GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Two candidates endorsed by former President Donald Trump won Michigan Republicans’ backing for attorney general and secretary of state at a convention Saturday, clearing their path to face Democratic incumbents in the fall.
The meeting of thousands of party delegates was a test of Trump’s clout in the party.
His allies — attorney general candidate Matthew DePerno, a lawyer, and secretary of state candidate Kristina Karamo, a community college instructor — emerged victorious from three-person fields at the endorsement event in downtown Grand Rapids.
The political newcomers support Trump’s false claims about his 2020 loss in the swing state. They are poised to be officially nominated at a second convention in August and challenge Attorney General Dana Nessel and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson in November.
Karamo, a community college instructor, won handily after securing two-thirds of the vote. DePerno, a lawyer, was just shy of the majority needed in an initial vote but won a runoff over former legislative leader Tom Leonard that was paused when the ballot order of races did not match what was shown on screens flanking the stage.
“I will not let you down,” Karamo said. “I’m fighting for the people of Michigan irrespective of political affiliation.”
Trump has said his preferred candidates would not let Michigan be “stolen” in the next presidential election. He lost the state by 154,000 votes to Joe Biden. Trump’s slate drew criticism within a wing of the GOP that viewed the candidates as unelectable in the fall and was frustrated that state party’s leaders openly backed them rather than be neutral.
DePerno’s rival for the nomination was Leonard, the party’s 2018 nominee whom Trump later nominated for U.S. attorney in western Michigan. State Rep. Ryan Berman, who finished third, urged his supporters to back Leonard in the runoff between Leonard and DePerno.
"I’m deeply humbled and encouraged by the profound support of so many Republican delegates throughout Michigan who put their confidence in me," said Leonard.
"In the months ahead, I'll continue working with fellow Republicans to elect conservative candidates up and down the ticket. I especially look forward to spending more time with my wife and our two wonderful children."
Bernadette Smith, one of the party’s vice chairs, said DePerno “is the only candidate who will fight for election integrity.” As DePerno’s supporters walked to the front of the hall to demonstrate their support, a video played of Trump touting DePerno and calling Leonard a “RINO” — or Republican in name only.
DePerno unsuccessfully sued after human error led rural Antrim County to erroneously show a local victory for Biden over Trump. It was quickly corrected but was used to spread misinformation about voting equipment.
DePerno was in “the field working when no one else was,” Smith said.
DePerno may face repercussions over the Antrim lawsuit.
He recently confirmed that the state’s Attorney Grievance Commission is investigating him. Nessel last year began a separate probe after a Republican-led legislative committee said people were making baseless allegations about the results in Antrim to raise money or publicity for their own ends. The panel’s report did not specify whom should be investigation, but the people mentioned in it include DePerno.
Republican U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman supported Leonard.
“Mark my words: Democrats are motivated and we will only win if we put our best candidates forward,” he said. “I truly believe he’s the only candidate in this race with integrity, grit, determination and the skills to not only win in November but to perform the duties of attorney general on day one.”
In a sign of how pervasive election falsehoods have become, the party used machines to tabulate votes but, in a change, also hand-counted the ballots in a compromise with activists.
Nominees for Michigan’s statewide races are chosen at party conventions except in gubernatorial and U.S. Senate primaries. The midterm election climate is expected to favor Republicans, but incumbent attorney generals and secretaries of state rarely lose.
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