Posted on 10/19/2001 9:40:43 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan
State senator may challenge Upton next year
By NEDRA PICKLER
The Associated Press
10/19/01 6:37 PM
WASHINGTON (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Fred Upton has been a moderate voice among Republicans during his 15 years in Congress. Now, a GOP state senator is considering challenging Upton and offering voters a more conservative option.
It would be the first primary challenge that Upton, a fresh-faced politician from St. Joseph who insists on being called by his first name, has faced in 12 years. In 1990 he easily beat conservative state Sen. Ed Fredericks of Holland.
Sen. Dale Shugars, an accountant from Portage, said some Republicans are concerned with Upton's record on gun rights, abortion, school vouchers and family values.
"I'm not in a campaign mode. I don't want to get in a debate," Shugars said in an interview. "I'm just telling you the kind of characteristics of the people who are calling me, what their concerns are."
Shugars cannot run for re-election to the state Senate because of term limits.
"Beating Upton would be tough," said Craig Ruff of Public Sector Consultants, a Lansing think tank. "But this is what term limits are doing. They are causing people who would otherwise be entrenched in their public office for years to take these risks."
Shugars served four years in the state House before being elected to the Senate. He was elected to the House before the term limit law was passed, and could still serve two terms there, a move he says he's also considering.
Shugars and Upton have had a tense relationship at times over ideology and style. Upton endorsed a Shugars primary opponent, then-state Rep. Donald Gilmer, in 1998.
Shugars is conservative on fiscal and social issue. He sponsored legislation to put parental advisory labels on concert tickets and let schools post the Ten Commandments.
Upton usually votes with the GOP leadership. But he occasionally breaks ranks and often works closely with Democrats.
"There's been a feeling by some people that Upton is too moderate for that district and therefore could be susceptible to a challenge in the right wing of the party," said Tom Shields, a Republican consultant who heads Marketing Resource Group in Lansing.
"But you really need to have some basis out there where the Republican voter is dissatisfied with what the incumbent is doing," Shields said. "I don't see that at this point and time."
If Shugars decides to challenge Upton, abortion will undoubtedly be a central theme of the campaign. Upton calls himself anti-abortion, but has alienated Right to Life by occasionally voting against the group's expectations.
Last year he voted with Right to Life 75 percent of the time. He opposed a controversial late-term abortion procedure called partial-birth abortion by its opponents, but voted to allow government approval of abortion pills. Shugars has a 100 percent voting record with Right to Life.
"We have never been able to endorse Fred Upton," said Right to Life of Michigan PAC director Larry Galmish. "I wouldn't mind seeing a pro-life candidate in that race."
Everyone, including Shugars, agrees that Upton would have an advantage with money. As of June 30, Upton had $546,537 in his campaign account.
As an influential voice in the closely divided Congress and chairman of the House Subcommittee on Telecommunications and the Internet, no one doubts his ability to raise more. Upton is a millionaire, much of his wealth inherited as the grandson of a Whirlpool Corp. founder.
Upton did not want to discuss a possible campaign, saying he is too focused on the nation's problems to talk about next year's race.
But he said he always wins re-election by wide margins. His southwest Michigan district includes Republican strongholds along the Lake Michigan shoreline, but also a Democratic base in Benton Harbor and Kalamazoo.
"I'm the leading vote getter in our district, and I say this humbly, whether it be the presidential nominee or the governor," Upton said. "Our district is very diverse and with that diversity comes strength."
Whenever the politician is anti-gun and pro-baby extermination, s/he is considered "moderate" by most in the media. Just goes to show how ultra-hard left-wing the majority of the media really is.
If that still holds true, then it's about time Upton get a challenger. We need to oust squishy poll-driven politicians who try to vote straight down the middle when their constiuent's clearly expect them to follow a certain agenda.
Some "moderates", however, tend to act that way because their district is full of idiot Democrats who will replace them with a unabashed socialist if they try to be conservative. In that case, you have to hold your nose and vote for 'em.
