JOHN McCAIN 2008, INC. (March 1, 2007)
JOHN McCAIN 2008 - THE EXPLORATORY COMMITTEE  (filed with the FEC to establish on Nov. 16, 2006)
STRAIGHT TALK AMERICA (2006 cycle)

MICHIGAN LEADERSHIP TEAM (announced Sept. 20, 2007)
National Co-Chairman
Ambassador Ronald Weiser

Finance Chairman
Jim Nicholson

State Co-Chairs
Congressman Fred Upton, State Co-Chair
Republican National Committeeman Chuck Yob, State Co-Chair
Republican National Committeewoman Holly Hughes, State Co-Chair

State Vice Chairs
Senator Wayne Kuipers, State Vice Chair
Senator Randy Richardville, State Vice Chair
Senator John Pappageorge, State Vice Chair
Senator Alan Cropsey, State Vice Chair
Senator Michelle McManus, State Vice Chair
Former Majority Leader Dan DeGrow, State Vice Chair
Representative Kevin Elsenheimer, State Vice Chair
R epresentative Kevin Green, State Vice Chair
Representative Glenn Steil, Jr., State Vice Chair
Representative Brian Calley, State Vice Chair
Representative Judy Emmons, State Vice Chair
Representative Lorence Wenke, State Vice Chair
Representative Ed Gaffney, State Vice Chair
Former Speaker Chuck Perricone, State Vice Chair
Former Speaker Rick Johnson, State Vice Chair
3rd District Chairwoman Kim Yob, State Vice Chair
9th District Chairman Glenn Clark, State Vice Chair
13th District Chairman Ed Joseph, State Vice Chair
14th District Chairman Bill Beddoes, State Vice Chair
 

West Michigan Team (announced Nov. 8, 2007)
Sheriff Michael Anderson (Kalamazoo County)
Victory Township Supervisor Russell Andersen (Mason County)
Sheriff Paul Bailey (Berrien County)
Commissioner Mary Balkema (City of Kalamazoo)
State Republican Committee Member Dale Blunier
State Representative Brian Calley (R-Portland)
Delores Cook, MSU Board of Trustees
Kent County Republican Party Chairman Dave Dishaw
3rd District Republican Party Treasurer Andrew Emmitt
State Representative Judy Emmons (R-Sheridan)
Commissioner Marve Engle (Muskegon County)
Kalamazoo County Drain Commissioner Bill French
Michigan Republican Party Secretary Hank Fuhs
State House of Representatives Minority Whip Kevin Green (R-Wyoming)
JCI President Scott Greenlee
Sheriff Dale Gribler (Van Buren County)
Commissioner M. Jeff Heppler (Kalamazoo County)
Joel Hondorp (Byron Township Clerk)
3rd District Republican Party Vice Chair Richard Houskamp
Republican National Committeewoman Holly Hughes
State Senator Wayne Kuipers (R-Holland)
Former Ottawa County Republican Party Chair Paul Leidig
Sheriff Matt Lori (St. Joseph County)
Commissioner Gerald Malburg (Oceana County)
Commissioner Ron Pederson (Mason County)
State Representative Glenn Steil Jr. (R-Kentwood)
Congressman Fred Upton (R-Kalamazoo, 6th District)
State Representative Lorence Wenke (R-Richland)
Republican National Committeeman Chuck Yob
3rd District Republican Party Chair Kim Yob
President of Pro-Life Federation of Michigan Jerry Zanstra
(Zanstra, a former member of the Brownback for President National Steering Committee, announced support on Oct. 29, 2007)

More Endorsements
former Michigan Governor William G. Milliken - served from from 1969-82; Lt. Governor from 1963-69 (Jan. 14, 2008)
Warren Mayor Jim Fouts (Jan. 9, 2008)

Also note editorial endorsements:
Kalamazoo Gazette - Jan. 13, 2008
Livingston County Daily Press & Argus - Jan. 13, 2008
Port Huron Times-Herald - Jan. 13, 2008
Jackson Citizen Patriot - Jan. 13, 2008
The Daily Telegram (Adrian) - Jan. 13, 2008
Detroit Free Press - Jan. 6, 2008
The Detroit News - Jan. 3, 2008
 

>On Sept. 17, 2007 several news outlets reported Cox's imminent resignation from his position as chairman.

BEFORE THE RESTRUCTURING

Chairman

Attorney General Mike Cox

(announced Dec. 14, 2006)  Re-elected to a second term in 2006; first elected in 2002, the first Republican Attorney General of Michigan in 48 years.  Worked in the Wayne County prosecutor's office in Detroit.  Graduated from the University of Michigan Law School in 1989.  Entered the Marines after high school.
 
 

State Director

John Yob

Partner in Strategic National Consulting, LLC; previously president of Independent Campaign Marketing Inc..  Graduate of the University of Michigan's College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA); former chairman of the Michigan College Republicans.  Youngest son of Michigan RNC Committeeman Chuck Yob.
 
