Gary Peters

Commentary: The Democrats' gamble

Jack Lessenberry — Fri, 10 May 2013 12:41:26 +0000

How much do you know about Mark Schauer? Well, unless you are from Battle Creek, the answer is: Probably not nearly as much as you are going to know a year and a half from now. That’s because he is going to be the Democrats’ nominee for governor next year. That may surprise you.

Most normal humans aren’t thinking about next year’s elections. They are thinking about finally getting their lawn furniture out now that they are finally convinced it isn’t going to snow anymore.

But the Democrats are thinking about those elections. This has been a terrible last two years for them. They hate much of what Governor Rick Snyder and the Republican legislature has done, most of all, making this a right-to-work state.

They also hate the fact that they are utterly irrelevant in Lansing. The battles going on in state government these days are mainly between the Republican governor and his fellow Republicans who control both houses of the legislature.

Talking with Congressman, and now Senate candidate, Gary Peters

Stateside Staff — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:14:47 +0000

It's been nearly two months since U.S. Senator Carl Levin (D-MI) announced he would not seek a seventh term.

That announcement sets up one of the biggest political questions in Michigan: who will take over his seat in 2014?

Last week , three-time Congressman Gary Peters announced he will run for Levin's seat. Democrats say Peters gives them a strong candidate.

Republicans say the Congressman has supported left-leaning policies that have become unpopular in Michigan.

Congressman, and now Senate candidate, Gary Peters joined us today.

Listen to the full interview above.

Who will the Republicans put up for U.S. Senate?

Stateside Staff — Tue, 07 May 2013 21:11:23 +0000

Who might be the Republicans' best hope of winning Michigan's Senate seat?

Republican strategist Dennis Lennox joined us today.

We asked him why a Republican hasn't jumped into the race yet and who their ideal candidate might be.

Listen to the full interview above.

The week in review: Run for Senate, live-in partners, DPS emergency manager steps down

Jack Lessenberry and Rina Miller — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:00:00 +0000

This "week in review," Rina Miller and Jack Lessenberry discuss the U.S. Senate race, allowing health coverage for live-in partners and the retirement of the emergency manager for Detroit Public Schools.

Republicans need 'top tier' candidate to run against Peters for Senate

Jennifer White and Mercedes Mejia — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:55:19 +0000

Each Thursday we speak with Susan Demas, political analyst for Michigan Information and Research Service, and Ken Sikkema, former Senate Majority Leader and Senior Policy Fellow at Public Sector Consultants.

This week, we look at clashes over the budget which led to House Speaker Jase Bolger removing eight Democrats from their committee assignments. Four were later given back those assignments after what Bolger called “positive individual meetings."

And Gary Peters announced his run for Senate. Who might Republicans choose to run against him?

Listen to the full interview above.

Commentary: Peters runs for Senate

Jack Lessenberry — Thu, 02 May 2013 12:58:35 +0000

For many years, it was far more common for Democrats to have brawling, bruising primary fights than Republicans.

The Democratic Party, after all, was a coalition of sometimes very different factions – African-Americans and Jews; labor and ethnic groups; factory workers and elegant, highly educated liberals in places like Ann Arbor.

They often had little in common except the fact that they were all more opposed to the Republicans.

Republicans, on the other hand, were more homogenous, more like an extended family that was largely business-oriented, largely white Protestant, and didn’t like fighting in public.

They even used to have what they called the Eleventh Commandment: “Thou shalt not speak ill of another Republican.” Well, times have changed.

In this morning’s news: welfare bills, ACLU suit in Grand Rapids, Peters running for Senate

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Thu, 02 May 2013 11:33:53 +0000

House passes welfare reform bills

“The state House has passed bills to revoke welfare benefits based on drug use and persistent school absences. One bill would allow suspicion-based drug testing, which could lead to families losing their cash assistance ... Another measure would allow suspicion-based drug testing of welfare recipients ... The bill got bi-partisan support in the House,” Jake Neher reports.

ACLU files suit against Grand Rapids police

The American Civil Liberties Union has sued Grand Rapids authorities for routinely making unconstitutional arrests for trespassing on property of businesses open to the public.

“ACLU Attorney Miriam Aukerman says city police have long urged businesses to sign a ‘letter of intent to prosecute trespassers.’ Then, they use that letter as an excuse to arrest people they decide are trespassing on business properties,” Michigan Radio’s Tracy Samilton reports.

Gary Peters officially announces run for Senate

Three-term Democratic Congressman Gary Peters became the first major candidate to kick off a campaign for Michigan’s soon-to-be vacant U.S. Senate seat. The seat will be left empty after Senator Carl Levin steps down in 2014. Several Republican candidates are also considering running.

Democrat Gary Peters launching his campaign for U.S. Senate

Steve Carmody — Wed, 01 May 2013 19:30:00 +0000

“Today is a big day to start. But the start of what’s going to be a long campaign.”

With that, suburban Detroit Congressman Gary Peters informally launched his bid for the United States Senate today in Rochester. A formal campaign kickoff is planned for this fall.

The Bloomfield Township Democrat is hoping to succeed Senator Carl Levin who is retiring from the Senate after six terms in Washington.

Peters says his business background as a financial planner helped prepare him for Washington.

U.S. Gary Peters announces U.S. Senate bid

Mark Brush — Wed, 01 May 2013 16:58:42 +0000

It's has been expected, and now it is official.

