Dearborn Heights Democrat leaves House seat to be mayor (Possible GOP pickup)

AP ^ | 1-15-04

[Dan from Michigan]

Dearborn Heights Democrat leaves House seat to be mayor

The Associated Press
1/15/2004, 5:54 p.m. ET

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A state House Democrat said Thursday he is resigning his seat to be the mayor of Dearborn Heights.

Rep. Dan Paletko said his resignation would be effective Friday.

Paletko was elected to his first two-year House term in 2002 to represent the 17th District, which covers Redford Township, northern Dearborn Heights and a small part of Livonia.

He said he was asked to take over as mayor of Dearborn Heights after Mayor Ruth Canfield resigned last month, two years into her term. The city council unanimously approved Paletko for the job Tuesday night.

Paletko, who served on the Dearborn Heights City Council from 1973-2002, said it was a difficult decision to leave the state Legislature. But he added that it was important for him to return to local government, particularly because the clerk, a few secretaries and some department heads also took early retirement recently.

"There was a significant drain of institutional knowledge," he said. "The community had a need and I've already dedicated so much of my adult life to it — that was the overriding factor."

Paletko's departure drops the number of House Democrats from 47 to 46. Republicans have 63 of the House's 110 seats.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm is expected to soon call a special election to fill the seat, spokeswoman Liz Boyd said.

[Dan from Michigan]

Palteko won this seat with less than 50% of the vote. This is winnable.

This seat is in Wayne County in inner suburbs of Detroit. All of Redford, part of Dearborn Heights, and a small part of Livonia. It SLIGHTLY leans democrat, but a republican can win it, and almost did in 2002. In a special election, a good GOTV effort WILL win this....for either side. This district is very blue collar, and had a lot of social conservatives in it, and also a lot of union members.

2002 results.

Palteko (D) - 14772
Dearborn Heights(his home) - 6158
Livonia - 1084
Redford - 7530

Miles Handy(R) - 14091
Dearborn Heights - 4317
Livonia - 1275
Redford(his home) - 8499

Libertarian Candidate - 907 votes.

I hope Miles Handy runs again. If he has help, he can win.

[Dan from Michigan]

BTW -
Dearborn Heights (ALL)
Posthumus (R) - 8880
Granholm (D) - 8332

Livonia (ALL)
Posthumus - 21,923
Granholm - 18,266

Redford
Posthumus - 7593
Granholm - 9253

Gore won Redford and Dearborn Heights as well, and Bush won Livonia.

[ClintonBeGone]

Any way to kidnap the libertarian?

[SunkenCiv]

Probably all it will take to split the vote from Demagogic Party to the Libertarians is to emphasize the main Libertarian position -- legalization of marijuana. That'll tip the results Republican.

Actually, I don't think it's likely that a Republican can win in most places in Michigan right now. Too many jobs are headed out, never to return. GWB is in the position of any president -- having to take the blame for everything that goes wrong, regardless of its cause.

The Electrolux workers offered more than $12,000 apiece in concessions to keep the plant in Greenville, and the gubmint offer worked out to something like $37,000 a job. All in vain.

The main problem for Electrolux is trying to sell $1000 vacuum cleaners. Especially in Michigan.

GWB will win re-election by 10 per cent, but he will not win in Michigan. That's for certain.