By Elena Durnbaugh
Staff Writer
Posted: April 26, 2024 9:04 AM

House races across the state are starting to take shape with the window for candidate filing closed as of 4 p.m. on Tuesday.

Each of the 110 districts, from the Upper Peninsula to the Indiana and Ohio borders, has at least a Democrat and a Republican in the race. Gongwer News Service rates 25 seats as competitive with eight true toss-ups. With House Democrats holding a bare 56-54 margin now, control is up for grabs.

"I'm excited about our strong slate of candidates across the state," House Republican Campaign Committee Chair Rep. Bill Schuette (R-Midland) said. "In 110 seats, there's going to a Republican filed, which I think speaks to the sophistication of our operations."

A handful of seats on the Michigan Bureau of Elections candidate list seemed to show either the Democrats or Republicans missing at least one candidate but those were in seats where candidates file locally and where county clerks had not transmitted the latest information to the state.

Both parties appeared to have finalized candidate recruitment in the key seats long ago. There was just one surprise, and it was a doozy. Joe DeSana of South Rockwood, the son of Rep. James DeSana (R-Carleton) in the 29th House District, filed in the Republican primary for the 28th House District to take on Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown Township). Thompson won a hotly contested race in 2022, and the potential for a bitter primary fight that splits the House Republican Caucus likely has Democrats intrigued.

Schuette said the Michigan Republican Party normally is responsible for ensuring that Republicans have a candidate in every district, but this year that was left up to the House.

In every district, Schuette said Republicans had a deep bench.

"Especially in competitive seats, we're going to be able to have battle-tested candidates who come out ready to go win in November," he said.

He noted that Republicans have several districts in which a former representative who was term-limited is coming back to challenge a Democrat.

"Former representatives who are coming back – they're going to win," Schuette said. "Especially in the instances where they match the district."

There are four such districts. Two of them appear walk-ins for the former lawmakers. Former Rep. Nancy Jenkins-Arno (R-Clayton) is running in the open 34th District Rep. Dale Zorn (R-Onsted) must vacate because of term limits though that seat is a likely Republican district and not on Gongwer's list of competitive seats. Former Rep. Tim Kelly of Saginaw is running in the 93rd House District being vacated by Rep. Graham Filler (R-Duplain Township), who is not running for reelection. It's another likely GOP seat without a primary. Former Rep. Gary Eisen is running again in the 64th House District but does face a crowded primary.

The third is not a certainty. In the 83rd House District, former Rep. Tommy Brann (R-Wyoming) is hoping to take on Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming). He has a primary first and then a competitive general.

On the Democratic side, former Rep. Tim Sneller has filed to run against Rep. David Martin (R-Davison) in the 68th House District.

House Republicans plan to work hard in the districts Trump won going back to 2016.

"There's a lot of opportunities where Republicans can go on offense, and there were seven seats that we lost by less than 2,000 votes in the last election," Schuette said. "We're going to have a very competitive 2024 election."

Those seats are the ones currently held by Rep. Joey Andrews (D-Saint Joseph), Rep. Jaime Churches (D-Wyandotte), Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City), Rep. Jim Haadsma (D-Battle Creek), Rep. Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Heights) and Rep. Denise Mentzer (D-Mt. Clemens).

House Speaker Joe Tate (D-Detroit) said in an interview he is confident Democrats can defend all their seats and listed seven currently Republican districts where Democrats will play offense.

Tate identified Rep. Jamie Thompson (R-Brownstown Township), Rep. Kathy Schmaltz (R-Jackson), Rep. Donni Steele (R-Orion Township), Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills), Rep. David Martin (R-Davison), Rep. Nancy De Boer (R-Holland) and House Minority Leader Matt Hall (R-Richland Township) as top targets.

De Boer and Hall are likely reaches, both in areas slowly shifting toward the Democrats but in areas where Democrats have yet to develop a bench.

"House Dems are building towards victory, I think we've been doing that," Tate said. "Doing this for the past 16 months, just in terms of making sure that we are setting up all of our members for success."

Gongwer examined the races taking shape as of Tuesday evening in 23 competitive districts as well as those in the seven seats without an incumbent running:

Breen Opponent Set: Only one Republican filed to challenge incumbent Rep. Kelly Breen (D-Novi) in the purple but left leaning 21st House District.

Thomas Konesky is a certified residential appraiser from South Lyon. A small business owner, he's operated his own appraising company since 2012. This will be a tough get for the Republicans. Breen has hewed more to the center, and this area has quickly shifted Democratic.

Breen has filed to run for her third term in the House.

Two GOP Contenders Taking On Koleszar: Rep. Matt Koleszar (D-Plymouth) comfortably won the election to his third term in the House in 2022 with 54 percent of the vote, but the district could be competitive.