In an e-mail to supporters today, this logo was at the top:

The week in Michigan politics: Senate candidates, wolf hunt and wraparound school grants

Jack Lessenberry, Christina Shockley and Emily Fox — Wed, 01 May 2013 12:58:39 +0000

This week in Michigan politics, Christina Shockley and Jack Lessenberry discuss the race for the Senate seat left vacant by Carl Levin, legislation that would allow a wolf hunt despite a petition against it, and Governor Snyder's call for businesses to become more directly involved in schools.

Rep. Gary Peters expected to announce U.S. Senate bid

Mark Brush — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:36:10 +0000

U.S. Rep. Gary Peters, D-MI 14, is expected to announce his intention to run for the U.S. Senate in 2014.

After serving six terms, Michigan Senator Carl Levin announced his retirement earlier this year leaving the seat open.

Todd Spangler of the Detroit Free Press reports that Peters is expected to announce his run tomorrow in Rochester Hills.

A Democratic source told the Free Press on Monday that Peters, who had been widely expected to run, would announce his intentions and visit several other cities around the state — including Flint, Lansing and Grand Rapids — this week.
Peters, a 54-year-old Democrat and former state senator and Michigan Lottery commissioner, is in his third term in Congress, winning in the new Detroit-based 14th Congressional District in 2012, even though he lives outside it in Bloomfield Township. In his two previous terms, he represented the 9th District based in Oakland County.

Republicans say they have a "great opportunity" to take the Senate seat.

These Republicans names have been mentioned in a potential run for the seat:

Justin Amash
Dave Camp
John Engler
Terri Lynn Land
Pete Lund
Randy Richardville
Mike Rogers
Fred Upton

And these Democrats:

Gary Peters
Jocelyn Benson
Hansen Clarke
Geoffrey Fieger
Mark Hackel
Mark Schauer

The last time a Republican won a Senate seat in Michigan was in 1994 with Spencer Abraham.

In this morning's news: Peters' Senate run, donation to Detroit schools, call for Medicaid expansion

Michigan Radio Newsroom — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:28:51 +0000

Gary Peters announces run for U.S. Senate

U.S. Representative Gary Peters, who represents the Detroit-based 14th Congressional District, is expected to announce his candidacy for the U.S. Senate today. As the Detroit Free Press reports:

"Peters has been considered a likely candidate for the seat being vacated by U.S. Sen. Carl Levin since Levin announced in March his intentions to retire at the end of the current term. Shortly after Levin’s announcement, Peters told the Free Press he was 'seriously considering' a run for that seat."

Corporate donations to help create "wraparound" schools in Detroit

"Detroit and other cities in Michigan are turning to businesses to help pay for schools that provide a wide variety of services to students and their families. Yesterday, JP Morgan Chase announced it will donate $1.5 million to pay for three 'wraparound’ schools in Detroit...Governor Rick Snyder says that could include help with managing household finances or finding a job, or parenting classes," Rick Pluta reports.

Law enforcement officials call for an expansion of Medicaid

A group of law enforcement officials is calling on state lawmakers to expand Medicaid coverage to more than 300,000 Michigan residents at an event in Lansing today.

"The group says Medicaid coverage for expectant mothers can help prevent children from being born with fetal alcohol syndrome or fetal alcohol effects. They will also advocate for Medicaid coverage for interventions such as substance abuse and mental and behavioral health issues as a way to cut crime," the Associated Press reports.

Commentary: 14th District follies

Jack Lessenberry — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 11:53:27 +0000

Less than two years ago, Congressman Gary Peters and his supporters spent nearly $2 million to win a congressional seat different from the one he already held, and one in which he did not live. That wasn’t really his fault.

Michigan lost a seat in Congress. Redistricting had largely eliminated his old district, and Peters had to run somewhere. In this case, he ended up running against another Democratic incumbent, Hansen Clarke, in the oddest shaped district in our history.

The current 14th looks like an old man sitting in a chair with his legs tucked under. His head is Pontiac, his neck, Keego Harbor, His body takes in a wide swath of Oakland County suburbs, from West Bloomfield through Farmington Hills and Southfield, before expanding to include many poor neighborhoods in Detroit. Finally, the legs take in the Grosse Pointes, and the feet end up in a Hispanic neighborhood near the coming new Detroit River Bridge.

This doesn’t exactly fit the ideal standard for a district composed of communities with common interests, but it did fit the needs of the Republican legislature, which wanted to pack as many Democrats into as few districts as possible. Plus, they felt that the Voting Rights Act required them to create two districts that had a majority of African-American residents.

Interview with Congressman Gary Peters

Stateside Staff — Mon, 04 Mar 2013 22:23:45 +0000

Cyndi talked with Michigan Congressman Gary Peters (D) today.

Peters is the new co-chair of the House Automotive Caucus along with Republican Congressman John Campbell (R-CA).

Peters talked about what it's like in a bi-partisan caucus and what it might mean for Michigan and the auto industry.

Click the audio above to hear the full interview.

Peters tops Clarke in race for new "Greater Detroit" Congressional district

Sarah Cwiek — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 06:17:45 +0000

Unless something very unusual happens, the winner of Tuesday night’s 14^th district Democratic primary will easily win the November election.

And it appears that winner will be current Oakland County Congressman Gary Peters.

Peters topped a field of four Democrats, including another incumbent Congressman, to win the primary in the newly-redrawn 14th district.

That district zig-zags 75 miles across southeast Michigan, taking in much of Detroit and parts of Oakland County.