That's why I'd like to get rid of socially-liberal "soccer mom" Judy Biggert (R-13th) here in Illinois (Naperville, conservative stronghold), but I tolerate that "centrist" dope Mark Kirk in the 10th district (blue-collar suburbs, too many unions for conservatives to win). State Sen. Pat O'Malley toyed with challenging Biggert two years ago, but decided against it because only 10% of his state district overlaps hers and he doesn't live in the area. However, she only got 45% of the GOP primary vote in '98, so she's definitable beatable by a real Republican leader.
Oh well, at least we got O'Malley running for gov now. Good luck on your guy.
County, Bush Votes, Gore Votes, Nader Votes, Total, Bush%, Gore%, Nader %. Allegan(2/3) 14098 7747 465 22310 63% 35% 2%
Allegan County is VERY conservative, but Upton has only 2/3 of the area only. This area WILL go to Shugars if he runs, hands down.
Berrien 35689 28152 1154 64995 55% 43% 2%
Berrien is an interesting county. It's very republican outside of the Benton Harbor area(and possibly Niles), which is a small area of about 25,000 or so like Chicago's South Side. Benton is nearly all of the dem area of the district. Outside of that, it's pretty conservative, but there are a lot of RINO's here. Upton's from St Joseph, which is across the river from Benton, and a completely different area.
Cass 10545 8808 371 19724 53% 45% 2%
Rural.
Kalamazoo 48254 48807 3086 100147 48% 49% 3%
Kalamazoo County is split. The City is very Dem, but outside the city is ruled by Right to Life. Shugars is from Portage which is a suburb of K-zoo. He'll do well here.
St Joseph 12906 8574 434 21914 59% 39% 2%
Rural area. The City of St Joseph is not here. Van Buren 14792 13796 686 29274 51% 47% 2%
Fairly Rural. Part of Calhoun County:
City of Battle Creek 8517 10235 377 19129 45% 54% 2%
Upton will probably do very well here. John Schwarz, a McCainiac, won here. This is new to his district and will help him.
Springfield 646 926 38 1610 40% 58% 2%
Dem town outside BC.
Athens 636 442 20 1098 58% 40% 2%
Don't know much about this small town.
TOTAl voters 146083 127487 6631 280201 52% 45% 2%
Overall, I think the key for Upton is cross votes. Michigan has open primaries, and that will help him out. If the pro-gun dems go and vote for Shugars in the primary, it could go our way.
I dont think Davis was elected until 1994. Siljander ran for congress in VA in 1992. Here is an interesting note on Mark Siljander (and Al Gore):
"One of the most monstrous attacks on Roe v Wade ever to rear its head in Congress came in the form of an amendment drafted by Michigan Republican Mark Siljander in 1984. The amendment packed a lethal one-two punch, first by defining the term "person" to include "unborn children from the moment of conception," and secondly by prohibiting any federal funding to any clinic or hospital that performed an abortion. Al Gore supported the amendment. Siljander's amendment was a chilling foreshadowing of the many "fetal protection" bills, what are in effect thinly-veiled attempts to criminalize abortion, that punctuate the current landscape."
Excellent!
This is exactly the kind of activity we need nationwide.
Especially in my stinking district (Greenwood).
I have changed my optimism on this. I don't think Upton's safe. I think he's still the favorie, but this one is winnable. I've sent my donation as well.
Stay Safe !
The Davis part was like 1% of the point of that whole post. I am sorry that is all you chose to focus on. I think its an inaccurate statement to boot. I doubt the RNC has ever had to fund and incumbent's primary race. The whole point of being an incumbent is that you can raise your own funds.
2) The point of the Siljander/Upton comment was that the NRCC funded a primary challenge by Upton against a seated Republican congressman, Siljander. This is one reason why I would never give money to the NRCC.
I still find that HIGHLY unlikely. The only time LEGISLATIVE cacuses do this is when it's a sure thing (because of some foolish thing done in office) that in the incumbent is going to lose in the fall's general election. And that is certainly a subjective call. And even the Democrat's House campaign operation didnt go that far against Gary Condit and he was as close to a sure loser as you can get.
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