Two Republicans have filed to run against him.

Christian Charette, of Livonia, is a 20-year-old part-time student at Schoolcraft College. He's working toward his degree in political science and also works at the public library.

The other contender, Adam Stathakis, is the director of operations for Stathakis Inc., a carpet cleaning company.

Churches Faces Onslaught Of Republicans Downriver: In the 27th District, four Republicans have filed to run against incumbent Rep. Jaime Churches (D- Wyandotte).

The Downriver district was highly competitive in 2022, and Churches flipped the seat with just 50 percent of the vote. This seat likely looms as the most competitive in the state.

Several young Republican candidates are looking to unseat her.

Cody Dill is a member of the Gibraltar City Council and is currently attending University of Michigan-Dearborn to study mechanical engineering. He was elected to city council in 2019 and is the youngest person ever elected to serve there.

Another student, Rylee Linting, also is running to become the Republican candidate. Linting is the MIGOP youth vice chair and a student at Grand Valley State University. She's studying political science.

Maria Mendoza-Boc, city planning commissioner for Gibraltar, also filed as a Republican in the 27th District. She is a realtor at Point of Sail Realty.

The final Republican contender for the seat is Frank Tarnowski, Jr. He previously ran for mayor of Wyandotte and served on the Wyandotte Board of Education before he stepped down, citing controversy over a 5G cell tower placement outside an elementary school.

DeSana's Son Taking On Thompson In Republican Primary: Republican incumbent Rep. Jamie Thomspon (R-Brownstown Township) is facing two Republican primary challengers before she can get to the matter of defending her key seat.

Besides Joe DeSana, Beth Ann Socia, of Flat Rock, filed as a Republican. She ran for state Senate in 2022 to represent the 4th District and lost in the Republican primary.

Whoever comes out of the Republican primary will face Democrat Janise O'Neil Robinson has filed to run against Thompson in the purple Downriver seat. Robinson, also of Brownstown is a special education teacher. This is a 50/50 seat though Thompson did win it in 2022 despite a Democratic wave at the top of the ticket. Former President Donald Trump is popular here and should provide a much better environment for the Republicans than they had in 2022.

School Board Member To Take On James DeSana: In the 29th House District, Taylor School Board member Kyle Wright has filed as a Democrat to run against Rep. James DeSana (R-Carleton).

Wright has worked with local government in Taylor, including the Taylor Recreation Department and Taylor Conservator. He also interned in the House of Representatives. He's a graduate of Central Michigan University.

The district was competitive in 2022. Like the Thompson seat, Trump will help the Republicans here but how the developing situation in the Thompson seat with DeSana's son plays out will be watched for spillover effects here.

Rematch in the 31st: Rep. Reggie Miller (D-Van Buren Township) will face a rematch for her seat in November.

Dale Biniecki, of Monroe, ran against Miller in 2022 and lost with 47 percent of the vote. He is a truck owner and operator.

Whiteford vs. Lucas in 38th: Kevin Whiteford and George Lucas are going head-to-head in the Republican primary in West Michigan's 38th District.

Lucas, a realtor, lost out to Whiteford, former Rep. Mary Whiteford's husband, in the three-way 2022 primary.

The winner will take on a key race in the general election. The incumbent, Rep. Joey Andrews (D-St. Joseph) has no primary opponent. He won the general election by 51 percent.

Haadsma Gets New Republican Competition: For the first time in several election cycles, Rep. Jim Haadsma will face a new Republican opponent in the general election.

Dave Morgan, former Pennfield Township supervisor, ran as the Republican candidate in the 44th District in 2018, 2020 and 2022, but has elected to stay off the ballot this year.

Calhoun County Commissioner Steve Frisbie is one of the Republicans seeking to become the general election candidate. In addition to working in county government, Frisbie is also the vice president for Emergent Health Partners Southwest Region.

Alexander Harris, a gym owner from Albion, is also running as a Republican in the 44th, along with Just Shotts of Battle Creek, a far-right candidate who has posted videos confronting elected officials in public, including Haadsma and Frisbie.

Schmaltz Faces Dem Competition: During the 2022 election cycle, Rep. Kathy Schmaltz's (R-Jackson) Democratic competition withered away when scandal rocked the campaign of Maurice Imhoff.

This time, Jackson Mayor Daniel Mahoney has filed to run as a Democrat for the 46th District seat, which is competitive on paper. Mahoney also served on the Jackson County Board of Commissioners.

Two Republicans File For Left-Leaning 48th: Rep. Jennifer Conlin (D-Ann Arbor) comfortably won her seat in the 48th District with 53 percent of the vote in 2022. The seat, however, remains competitive.

