Posted on 07/01/2005 8:27:01 PM PDT by Dan from Michigan
Detroit pastor gaining local GOP support for Senate run
Saturday, June 25, 2005
By Steven Harmon
The Grand Rapids Press
GRAND RAPIDS -- Gerry Hildenbrand believes the Rev. Keith Butler has unique qualifications to beat U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
Butler is a black Republican who can draw votes from Detroit that no other Republican politician can in a statewide race, said Hildenbrand, the Allegan County Republican Party chairman.
"He can do better on the East side than other Republicans, and that's where we have to pick up the votes," Hildenbrand said.
Hildenbrand and Ottawa County's GOP chairman, Paul Leidig, joined 24 other party chairs statewide in endorsing Butler this week.
Butler also has been endorsed by Attorney General Mike Cox, and 16 members of the Legislature, including state Sen. Bill Hardiman, R-Kentwood.
Butler, a former Detroit councilman, is pastor of Word of Faith International Christian Center Church in Southfield who can speak traditional values important to Republicans, Leidig said,
"He articulates what conservative values best represent the values of the Republican Party," Leidig said. "And he represents the diversity of the Republican party that often isn't recognized."
Other party leaders are holding out to see who else might join the GOP primary. Scott Greenlee, the Kent County GOP chairman, said he declined to offer Butler his support -- for now -- in a call Butler made to him last weekend.
Greenlee said he is watching the campaign of the Rev. Jerry Zandstra, a Cutlerville pastor and lecturer for the Acton Institute, the Grand Rapids-based conservative think tank.
"Zandstra has a very out of the box campaign strategy," he said. "I'll be curious to see how he develops. He's a smart guy and he's right on the issues."
Still, Greenlee might sit out the Senate GOP primary to put his time backing Dick DeVos' bid for governor.
Ping
It sounds like a good idea, but it has been tried and failed multiple times before. Black voters haven't been willing to support a Black republican candidate for senate.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.