A former lawmaker who was expelled from Michigan’s Legislature for an extramarital affair and a odd cover-up scheme has lost a bid to win back her seat.
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Courser, who cast his ballot at the Village of Clifford Municipal Building in Burlington Township, said the decision on his future in office should come down to the voters, who are faced with 11 Republican candidates during the special primary election.
Mary Whiteford has claimed victory in a primary race that decided which Republican will run in a special election for the 80th district state House seat.
Gamrat had 912 votes, or 9 percent, with 90 percent of precincts reporting in her former southwestern Michigan district – finishing third to Mary Whiteford, a former nurse who helps run her family’s wealth management business and had 5,065 votes, or almost 52 percent.
Gamrat, 42, just the fourth lawmaker ever expelled from the Legislature, hopes her staunch conservative record on abortion and guns and opposition to a tax hike for roads resonates with voters who she believes have forgiven her or were not bothered by her private indiscretions.
A general election to fill both seats is scheduled for March 8, 2016.
An education policy group with ties to one of the state’s Republican mega-donors has mailed advertisements attacking Courser and Gamrat for misusing public resources to cover up their tryst. He said the tale would make his affair with Gamrat less plausible in case it was revealed by an anonymous extortionist.
She tells us she’s doing it to give the people of Allegan County a voice. Courser resigned during a second round of voting to oust him last September, while Gamrat was expelled at the end of the same, marathon-like, 16-hour session at the Capitol.
After the scandal broke in August, the freshmen legislators asked to be censured. Farmer Gary Howell is in the lead.
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Gamrat is running without support from the party leadership. I don’t know what else I could have done more’. He sent a phony email that said he was caught having sex with a male prostitute. Gamrat had about 10 percent of the vote with 60 percent of precincts reporting.