Brian Ignatowski, of Pickney, is one of the Republicans who have filed for the seat. He's a small business owner and on the MIGOP 7th District Committee. Tawn Beliger, who served on the Northfield Board of Trustees between 2016 and 2020, also filed to run.

Rematch for Steele in the 54th: Rep. Donni Steele (R-Orion Township) will once again face off against Democrat Shadia Martini of Bloomfield Hills in the race for the 54th District.

Steele edged out Martini, who owns a construction company, in the 2022 general election with 51 percent of the vote.

Dems Hope To Make Purple 55th Swing Blue: Three Democrats have filed for the chance to run against Rep. Mark Tisdel (R-Rochester Hills).

Trevis Harrold formerly worked for the U.S. State Department embassies in Jamaica, Kosovo and Mexico and served in the U.S. Army Reserves. After, he worked for Dow as their global public policy leader. He also has worked in the Michigan House of Representatives, the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate.

Alexander Hawkins began serving in the U.S. Army in 2015. He attended Oakland Community College and earned a bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University in 2021. He's worked as an explosive ordinance disposal officer in the Army and as a congressional aide.

Neil Oza ran in 2022 but lost in the Democratic primary. He graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in supply chain management. Oza previously worked for U.S. Sen. Gary Peters.

Three Person Dem Primary in 57th: Rep. Thomas Kuhn (R-Troy) could face a rematch in the 57th House District, which he won with 52 percent of the vote in 2022.

Aisha Farooqui, who lost the general election to Kuhn in 2022, is running again. She has served on the Sterling Heights Zoning Board of Appeals. She was also a member of the Macomb County Black Caucus and the Muslim-Jewish Advisory Council of Detroit.

Tyler Fox, the Troy planning commissioner and zoning board of appeal ambassador, has also filed as a Democrat to run against Kuhn. The final Democrat in the primary is Douglas Waggener, of Troy, an electrician.

Shannon Could Face Another Tight Race in 58th: Rep. Nate Shannon (D-Sterling Heights) was elected to his second term in office with just 51 percent of the vote. Three Republicans have filed hoping for the chance to flip the seat this cycle.

Donad Eason ran for the 13th U.S. House District in 2020 as a write-in independent. He serves as the senior minister for the Metro Church of Christ in Sterling Heights.

Ron Robinson, a member of the Utica City Council, is another contender. He is a small business owner and a former marine. Roger Goodrich, of Sterling Heights, also filed to run.

GOP Looks To Unseat Mentzer: Rep. Denise Mentzer (D-Mt. Clemens) won the 61st House District with 52 percent of the vote in 2022. Republicans are hoping they have a candidate who can flip the swing district.

Russ Cleary, caseworker for U.S. Rep. John James, is one of the Republican contenders. Cleary was the political director for James' campaign and worked for the Michigan Republicans field and volunteer operations during the 2022 midterm election. He previously worked in Rep. Shane Hernandez's office and Sen. Jon Bumstead's office.

Robert Wojtowicz, of Mt. Clemens, also hopes to run for the seat. He's served on the Chippewa Valley Schools Board of Trustees since 2018.

John Grossenbacher, of Clinton Township, also filed to run for the seat as a Republican.

Sneller Returns To Run For The 68th: Rep. David Martin (R-Davison) is running for his third term in the House, but he's set to take on an experienced opponent.

Democratic former Rep. Tim Sneller, who represented the old 50th District, is set to take on the incumbent. Sneller served in the House between 2017 and 2022.

Does Witwer Hold On To The Purple 76th?: Rep. Angela Witwer (D-Delta Township) won the solidly purple 76th District with 55 percent of the vote in 2022.

She now has two Republicans hoping to pull the district in the other direction.

Andy Shaver, founding pastor of Real Life Church in Charlotte, filed to run for the seat. The other contender is Peter Jones, owner of the Tangy Crab and Ohana Sushi restaurant.

This is a 50/50 seat that Witwer has made relatively safe for Democrats though the presence of Trump on the ballot will help drive Republican turnout in the rural part of the district.

Republican Candidate Takes On Skaggs: In the 80th House District, Bill Sage, of Kentwood, is the only Republican filed to run.

He ran in the 2016 Republican primary for a special election in the old 80th district, which has nothing in common geographically with the current version, but lost to Mary Whiteford.

This cycle, he'll take on Rep. Phil Skaggs (D-East Grand Rapids), who won in 2022 with 56 percent of the vote. This is a longshot hope for Republicans with the heavy shift of Kentwood to the Democrats and the unpopularity of Trump in this area.

