The winning combination this November

By Mark Brewer, MDP Chair
Thursday, September 2, 2010

What an exciting convention this past weekend at Cobo Center in Detroit. We have a ticket with candidates who are ready to shake things up in Lansing - Virg Bernero, Jocelyn Benson, David Leyton, and Alton Thomas Davis.

Virg Bernero for Governor

Virg knows how to lead in tough times. As Mayor of Lansing these past five years, Virg has balanced five straight budgets with no tax increases and no layoffs. He's shared in the sacrifice by cutting his pay, giving up his city-owned car, and even doubling what he pays for health insurance coverage.

Virg is the leader Michigan needs right now. We can't afford to have someone like Rick Snyder at the helm - a Chief Executive Outsourcer who was a director at Gateway Computer when it eliminated 19,000 American jobs and outsourced that work to China and Asia, while he made tens of millions of dollars.

Virg knows how to get the job done and is the only candidate who can turn things around in Michigan. He knows how to bring business and labor together, to balance a budget, to lead in tough times, and to diversify our economy.

Virg Bernero is fighting for Main Street. Fighting for Michigan. Fighting for us. There is only one candidate in the race for governor who will stand up for Main Street values, working men and women, and small businesses. And that candidate is Virg Bernero.

Jocelyn Benson for Secretary of State

Michigan was once a leader in election standards for the entire nation. With programs like Motor Voter - which allows drivers to register to vote when they sign up for a license - we have always been an example for other states to follow.

But that hasn't happened the past 16 years under Republican leadership. The Secretary of State's office is a shadow of its former self and it's time for a change. It's time to restore the Secretary of State's office to respectability. It's time to make Michigan a leader once again. It's time to elect Jocelyn Benson as our next Secretary of State.

Jocelyn has spent her career advocating for efficient and transparent government that puts people first. As the daughter of two special education teachers, she was instilled with a responsibility to ensure that people are treated fairly and that government works well for every citizen.

Jocelyn began her career as an investigator for the Southern Poverty Law Center. Today, she teaches election law at Wayne State University Law School and has written a book on the role of the Secretary of State in enforcing election and campaign finance law.

In 2007, Jocelyn helped block the closing of a Secretary of State branch in Saginaw. In 2008, she called on GOP Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land to ban the use of foreclosure lists to challenge voter's eligibility no Election Day.

Now, Jocelyn wants to bring change to Lansing - improving customer service, protecting pocketbooks, and making sure elected officials work for citizens, not corporate and special interests.

From early voting to no reason absentee to eliminating the driver's responsibility fee, Benson will reform Michigan.

The Republican candidate, Ruth Johnson, wants to put Michigan in reverse. She's against such reforms as early voting. Why does Johnson want to limit access to voting? Why does she want to make voting more difficult on us? We can't afford Ruth Johnson and the same old Republican obstructionism.

We need to move Michigan forward and be a leader once again. We need to elect Jocelyn Benson as our next Secretary of State.

David Leyton for Attorney General

This past weekend, we officially nominated Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton as our candidate for Attorney General. David is tough, independent, and fair - the qualities we need in Michigan's next Attorney General.

Leyton is the only candidate in the race with experience as a criminal prosecutor. His Genesee County Prosecutor's office has prosecuted 20,000 cases and achieved a conviction rate of over 92%.

Leyton has helped to keep Michigan safe by sending criminals to jail. He recently played a leading role in working with law enforcement to find and arrest a suspected serial killer believed to have stabbed at least 18 men in three states. He broke up a gang that terrorized Flint neighborhoods, he prosecuted and convicted a serial rapist who kidnapped women from shopping malls, and he put a killer behind bars for life for murdering three elderly Flint residents in their homes.

Leyton's plan to reform state government as Michigan's Attorney General includes cutting elected officials' pay by 10%, ending lifetime health benefits for lawmakers, requiring elected officials to disclose their income and assets every year and closing the revolving door between the Legislature and lobbying by enacting a two-year lobbying ban for former elected officials. David will target government corruption at all levels to protect taxpayers.

David Leyton understands that the Attorney General should be an advocate for regular citizens, not powerful special interests like big oil companies, drug companies, and profit-hungry insurance companies.

We need to elect someone like David Leyton who will work to stop big insurance companies from jacking up our rates, protect consumers from hidden bank fees, and who will work to force oil companies and other corporate polluters to pay when they harm our land, water, and air instead of sticking Michigan taxpayers with the bill.

David Leyton is an advocate for us. A tough, independent, and fair prosecutor who will bring those qualities and more to the Attorney General's office.

Alton Thomas Davis for State Supreme Court

Last week, we were fortunate to have Alton Thomas Davis promoted to the Michigan Supreme Court as its newest justice. Justice Davis has a long history of being fair and impartial on the bench - a history that has helped him to garner bipartisan support throughout his career. Now that Justice Davis is a member of the Michigan Supreme Court, we need to work to keep him there.

Justice Davis has spent more than 26 years on the bench, 21 as a Circuit Court Judge - 17 as that court's Chief Judge - and the last five as a judge on the Michigan Court of Appeals, which makes him the most experienced judge in the race.

Justice Davis is also an experienced attorney. He had his own practice for 10 years prior to becoming a judge.

He is now working hard to restore credibility to the Michigan Supreme Court - which was recently rated as one of the worst Courts in the country.

Justice Davis has spent most of his life in Northern Michigan. He and his wife raised their two daughters there. He has strived his entire career to make sure everyone who comes to court has a fair shake.

Justice Davis is exactly the type of justice the Michigan Supreme Court needs. We can't afford to elect justices who have an agenda.

We need a justice who will examine the facts of the case and not render a pre-determined decision. That justice is Justice Davis. We need to make sure we keep him on the Michigan Supreme Court in November.

Let's Win in November!

Sincerely,

Mark Brewer
Chair, Michigan Democratic Party