessler Smith stated to tea party members  and Christian Conservatives that she was conservative while at the same time she had committed to amending the Elliott-Larsen Act to include special protections for sexual orientation.  Many false accusations were thrown at Jim, including calling him a racist, which many know to be farthest from the truth.  The police were also called on the Fessler Smith campaign at a precinct in White Lake for what some perceived as voter intimidation.  However one Facebook user advised that Ms. Fessler-Smith decided to post on her facebook wall that the police were called on her opponent.

In Michigan the campaign finance reports where due on July 25th,2014, but as of this writing no complete campaign filing has been given to the Michigan Election Commission.  As previously reported Ms. Fessler Smith stated that her campaign finance information was stolen out of her mother's car the day it was due. 

Former candidates for Michigan Republican Chair and Vice Chair, Todd Courser and Cindy Gamrat also won their respect races and one can only wonder what will happen in the State House once they team up again should they when in November.

Overall with all the drama, the Establishment Republicans who have had their hands in pockets of those that support Common Core, Medicaid Expansion, and the gay marriage agenda to a hit with the election of Christian Tea Party Candidates yesterday.