Brann Returns To Run in 83rd: Incumbent Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) has two Republicans filed to run against him.

Former state Rep. Tommy Brann, who was elected in 2016 and term-limited plans to run again. He lives in Wyoming and is a restaurant owner.

The other Republican contender is Cindy Ramierz Amante. She's also a business owner.

This is going to be a much different seat for Brann than what he held previously. Instead of solidly Republican Byron Township, the new version attached heavily Democratic southwest Grand Rapids to purple Wyoming.

No Primaries For Either Side In 81st: Kent County Commissioner Stephen Wooden of Grand Rapids is the sole Democrat to file in the 81st House District where Rep. Rachel Hood (D-Grand Rapids) is not seeking reelection. Wooden announced his campaign with Hood's endorsement shortly after she said she would not run again.

Wooden is set to go up against Republican Jordan Youngquist of Grand Rapids. The seat could be competitive. Youngquist has a campaign website but his background was not immediately clear. This is the one open seat in the state that has the potential to be competitive. Hood didn't win it by a huge margin in 2022, and unlike other Grand Rapids suburbs, Grand Rapids Township – a key component of this seat – isn't moving as quickly to the Democrats.

Three Republicans File Against Glanville: Three candidates have filed as Republicans for the chance to run against incumbent Rep. Carol Glanvillle (D-Grand Rapids).

Justin Rackman, of Grand Rapids, is a business owner who graduated from Grand Rapids Community College in 2020.

Ben June is also a small business owner. He previously worked as a financial advisor and web developer.

The final person to file in the 84th was John Wetzel, He's a business owner and a Michigan High School Athletic Association Basketball Official.

Glanville won this seat in a runaway in 2022.

Beson Faces Primary in 96th: Incumbent Rep. Timmy Beson (R-Bay City) faces a primary challenger in the 96th House District.

Chaz Fowler, of Bay City, is running against Beson as a Republican. He is a student affairs liaison for the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

Rudy Howard Jr filed as the only Democrat in the district. He previously worked in the auto industry before becoming a teacher.

This is a longshot hope for Democrats. This area has shifted sharply toward the Republicans, and Trump is very popular in the area.

GOP Wants Back 103rd: Rep. Betsy Coffia (D-Traverse City) flipped the 103rd from red to blue in 2022, squeaking out a win with 49 percent of the vote against an incumbent Republican.

Three Republicans have filed to run against her.

Small business owner Katie Kniss of Traverse City ran for state representative in 2022 in a neighboring district where she lost in the primary. She's currently the Grand Traverse GOP County Chair.

Lisa Trombley of Traverse City previously worked for the Department of Defense. After 30 years in Washington D.C., she retired to Traverse City. She has served as a precinct delegate, an absentee voting election inspector and served as the Grand Traverse County Republican Party chair in 2021.

Tripp Garcia of Traverse City also filed for the district.

Coffia is a strong fundraiser, and this is an area shifting left, but given the closeness of the 2022 Coffia margin, Republicans will make a big push.

Hill vs. Everybody: Rep. Jenn Hill (D-Marquette) faces an onslaught of candidates from both sides of the aisle filing to run against her in the 109th District.

For the Democrats, there's Margaret Brumm, who serves on the Marquette Board of Lights and Power. She is a retired patent attorney.

Randy Girard, another Democrat, has also filed to run. He currently serves on the Marquette County Road Commission. His campaign announcement says he has more than 37 years of government leadership experience.

On the Republican side, former television meteorologist Karl Bohnak plans to run, as does retired business manager and Baraga County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors member Burt Mason. George Meister, a Marquette-area tree farm owner and Melody Wagner, a farmer who has fun for the state House every year since 2016, also filed.

There are several open seats to watch in the House, as well. They all lean decidedly toward one party

Two Dems To Compete For 33rd: Rep. Felicia Brabec (D-Pittsfield Township) passed on her reelection bid to run for the Senate in 2026. Her constituent services director, Morgan Foreman, hopes to carry Brabec's baton forward. Foreman has been endorsed by both Brabec and former Rep. Yousef r Rahbi.

Another Democrat, Rima Mohammed, an at-large member of the Ann Arbor Board of Education, also has filed for the 33rd. This is a solidly Democratic seat.

Jenkins With A Clear Path To The 34th: Former Rep. Nancy Jenkins-Arno of Clayton will get through August without a primary in the 34th House District, where Rep. Dale Zorn is currently serving but cannot seek reelection. Jenkins-Arno is eligible to run again with the changes to term limits and is the favorite here. Democrat John Dahlgren of Clinton will also get through August without a primary. Dahlgren ran against Zorn in 2022. This is a likely Republican seat Democrats are unlikely to contest.

