Latest news with #MichiganRepublicanParty
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Huizenga revs up MIGOP but stops short of announcing Senate bid in Mackinaw City speech
U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga (R-Zeeland) speaks to the Michigan Republican Party Straits Area Lincoln Day Dinner in Mackinaw City on June 7, 2025 | Photo by Ben Solis MACKINAW CITY – In a speech to various factions of the Michigan Republican Party on Saturday that covered everything from the federal budget to the spat between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump, U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga certainly sounded like he was planning to run for the U.S. Senate. But the congressman from Zeeland stopped short of making a formal announcement speaking to a crowd of donors, party faithful and several members of the Michigan Legislature at the Straits Area Lincoln Day Dinner event held at Audie's Restaurant in Mackinaw City on Saturday. Reports have swirled recently that Huizenga is staffing up to take on former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-White Lake) in the race to replace retiring Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters in 2026. Rogers was said to have declined an invitation for the Mackinaw City dinner event, which is described as the premier MIGOP Lincoln Day event in the circuit. Huizenga, however, headlined the event with a speech ranging from congressional budget issues, working with Trump in his second term and the need for Republicans to stick together if they wanted to maintain their majorities in the U.S. House and U.S. Senate as well as in upcoming statewide races, including for governor. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX Even without an announcement, Huizenga made allusions to the issues he'd likely bring up on the campaign trail if the plan was to jump in the ring soon. 'Wouldn't it be nice to have a Republican Senator right now?' Huizenga asked while talking about what his work looks like currently in Washington, D.C. 'We absolutely have got to change that. This is real, folks. This is real for us … when we're talking about fuel costs, when we're talking about regulatory encumbrances, and those problems that we have; when we're talking about taxes that are affecting our businesses, that hits.' Huizenga went on to talk about the recently passed Republican federal spending plan – which has been hailed by Trump as the 'one, big, beautiful bill' – that now moves to the U.S. Senate for final passage, and various regulatory reform actions that he said are creating a pro-growth ethos in the nation's Capitol. 'It's a new day in Washington, D.C., and aren't we happy about that?' Huizenga also asked the crowd. On the federal budget, which has been labeled by congressional Democrats as a plan that will gut Medicaid to pay for a massive tax cut for wealthy Americans and Trump's friends in business, Huizenga noted the fallout it has caused between Musk and Trump, who now appear to be not even on speaking terms after the Tesla and SpaceX leader criticized the spending plan and Trump in response kicked him out of the inner White House circle and threatened to cancel his federal contracts. That led Musk to attack Trump and call for his impeachment on social media, while also making other accusations, including that the President's name is found in the so-called Epstein files, a post Musk has since removed. Trump has consistently denied those accusations. The battle between the two could sever the political romance between the older MAGA movement and Elon's band of young, tech-minded conservatives who jumped on the Trump train and helped him secure victory in 2024. 'It's never fun when mom and dad are arguing,' Huizenga said. 'Multiple things can be true. Do we need to do better on our spending? Absolutely. … We've got to get serious about that spending and our debt. But it's absolutely true that with the one big, beautiful bill, we are going to be far better off as a country because we're creating that atmosphere with a competitive tax structure that allows us to compete with the rest of the world.' Huizenga said whether that came through Trump's tariffs – which have been scaled back considerably since he announced the renewal of tariffs on other countries when he took office this year – or tax policy from Congress, Huizenga said the aim was to bring back jobs to America. But, he argued, maintaining that through Trump's presidency depended on Republicans in Michigan getting their act together and unifying around candidates that can win key positions for office in Washington and in Lansing. 'We need to make sure we're pulling the same rope in the same direction,' Huizenga said. 'And we have to remember, in a red jersey versus blue jersey scenario, we're all wearing red. It might be a slightly different shade of red, it ain't a blue jersey, folks. … The country is counting on [because] the Super Bowl is here in Michigan when it comes to politics.'
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
MIGOP chair appears open to primaries for attorney general, secretary of state
MIGOP Chairman state Sen. Jim Runestad, R-White Lake, center, and state Rep. Bryan Posthumus, R-Rockford, right, discuss the future of the Michigan Republican Party Chad Livengood of The Detroit News during the third day of the Mackinac Policy Conference at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, Mich., on May 29, 2025. (Photo by Andrew Roth/Michigan Advance) MACKINAC ISLAND – Michigan GOP Chair Jim Runestad says he is open to the idea of selecting nominees for attorney general and secretary of state through statewide primaries. Currently, the candidates are selected by delegates at each party's convention. 'I think the base of the party likes the idea of being able to have input in these statewide positions,' said Runestad, a state senator from White Lake. State Rep. Bryan Posthumus (R-Rockford) expressed a similar sentiment but added that he sees value in the type of grassroots activists conventions bring out. Runestad and Posthumus spoke during a discussion on the future of the Michigan Republican Party at the Mackinac Policy Conference on Thursday. Runestad was selected to lead the Michigan Republican Party in February. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX He said the party had about $800,000 of debt when he first took over, but said he has raised $500,000 since taking over. 'We're vanquishing that debt,' Runestad said. 'I think by year's end, we're going to get most of that down, and into next year, at the end of this term, we certainly will have no debt.' Runestad said he has vowed to ensure the party has a 'big' fund balance by the end of his term – even if means denying requests for a last-minute spending spree in the run-up to the election. 'We're going to raise the money, we're going to spend the money, but whether it's me or someone else, we're not going to leave that for the next person,' Runestad said. He said the party has been undergoing a rebuilding process following several years of dramatic internal politics. 'We are on a growth spurt,' Runestad said. 'We have changed everything that was done in the past in terms of the email system, the domain system, the website. We are changing absolutely everything from what it was before into a completely new party.'
