Michigan Democrats Agree to Push for Early June Primary Re-Do
WASHINGTON — Michigan Democrats agreed Friday to push a do-over primary in early June to give them a say in the close presidential race between Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama.
Amid talks with the two campaigns, the four Michigan Democrats said in a statement they were “focusing on the possibility of a state-run primary in early June which would not use any state funding.” Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, one of the Democratic participants, said a likely date is June 3.
“This option would require the passage of legislation by the state legislature, and we look forward to working with the members of the legislature in the coming days to see if this option can be made a reality,” the Democrats said.
Other Michigan Democrats working on the plan were Democratic National Committee member Debbie Dingell, Sen. Carl Levin and United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger.
Mark Brewer, chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, said the potential privately funded primary was “a good first step” toward seating the state’s delegation at the Democratic National Convention.
The agreement now hinges on getting the campaigns and party officials to approve legislation, still being written, that would set the primary for early June. In the statement, Brewer said party leaders would need to write legislation “that is acceptable to the MDP and both the Clinton and Obama campaigns.”
To go forward, any plan would require the approval of the two campaigns, the Democratic National Committee, state party leaders and Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who is backing Clinton. Brewer said a revised delegate plan would also need to be approved by the state party’s executive committee and the DNC’s rules and bylaws committee.
Michigan Democrats need to act quickly because the politically divided legislature will have to sign off on the deal and approve how to spend the privately raised funds for a new election. Members of the Democratic-controlled state House and Republican-controlled state Senate leave at the end of the month on their two-week spring break.
The contest must be held by June 10 for the results to count under DNC rules.
The national party punished Michigan and Florida for moving up their primaries before Feb. 5, stripping them of all their delegates. The two states have been struggling to come up with alternative plans to ensure their delegates are seated at the national convention this summer in Denver.
Michigan held its primary Jan. 15 and Florida voted Jan. 29. Clinton won both, although she was the only major candidate on the Michigan ballot.
Kilpatrick said although she is optimistic, Detroit City Clerk Janice Winfrey has expressed concern they may not have the time or manpower to pull it off. She said they are trying to work through those issues.
Both campaigns said they would evaluate the plans. Obama spokesman Bill Burton said the campaign hoped “a resolution can be arrived at that is fair and practical.”
Former Michigan Gov. James Blanchard, the co-chairman of Clinton’s Michigan campaign, said they were “looking at this with great interest … it has some great possibilities.”
Florida Democrats said they will make a decision by Monday on whether to hold a dual mail-in and in-person re-vote. But the plan floated this week faces opposition from the state’s Democratic congressional delegation, and Obama has also expressed concerns about security and accuracy of a mail-in vote organized so quickly. Democratic National Committee rules require the vote to be scheduled by June 10.
Florida DNC member Jon Ausman on Friday filed an appeal to the rules committee asking that the state’s 23 superdelegates and half its at-large delegates be restored. He argued that party rules say superdelegates “shall” be seated and that the punishment for holding an early primary is losing half the at-large delegates.
“They far exceeded their authority by giving us the death penalty,” Ausman said.
While party rules at the time the primary date was moved did say that states would lose half their delegates, the rules committee later voted to strip Florida of all its delegates. Florida had 210 delegates, including 185 pledged delegates.
They should be counted, it is not fair that every vote is not counted.
i think the DNC should pay for both primarys ans if it doesn’t cancel them. people like howard dean should be kept accountable for stupid decsions. but then any party that puts a stupid man like that in charge of their party should pay for his mistakes. Maybe both states will get pieved and vote republican and teach the DNC a lesson
Privately funded public primary. I smell trouble.
I guess we can start re-doing primary in each state now. Get a life Dems!! This is not a moving target
I think this “re-do” mentality is ridiculous. What are we teaching our children?
Its ok to not play by the rules….we’ll just change the rules as we go along.
This just ensures chaos not only politically but could seep into our everyday lives.
Follow the rules….they are there to ensure order.
No revote. Either follow party rules or face the consequences. Too much chance for fraud, errors, etc. Work on changing the rules for the NEXT election, not this one. It’s too late for this one.
Only the Democrats could do something as pathetic as this. First they break the “law” of their own party, and now they want a do-over. Sounds like amnesty to me, doesn’t it?
I’m totally against this farce unless the Dems pay all the costs upfront before any such primary takes place. Michigan is in such dire financial straits that the last thing we taxpayers need to do is fund the asininity of a second primary because the politicians screwed up in their dumb decision to move the date.
Billary should be careful of what she wishes for, as if there is a second primary, Obama will win it.
WHY ARE THESE STATES BEING CATERED TO? THEY BROKE THE RULES BY HAVING THEIR PRIMARYS TOO EARLY, WHICH THEY KNEW! ITS THEIR OWN FAULT! NOW ALL THIS TIME IS BEING SPENT TRYING TO FIGURE OUT HOW THEY CAN VOTE. IF THEY HAD WAITED LIKE THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO WE WOULD’NT HAVE THIS PROBLEM! AND HOW IN THE WORLD CAN ANYONE STATE CLINTON WON. WON WHAT? OBAMAS NAME WAS’NT EVEN ON IT! THIS IS THE MOST PATHETIC PRESIDENTIAL RACE I’VE EVER SEEN!
Why is this country in turmoil? Why are we looked down upon by so many others in the world? One must only look at our own “democratic” way of electing our officials to see why peoples of other countries cringe at the thought of the good ole’ US of A promoting and pushing (by force) our “democratic” way of rule.
I know that there are those who will not give a rip about my opinions regarding the Democratic Party’s rediculous move to change the primary in our state (Michigan), when it was clearly out of order with the rules, but I was so turned off by this brazen move, that I refused to vote and take part in such a farse of an election process…I refused to be a part of it!
Now, we the people of the United States of America are even considering the opportunity of a “do-over”?! I am sick to my stomach! Re-read my first paragraph. I wish that I could move to the moon. Even that remote outpost will probably be under the influence of our so-called democratic rule and rules of engagement too soon for me to grow old and die!