Three Republicans To Duke It Out In The 35th: Republicans Branch County Commissioner Tom Matthew of Coldwater, Hillsdale Mayor Adam Stockford and Jennifer Wortz of Quincy, the Branch County Conservation District manager, all filed to replace Rep. Andrew Fink (R-Hillsdale) in the 35th House District. This is one of the most Republican districts in the state.

Once Competitive 40th Could Prove Easier For Dems: Once a competitive seat, the Kalamazoo-area 40th House District where Rep. Christine Morse (D-Texas Township) is not seeking reelection is likely a Democratic primary race to determine November control. Democrats Lisa Brayton of Portage and Matt Longjohn of Portage, who ran against former U.S. Rep. Fred Upton in 2018, both filed. Kalamazoo County Commissioner Abby Wheeler of Portage withdrew.

Brayton, a Portage City councilmember and mayoral candidate, in March pleaded guilty to an election-related crime after a residency issue caused a judge to remove her from the 2023 ballot, MLive reported earlier this month.

Kalamazoo County GOP Chair Kelly Sackett is running for the Republicans. Sackett ran in 2022 and is currently embroiled in the GOP infighting in Kalamazoo County. Last year she faced misdemeanor charges for a physical altercation that took place in a Clare hotel.

Once a competitive area, the western Kalamazoo suburbs have shifted quickly to the Democrats.

Crowded GOP Primary Headlined By Eisen In The 64th: Rep. Andrew Beeler (R-Port Huron) leaves the 64th House District open for a crowded Republican primary. Five Republicans, including former Rep. Gary Eisen (R-St. Clair Township), who lost to Beeler in the primary set up by redistricting in 2022, are running.

St. Clair County Commissioner Jorja Baldwin, Joseph Pavlov of Kimball, a former teacher at Marysville Public Schools, Dan Geiersbach of Port Huron, who ran for Senate in 2022, Ryan Maxon of Smiths Creek.

Jordan Epperson, former Ottawa County aid and House Freedom Caucus staffer, withdrew.

Three Democrats filed for the seat, though it is likely to stay in Republican hands. John Anter, Mathew Castillo and Ken Heuvelman, all of Port Huron, will compete in the Democratic primary.

Kelly Another Former Rep With No Primary In 93rd: Former Rep. Tim Kelly of Saginaw is the sole Republican to file to replace Rep. Graham Filler (R-Duplain Township), who is not seeking reelection. The seat is likely to stay in Republican hands. Kevin Seamon of Saginaw Township, a Democrat, who ran for a similar seat in 2020 is the only Democrat.

By Alethia Kasben
Managing Editor
Posted: April 25, 2024 11:00 AM

Two of Rep. Lee Chatfield's brothers have been hired into the House of Representatives to work in member offices and caucus services.

Paul and Aaron Chatfield, two younger brothers of Lee Chatfield (R-Levering), a top ranking member of the House Republican caucus as speaker pro tempore, key committee chair and close ally of House Speaker Tom Leonard, were hired into the offices of Rep. Sue Allor (R-Wolverine) and Rep. Aaron Miller (R-Sturgis), respectively, at the beginning of the term.

Friday is Paul Chatfield's last day in Ms. Allor's office as he heads to Caucus Services, a team led by Robert Minard and former Rep. Pat Somerville. Mr. Minard formerly worked in Lee Chatfield's legislative office as well.

Ms. Allor said she was not approached by Lee Chatfield before hiring Paul Chatfield. She said she met him while campaigning and he expressed an interest to her about working in a legislative office. Ms. Allor said there was no contact between her and Lee Chatfield regarding the hiring decision.

Lee Chatfield did not return a request for comment on this story.

Mr. Miller also said he knew Aaron Chatfield from campaigning, and Lee Chatfield mentioned to him that Aaron was interested in working in a legislative office at the start of the term.

Mr. Miller said Aaron Chatfield submitted an application and went through the interview process normally.

"Lee and I are obviously very close. I will admit that to anybody," Mr. Miller said. "But (the hiring) has not led to any uncomfortable situations."

Mr. Miller said he and Aaron Chatfield do not discuss policy and "inside baseball."

In the House and Senate, members cannot hire their own relatives, though the Senate rules include the caveat that the majority leader can make exceptions. The human resources policy in the House also stipulates that applicants cannot be discriminated against because of a familiarity with members or other staff.

Nonetheless, it is rare for immediate family members of a legislator who have no prior experience working in the Legislature or state government to become legislative staffers.

Gideon D'Assandro, spokesperson for House Republicans, said Paul Chatfield is qualified and will be an asset to caucus services.

"He's done a great job," Mr. D'Assandro said. "We are excited to have him."

