Save our democratic elections with pre-primary votes

ACHTUNG: This is not a “fair and balanced” story. It is an editorial by the editor.

At the risk of being a bit of a broken record, I hereby ask anyone in a position to do so to introduce a bill to streamline the undemocratic primary election process in Michigan.

I suggest that every two years there should be a “pre-primary runoff” on the first Tuesday in May whenever there are more than two candidates for one party’s nomination for the office. Then I propose the top two vote-getters in that runoff be eligible to face one another in the August primary.

Such a process would be a lot more fair and democratic than the rigged system we endure now. Not long ago, I told readers that we have not elected a state representative with a majority of votes in his or her first appearance on the ballot. The rigged game for the past 22 years has included an overcrowded slate of candidates running for the Republican nomination, resulting in the “winner” being elected with less than 50% and sometimes as low as 25% of those who bothered to vote.

For those who do not remember my treatise, I re-submit the data for the 80th and 72nd Districts, which are local for Allegan County citizens:

• • 1996 — State Rep., 88^th District, Patricia Birkholz, 4,664 votes, 39.7%; Dar VanderArk, 4,240 votes, 36.2%. Three candidates.
  • 2002 —Fulton Sheen, 3,976 votes, 33.12%; Roger VanVolkinburg, 2,339 votes, 19.98%. Five candidates.
  • 2008 — Bob Genetski, 3,160 votes, 25.28%; Todd Boorsma, 3,090 votes, 24,72%. Eight candidates.
  • 2010 — 72^nd District State Rep., Kenneth Yonker 7,278 votes, 48.03%; Eric Larsen, 6,843 votes, 45.16%. Three candidates.
  • 2014 — 80^th District State Rep., Cindy Gamrat 3,924 votes, 40.83%; Mary Whiteford, 2,798 votes, 29.11%. Four candidates.
  • 2016 — 72^nd District State Rep., Steven Johnson, 2,257 votes, 29.80%; Tony Noto, 1,748 votes, 23.08%. Five candidates.
  • Added just for good measure — 2002 State Senate, 24^th District, Patricia Birkholz, 12,024 votes, 48.46%; Terry Geiger, 9,393 votes, 37.86%. Three candidates.

The numbers don’t lie. They show every time there is a race for state representative, and sometimes for state senator, in which there is no incumbent, the winner did not receive at least 50% of the vote, but won by plurality. Doesn’t seem democratic, does it? Even worse, because of the GOP’s nasty habit of not challenging incumbents, the primary winner who didn’t win by a majority has punched his or her ticket for a six-year term, which carries almost a half million dollar prize in salary for the six years, even more in the senate.

So Birkholz served six years in the State House after polling 39.7% in her first run; Sheen got 33.12% in his first try; Genetski got just over 25% to get his six years; Yonker won six years with 48%, Gamrat’s doomed career was cut short, but she won with only 41%, and Steve Johnson is hoping for six years in Lansing after getting just 29.8%.

Therefore, I ask any legislator willing to employ democratic election fairness and insist on “pre-primary runoffs” in May when there are at least three candidates on the ballot, with the top two winning the right to face each other in the August primary. Please introduce the bill and fight for it. Perhaps this request should be directed to 80th District State Rep. Mary Whiteford, who in her first run was the victim of this rigged system.

As Johnny Mathis once crooned 55 years ago, “What will my Mary say?”

I also ask all township and municipal clerks for their support and perhaps even a little lobbying on behalf of democracy and against this unfair rigged electoral system. But I admit I’m not holding my breath.