Big Wins For Conservation In August Primary Election
Your support helped elect strong candidates in close primary election match-ups across the state!
MICHIGAN LCV’S electoral strategy this year is all about laying the groundwork for a Conservation Majority in 2017. That’s why in the August Primary we focused our resources on supporting candidates who are strongly committed to protecting our air, land and water, but were facing close Democratic or Republican primary elections.
Following months of hard work during the hottest days of the summer, our team is absolutely thrilled with the results! Conservation candidates came out on top in elections across the state. In fact, 19 of the 22 candidates endorsed by Michigan LCV won! Better yet, we expect that most, if not all, of these candidates will go on to win in November. These wins mean that we will have a strong base of support for conservation in Lansing for the first time in almost a decade!
Below is the full list of candidates endorsed ahead of the 2016 primary, as well as their individual election results:
Candidate: | State House District: | Primary Win/ Loss |
Brian Banks (D) | 1 | Win |
Stephanie Chang (D) | 6 | Win |
LaTanya Garrett (D) | 7 | Win |
Leslie Love (D) | 10 | Win |
Erika Geiss (D) | 12 | Win |
Frank Liberati (D) | 13 | Win |
Jeff Chicoine (D) | 14 | Loss |
Abdullah Hammoud (D) | 15 | Win |
Kevin Hertel (D) | 18 | Win |
John Chirkun (D) | 22 | Win |
Henry Yanez (D) | 25 | Win |
Bill Sowerby (D) | 31 | Win |
Martin Howrylak (R) | 41 | Win |
Yousef Rabhi (D) | 53 | Win |
Tom Cochran (D) | 67 | Win |
Andy Schor (D) | 68 | Win |
Ryan Arnt (R) | 79 | Loss |
Mary Whiteford (R) | 80 | Win |
Sean Mullally (D) | 92 | Loss |
Scott VanSingel (R) | 100 | Win |
Larry Inman (R) | 104 | Win |
John Kivela (D) | 109 | Win |
This progress was only possible because of your support and the support of countless Michigan LCV members just like you. Thank you!
You know that the health of our communities and Michigan’s freshwater needs to be a top priority in Lansing. In a year where there have been fundamental questions about the quality and basic safety of our state’s air and water, our primary election results illustrate that Michiganders want our elected leaders to get their priorities straight!
Keeping our communities and our natural resources safe and healthy should never be a partisan issue. That’s why Michigan LCV is committed to supporting strong conservation candidates on both sides of the aisle, who will prioritize protecting our land, air and water for future generations.
TWO CANDIDATES YOU HELPED WIN:
ABDULLAH HAMMOUD
Democrat—15th House District
Abdullah Hammoud is a former Michigan LCV Education Fund Board Member and public health expert who won a crowded primary to become the Democratic nominee for the 15th House District, which covers most of the City of Dearborn. With your support, we worked tirelessly on the ground, knocking doors and connecting with community members to get them fired up about this extraordinary candidate. Thanks to your support, Hammoud beat his closest competitor by nearly a thousand votes!
MARY WHITEFORD
Republican—80th House District
Mary Whiteford won a special election to the Michigan House of Representatives in March 2016, but this registered nurse hasn’t wasted any time! During her 7 short months in office, Mary has proven to be a leader focused on what is best for public health and enjoyment of the Lake Michigan shoreline where her district is located. Mary won her August 2016 primary, putting her in an excellent position to win re-election in November. We look forward to working with Mary beyond this election as she has proven to be a strong voice for our natural resources and community health.
We look forward to working with these and other rising leaders in 2017 to advance policies that protect our communities and our state’s incredible natural resources.
Your support over these past months has been critical to helping elect this bipartisan crop of conservation champs—thank you!