According to salary information available online, Paul Chatfield makes $40,000 and will continue at that rate while in Caucus Services, Mr. D'Assandro said. Aaron Chatfield makes $36,247 annually in Mr. Miller's office.

Amber McCann, spokesperson for Senate Republicans, said there are no senators' relatives working for other members or central staff in the chamber.

By Elena Durnbaugh
Staff Writer
Posted: April 22, 2024 9:52 AM

In the lead up to the 2022 general election, Josh Schriver, a virtually unknown young conservative, beat out five other Republican primary contenders before breezing through the general election in his solidly Republican district with 64 percent of the vote.

Now, Schriver (R-Oxford) in known nationally for using social media to advocate the Great Replacement Theory, which claims a conspiracy to bring people of color and other faiths to the United States to outnumber white Christians. Now, Schriver (R-Oxford) is known nationally for using social media to advocate the Great Replacement Theory, which claims a conspiracy to bring people of color and other faiths to the United States to outnumber white Christians.

He does not sit on any committees. He's been stripped of his staff and his access to House and House Republican Caucus resources. None of the 33 bills he's introduced, 30 of which belong to a Certificate of Need repeal package on which he is the lone sponsor, have ever received a committee hearing.

Given his political record, the question is, can he win a second term? With the recent endorsement of the Michigan 9th Congressional District Republican Party and incumbency on his side, the answer might be yes, though a challenger has emerged for the Republican nomination.

In a series of interviews, Gongwer spoke with politicians, local officials and Republican operatives about where Schriver came from, how he was elected and whether his conduct in the House will make it more or less likely for him to be reelected. Many spoke on background so they could speak freely.

Schriver did not return messages requesting an interview or comment for this story.

When Schriver appeared on the scene in 2022, almost no one in his district knew where he came from. Not even his opponents.

"When I ran, I did not know who Josh Schriver was," said Mary Berlingieri, who lost to Schriver in the 2022 Republican primary.

Berlingieri had tried to run for office before – the state Senate in a 2021 special election and for Washington Township treasurer in 2020. She took a little over 27 percent of the vote in 2022 to Schriver's 38 percent, but she had considerably more support than Schriver in her native Macomb County.

"Nobody's ever heard of him. They still don't know who he is," she said. "They know him as this 'gone rogue' type and they label him as a crazy, radical, right-wing, off-the-rails elected official."

Schriver came out of nowhere with little experience, professionally or personally, Berlingieri said, and cruised to the general election because he had the biggest and the brightest signs.

And to some degree, Schriver did come out of nowhere, and he came with endorsements.

He graduated from Michigan State University in 2015 with a degree in psychology. For a time, he worked at Donley Elementary School in East Lansing. Prior to serving as state representative, he worked as a kindergarten teacher in Detroit and then as a behavior analyst to support children with autism and their families, according to his biography on the House GOP website.

In 2020, Schriver wasn't even living in his district, as another lawmaker said she recalled knocking on his door while campaigning in another district.

A Republican strategist said he moved the year before the 2022 election so he would be eligible to run for the House seat in the 66th District.

When Schriver set out to run in 2022, he was extremely proactive about reaching out to people, a Republican strategist said. He wasn't particularly bombastic, and he was a fresh, young, Republican face. That played well with a lot of voters and people within the party.

"He was literally the most background, milquetoast guy," a source said. "That doesn't upset anybody."

At the time, Schriver said his motivation for running was that he wanted to see more people his age in political spaces.

"He was essentially – we see this a lot where you have people in their 20s – who think that they are destined to run for office," one source said. "That they are being 'called' to do this."

Campaign finance reports show that he put up more than $40,000 for his own election campaign.

Schriver was also endorsed by several organizations, including Americans for Prosperity, the Michigan Manufacturers Association, ABC of Michigan, the Detroit Regional Chamber PAC, the Michigan Freedom Network, Young Americans for Liberty and Right to Life Michigan. That's a swath of endorsements that typically go to electable Republicans less likely to veer into the fringe like Schriver has done.

That rack of endorsements might have sealed the deal for him, Berlingieri said.

"It's a very hard thing to fight, when you're backed by the PACs," Berlingieri said.

Americans for Prosperity, especially, went to work for Schriver in the primary.

"They were sending out mailers. I kid you not, it was every day for a week straight right before the primary," Berlingieri said. "They sent them here in Washington, Romeo. And I said, 'Who is this guy, Josh? This young guy?' No children. No experience from what I can see on anything. Came out of nowhere."

Americans for Prosperity Michigan said it considers a multitude of factors when choosing to endorse a candidate.

