Last Friday, she became just the fourth state lawmaker in history to be expelled for violating House rules in relation to covering up an adulterous affair with fellow freshman Republican Todd Courser of Lapeer, necessitating the primary and a special March 8 general election to fill her seat.
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In a release on Thursday Gamrat said that she believes the voters should decide if she would represent the 80 District.
“What weighed really heavy on me this whole time, was I felt it was really important for my voters to have a voice in this”.
Gamrat filed her papers the day before the September 18 deadline. It culminated early September 11 with Courser resigning and Gamrat being expelled.
Courser, 43, of Lapeer in Michigan’s Thumb region, admitted sending an “outlandish” phony email to GOP activists and others in May claiming he was caught with a male prostitute.
Western Michigan University political science professor John Clark says Courser faces an uphill battle, despite a crowded primary field.
“I followed through on the promises I made at their doors”, she says.
“I think she has every right to run again if she chooses to”, disagrees Rock Bogren of Kalamazoo.
Courser said he and his wife are in counseling.
She was expelled from office Friday, one hour after the representative she had the affair with, Todd Courser, resigned. The decision was taken from them.
Schuette said his office began its investigation September 4 – a week before the House formally requested one.
A House Business Office report uncovered dishonesty, misconduct and a misuse of public resources by the pair of self-described social conservatives, but cited no specific crimes except possible campaign-finance law abuses.
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“It’ll be thorough, expansive, without fear or favor, no matter where the chips fall”, Schuette said of the probe. What Courser didn’t know was that the aide recorded the conversation. “This is my first worldwide sex scandal and cover-up, so there are probably some things I should have done differently – if we’re looking back on that”.