Toronto Star
08-05-2025
- Business
- Toronto Star
U.S. Ambassador Pete Hoekstra to make first official appearance at business summit
OTTAWA - U.S. Ambassador to Canada Pete Hoekstra will make his first official appearance in the role at the B7 Summit in Ottawa next week. The Canadian Chamber of Commerce is hosting the annual gathering of business leaders from the G7 countries this year. The event program shows that Hoekstra will address the summit on May 16. Hoekstra was sworn in as ambassador to Canada on April 15 in Washington, and received his official credentials from Governor General Mary Simon on April 29. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Hoekstra served as the U.S. ambassador to the Netherlands during the first Trump administration and was chair of the Michigan Republican Party during the 2024 U.S. election. The ambassador was in the room for Prime Minister Mark Carney's first face-to-face meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House on Tuesday. Ontario Premier Doug Ford posted on social media that he spoke with Hoekstra Wednesday morning about the meeting between Carney and Trump. Ford said he 'stressed' that the first step in building up the North American economy is the elimination of American tariffs on Canadian exports. The B7 Summit is being held in Ottawa at the National Arts Centre from May 14 to May 16. This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 7, 2025.
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox announces run for governor
The Brief Mike Cox, the former state attorney general, has entered the race for Michigan governor. Cox, 63, was the longtime AG and only left office due to being term limited, but placed third in the 2010 GOP gubernatorial primary. An enthusiastic supporter of President Donald Trump, Cox is running with the slogan to "Make Michigan great again." FOX 2 - A former Michigan attorney general has thrown his hat into the ring for the 2026 gubernatorial race. Mike Cox, who served as AG from 2003 to 2011, officially announced his run for governor on Tuesday. Cox, a Republican, who is running to "Make Michigan Great Again" ran for governor in 2010 but placed third in the primary behind Rick Snyder and Congressman Pete Hoekstra. "I've protected people my entire life, fought and beat the worst of the worst. Let's not stand by and let radical politicians or woke bureaucrats undermine us any longer," Cox wrote on Facebook. Big picture view Cox, 63, a former Marine, worked previously with both the Oakland County and Wayne County prosecutor's offices. He was term limited as attorney general. "Bad politicians with worse ideas are destroying our Michigan, made it harder to work, harder to learn, made us less safe," he says in a campaign video. "I'm tired of being told we can't beat anyone, that we should accept less. Aren't you?" His wife Laura Cox, is a former state representative and more recently, served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party. Current Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is term limited with Democrat candidates Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson all running. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan, a Democrat, is running as an independent. On the Republican side, Cox joins US Rep. John James, Republican Senate Leader Aric Nesbitt and Anthony Hudson, who ran for Congress last year.
Yahoo
09-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Hoekstra sails through vote to be confirmed as US ambassador to Canada
Pete Hoekstra, the former west Michigan congressman who served as President Donald Trump's ambassador to the Netherlands and as state Republican Party chairman last year, has been formally installed in a new role: U.S. ambassador to Canada. Hoekstra's confirmation to be Trump's ambassador to Canada came Wednesday with little controversy as the Senate voted 60-37 in favor with three members not voting. Michigan's two Democratic members of the chamber − Sens. Gary Peters and Elissa Slotkin − were among those voting in support of Hoekstra. Slotkin, who won her first race for Senate last year, noted that she disagrees with Hoekstra "on a good many issues" and that he "spent the better part of two years trying to beat me in my Senate race as the as the head of the Michigan Republican Party" but that she believes as a Michigander he will support his home state's best interests. That could be especially important at a time when Trump has put in place higher tariffs on imported goods from Canada, which officials there say could wreck their economy and raise prices in the U.S. Michigan's dominant auto industry has an integrated supply chain with Canadian auto and parts makers that could be affected by tariffs. More: Hoekstra: Canada is a 'sovereign' country, he'll work to improve relationship with US More: In race to succeed Gretchen Whitmer, Gilchrist says he can unite Democrats | Opinion 'I appreciate his commitment to an open line of communication and wish him strength to stand up for the economy of his home state," Slotkin said. At his confirmation hearing last month before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Hoekstra said that despite Trump's suggestions that Canada become the 51st state, it is a sovereign nation and promised to try to strengthen ties between the two while advancing the president's agenda. "I do have a special appreciation for Canada as a neighbor," said Hoekstra said. Hoekstra becomes the second high-profile Michigan political figure to become U.S. ambassador to Canada in recent decades. In 1993, former Michigan Gov. Jim Blanchard began serving in the role for Democratic former President Bill Clinton. Hoekstra also takes over just weeks ahead of a national election in Canada. Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@ Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Hoekstra sails through vote to be confirmed as US ambassador to Canada