"AFP-MI employs a holistic approach when endorsing candidates, and a number of factors including voting record, leadership, policy priorities, and the landscape of a race all play into that," said a statement from Annie Patnaude, Michigan state director for the organization.

Americans for Prosperity Michigan has not yet announced endorsements for the 2024 cycle.

Many people, including current lawmakers, Republican political strategists and local politicians called Schriver politically naïve and easily led.

One source said Schriver was a blank canvas with energy for the ground game. He was a good communicator but not "an independent thinker."

Schriver was mentored by John Riley, the former state representative that previously held Schriver's seat, Berlingieri and other sources said. Riley is known to be to the right of the political spectrum, even by Republican standards.

"He was not willing to reach across the table," Berlingieri said of Riley. "But sometimes you have to reach across the table, if you are just adamant about, it's your way or nothing, nothing's every going to get done."

Riley did not return phone calls requesting comment.

Schriver, it seems, follows a similar philosophy, and had one of the most conservative voting record, if not the most conservative voting record, in the House last year.

Northern Oakland County is a hotbed of far-right Republicans. That constituency seems to drive Schriver, Berlingieri said.

"He meets with certain individuals, constituents, and he caters to them," Berlingieri said. "I'm not saying he doesn't believe in what he says, he's just very radically right."

Still, the broader scope of his district isn't happy with him, Oxford Township Supervisor Jack Curtis said.

"We all need to fight for what's right. Not just your individual cause. And quite frankly, that's what everybody feels he's doing. 'Look at me, I'm a great Christian. Look at me, I'm a white this. Oh, look at me,'" Curtis said. "We elected you to represent us, and quite frankly, act godly and represent us."

When Governor Gretchen Whitmer entered the House chamber to deliver her State of the State address this year, Schriver handed her a Bible. Whitmer accepted it then handed it off to a Democrat on the other side of the aisle.

The problem isn't that Schriver is religious, Curtis said.

"I am also. I use it to guide my work here in the community," he said. "I work for man and follow God. I don't work for God and follow man."

Schriver seems to be more focused on representing his religion than his district, Curtis said, which is a problem because his district needs help.

Curtis said Oxford needs state support for better mental health care and getting an urgent care center or hospital in town.

"We have resiliency centers that are going to be running out of money through Common Ground, and there are still kids traumatized every day," Curtis said. "The inability of him to work with others has gotten Oxford nothing."

Following the 2021 Oxford High School shooting, the community was united around gun control measures, and that remained true in 2022, polling data showed. But Schriver voted against every piece of gun legislation that has come before the House. There's likely been attrition around that issue since then, a political consultant said, but it will always be a sensitive topic for the community.

"It's really tough when you go out to bat for yourself instead of the whole team," Curtis said. "I wish it was Josh Schriver, District 66, instead of putting Oxford behind his name."

Schriver is not supposed to be a religious leader, Curtis said. He's an elected politician that is supposed to be working with the people in his district to accomplish what they want to get done in their community.

"He's no longer useful to Oxford," Curtis said. "He has no power. The House of Representatives doesn't listen to him. The people on the floor ignore him. We're not getting any representation there anymore that's viable and reputable… We're just sitting here with a lame duck."

The longer Schriver has been in office, the more radical he seems to have become, Curtis said.

"No one knew this dark side of him prior to the election," Curtis said. "Some of the things he's doing in public now, standing on the Capitol lawn, talking about goats and Satan and things like that?"

Schriver has made several posts online about religious freedom protections for the Church of Satan and posted about the yule goat display set up by the Satanic Temple of West Michigan in December.

Then, in February, came the tweets about the great replacement theory – a white nationalist conspiracy theory that holds Jewish elites are conspiring to increase nonwhite populations with the aim of outnumbering Europeans.

Oakland Couty Republicans were displeased to see Schriver's great replacement theory tweets, to put it lightly, with several sources saying it stoked flames of a fire they didn't need.

Some people even encouraged him to hold a press conference to walk back his comments and recenter the conversation around immigration, which Schriver said was supposed to be the point of the tweets from the start.

Schriver never held a press conference, though. The only statement he put out to the press doubled down on the theory, and he continued to endorse his original post on social media.

Elected officials should aim to represent all their constituents, Berlingieri said, and those tweets made him politically toxic.

"Other state reps don't want to work with somebody like that," she said. "And instead of apologizing… he doubled down."

Several Republicans familiar with Schriver said that they believe him when he says that he's not a racist. They do suspect that he's misguided and uninformed.

"He's a young, unexperienced legislator," one source said, speaking on background. "If it's a young person and what they said was an excited exuberance, I can understand it, and we should all be willing to forgive but watch the person's actions in the future."

But, if Schriver believes what he said now that he has the context, Republicans shouldn't support him, sources said.

