Michigan’s Presidential Primary is only two weeks away.
On February 28, Republicans and Democrats can go out and vote for their nominee for President. That’s because Michigan is what you’d call an “open state.” Once you get to the polls all you have to do is request either a Republican or Democrat ballot.
Eleven Republican presidential candidates are on the ballot so far. President Barack Obama is the only Democrat.
Mark Brewer, the longest serving chair of the Michigan Democratic Party says they don’t encourage people to engage in what he calls “crossover” or “strategic” voting. That means voting for a person of the other party.
“We certainly don’t want Republicans showing up and interfering, and crossing over and voting in our processes, and that’s why we discourage Democrats from doing the same thing,” Brewer says.
On May 5, Michigan Democrats will have their own caucus, and not a primary.
Brewer tells Michigan Radio's Jennifer White that the President's record - in contrast to Republicans - shows he's “on Michigan’s side.”
“Starting with the rescue of the domestic auto industry, which all the Republicans opposed including Mitt Romney who said ‘let Detroit go bankrupt’," he says.
Along with the Presidential election all the House seats in Michigan are also up for election in November. Brewer talks about the Democrat’s strategy moving forward.
“A lot of damage has been done to the state through the votes of the Republican legislature in the last year, and we are going to take that record to the voters of Michigan this fall,” Brewer says.
Update: Michigan Radio will interview Robert Schostak, Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party, on Tuesday February 21.
