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Tagged: party switch

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Politics & Government
2:49 pm
Fri July 20, 2012

Republican will challenge party-switching State Rep. Roy Schmidt

Credit courtesy photo
Bing Goei inside his Goei Center on Grand Rapids' southwest side.

A Grand Rapids business owner will challenge a party-switching state representative in the Republican primary on August 7th.

Bing Goei made the announcement at the headquarters of his floral business Friday morning.

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Politics & Government
12:38 pm
Fri June 22, 2012

Grand Rapids Democrats rally around new face to take on party-switcher Roy Schmidt

Credit Courtesy photo / Michigan Democratic Party
Winnie Brinks announced she'll run as a write-in candidate in the 76th district after filing her paperwork Friday morning.

A Michigan house representative, who made a controversial switch from the Democratic to the Republican Party last month, will face a political novice in the fall.

Winnie Brinks filed paperwork today to run as a Democrat. She’s a case worker at a non-profit organization, and she’s never run for political office before.

“I think it’s time for some new eyes. It seems that the direction we’re heading in Lansing is not what our middle class needs; it’s not what our schools need. And not being part of that negative history, sure, I think that’s a good thing,” Brinks said.

Brinks has lived in Grand Rapids for 22 years. The 44-year-old has three daughters, aged 11, 14, and 16. She’s active in her public schools’ legislative committee and once worked for Godfrey Lee Public Schools. She says restoring education funding would be one of her top priorities.

“We’ve got a lot of work to do in a short period of time, but I am confident we can do it. We’ve got a lot of good energy. We’ve got a lot of support behind me,” Brinks said.

Several hundred people will need to write in Brinks name on the August primary ballot in order for her name to appear on the ballot in the general election in November.

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Politics
4:51 pm
Wed June 6, 2012

Democratic and Republican party leaders trade jabs over controversial party switch

State Democratic and Republican party leaders continue to fight over the recent party switch by a Michigan state representative.

State Democratic Party chairman Mark Brewer delivered a letter today to State House Speaker Jase Bolger’s Kalamazoo office demanding he reveal more about his role in the party switch of state representative Roy Schmidt.

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