Schriver is not a racist, said Rep. Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers).

"I know him well, and I think I know how he thinks," he said. "He's not a racist, and the Democrats made him out to be one. … You can see how often he voted against the Democrat speaker … and so I think the people of his district are very fortunate to have somebody who's adhered to the values he says he stands for."

Carra said it was better for a representative to stand on principle than to go along to get along.

"Representative Schriver has a mindset very similar to mine, where I want to keep more money in the pockets of the people from my district. I want them to get to decide what they want to do with their money, not compel them to give it to government run projects, which are oftentimes in other parts of the state," Carra said. "The viability of the Republican Party moving forward is to make the Democrats own that central planning scheme of corruption exclusively and to stand up for free markets, equal opportunity, less rules, regulations, fines and fees and a marketplace that works for everybody."

Principles don't mean much to a district that's hurting, though, Curtis said.

"I don't even pay attention to him anymore," he said. "He asked if I would go on a video with him, and I don't want anything to do with the guy. He's shunned in the House. What are you going to do? Just drag me down with you? No way. I still have friends, and we still have some influence up there."

Schriver does have a primary challenger.

Randy Levasseur of Oxford filed last month to run against Schriver in the primary, but he – and anyone else who may decide to run against him – is likely to face an uphill battle, a Republican strategist said.

That's not something Levasseur is worried about, though.

"It's an insiders' game," he said. "There's been concerns in the community that they simply don't have representation in Lansing – that Josh is more focused on national issues and getting out his zinger tweets and less on actually serving the constituents. He's got a terrible reputation for responding to concerns that individual constituents raise to him. He's known for not working well with local governments to address their concerns, and so there's a gap in representation."

Levasseur, who has political experience serving on the Royal Oak City Council for two terms, said he felt like he would be better capable of handling the constituent work of the job while maintaining a conservative voting record.

"Conservatives are about merit. They're about viewing people for what they bring to the table as individuals. It's not about identity politics, which is what Josh is introducing into the equation when he posts some of those tweets or on other issues," Levasseur said.

Levasseur highlighted some of Schriver's votes against setting a minimum age of 18 for marriage and laws prohibiting marital rape.

"There's something that you can have 90 percent of conservatives voting for something, and Josh is part of that 10 percent that votes against it," Levasseur said. "He's not supporting other conservatives, and he's not taking into consideration their perspective when he votes."

Schriver seems to have been co-opted by the more extremist branches of the party, falling in line with the controversial MIGOP 9th District and those who are aligned with Kristina Karamo. The group is particularly influential in the 66th District, and Schriver got a standing ovation when his name was mentioned at the North Oakland Republican Party Convention.

"There is a small group of people that defend him and support him – looking at him as a fighter not wanting to give up," Berlingieri said.

If more than one person tries to primary him, it's likely they may split the vote, which would give Schriver an easy path to the general.

"Josh will be able to play the witch hunt card very well," one source said. "We've seen President Trump be able to do it. He'll be able to say the Democratic majority is taking away all my rights and responsibilities."

Further, in a presidential election year, breaking through the noise for a down ballot race is a tall order.

"To break through that noise, you've got to say absolutely bonkers crap," one source said.

Still, the opposition is real.

"If I'm the Oxford Township supervisor or any elected official or constituent in Oxford, I'd be pretty pissed that my elected representative literally has no pull in a time when you really need it," a Republican strategist said.

Berlingieri said she hoped that people would question who they're voting for in the primary.

"When people are casting votes, it's really important they know who they're voting for," she said. "The immaturity has really been exposed. I would assume that you would see more of this type of behavior from him."

Schriver also doesn't have the same political protection as some of the other extremely conservative members of the House, a Republican strategist said. Although he typically votes with them, he sits outside the Trump Republicans and the House Freedom Caucus. He's not sent to meet with Trump when he comes to town, and he doesn't pop up on the MAGA radar.

"I really think Josh is just doing his own thing," a strategist said. "He doesn't have the protection of the more organized Trump wing of the party or the Michigan Conservative Coalition … Schriver's out in the wind."

Schriver's biggest asset is his incumbency. Republicans need the seat in the House, so it's unlikely that the party will say much against him. The overwhelmingly Republican nature of the seat means even someone like Schriver who has alienated some of his fellow Republicans would still be heavily favored to hold the district against the Democrat in November.

Additionally, politics has yet to disincentivize inflammatory and controversial figures, a Republican strategist said. That can be seen at the state level, with people like Schriver, and at the national level with former President Donald Trump.

"I'm very concerned about where we are four years down the line? Where are we in November should Trump lose? Or should he win?" the source said. "People are not rational anymore."