 

Field Director

Rob Minard

Previously executive director of the Great Lakes Education Project, and before that (2001-02) political director.  Field director for the Kids First! Yes! ballot initiative, 2000.  B.A. from Michigan State University.

Field Staff
Marla Kloosterhouse
 
 

Coalitions Director

John Balbach

Worked at Strategic National Consulting.  Political staffer to former U.S. Ambassador Ron Weiser.
 
 

Online Communications

Erica Tibbe

 

Volunteer Coordinator/Office Manager

Shana Goetting

Regional director for Outer Oakland County on the DeVos for Governor campaign in 2006.
 
 

Co-Chairs
Republican National Committeeman Chuck Yob (announced Jan. 15, 2007)

Republican National Committeewoman Holly Hughes (announced Jan. 15, 2007)

Keith Butler (announced Jan. 23, 2007; also Co-Chair of Conservatives for McCain)
Founder and senior pastor of the Word of Faith International Christian Center in Southfield, MI.  Sought the 2006 Republican U.S. Senate nomination but lost to Michael Bouchard in the primary.  Former Detroit city councilman.
 

Steering Committee
Congressman Fred Upton (Jan. 31, 2007)

Senator Wayne Kuipers (Jan. 26, 2007; also announced Sept. 7, 2006.  2nd CD chair, also statewide education advisor)

Senator Michelle McManus (Jan. 18, 2007; also announced Sept. 7, 2006; state chairman of Women for McCain)

Senator Randy Richardville (Feb. 13, 2007)

Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson(Jan. 17, 2007)
County Clerk of Oakland County.  Lieutenant governor nominee to 2006 Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick Devos.

Former House Speaker Chuck Perricone(Jan. 31, 2007; also announced earlier on Sept. 14, 2006; also member of Michigan Sportsmen for McCain)

Former House Speaker Rick Johnson  (Jan. 31, 2007; also member of Michigan Farmers for McCain)

House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer(Feb. 5, 2007; also announced earlier on Aug. 9, 2006)

House Minority Floor Leader Chris Ward (Feb. 5, 2007; also announced earlier on Aug. 9, 2006)

House Minority Whip Kevin Green  (Feb. 5, 2007; also announced earlier on Aug. 9, 2006)

Eileen Weiser - Michigan Education Advisor

Dave Dishaw - Michigan Grassroots Chairman
(announced Dec. 19, 2006)  Resident of Kent County; licensed Michigan real estate broker, mortgage broker, and title insurance producer.  Served as 3rd District GOP chairman; was a candidate for state party chairman but endorsed the incumbent Saul Anuzis in Nov. 2006.  Has volunteered and worked for Land for Secretary of State, Cox for Attorney General, Abraham for Senate, Dole for President, Bush for President (HW and W), and hundreds of local campaigns.

Marlene Elwell - Americans of Faith for McCain Chairman

Laura Cox - Wayne County Co-Chair

Torion Bridges - Urban Outreach Co-Chair

Janice Nearon - (Feb. 13, 2007) Macomb County Chair
 

Endorsement
former Michigan State Senator Glenn Steil (Kent County)  (announced July 24, 2007)
 

More support
(announced Feb. 12, 2007)
Michigan GOP Secretary Hank Fuhs
Michigan GOP 3rd Cong. District Chair Kim Yob
Michigan GOP 5th Cong. District Chair Eric Klammer
Michigan GOP 6th Cong. District Chair Gerry Hildenbrand
Michigan GOP 9th Cong. District Chair Glenn Clark
Michigan GOP 11th Cong. District Chair Shannon Price
Michigan GOP 13th Cong. District Chair Ed Joseph
Michigan GOP 14th Cong. District Chair Bill Beddoes
Michigan GOP Wayne 11 Chair Chris Roosen

(announced Feb. 13, 2007)
Sen. Randy Richardville
Rep. Judy Emmons
Rep. Glenn Steil, Jr.
Rep. Lorence Wenke
Rep. David Law
Michigan Republican Party Ethnic Vice Chair Andrew Wendt
former Macomb County Republican Chairwoman Janice Nearon

(announced Feb. 21, 2007)
Sen. John Pappageorge

(announced March 12, 2007)
Sen. Alan Cropsey (co-chair of the Americans of Faith coalition)

(announced March 13, 2007)
former state Representative Barb Vander Veen (co-chair of the Americans of Faith coalition)

(announced March 29, 2007)
Rep. Brian Calley

(announced April 13, 2007)
Mike Anderson – Kalamazoo County Sheriff
Dale Gribler – Van Buren County Sheriff
Matt Lori – St. Joseph County Sheriff
Bill French – Kalamazoo County Drain Commissioner
Jeff Heppler – Kalamazoo County Commissioner
 

Michigan Veterans Advisory Committee (announced April 24, 2007)
Lieutenant Colonel Hank Fuhs – Chair
31-year veteran of the Air National Guard and U.S. Air Force, and Secretary of the Michigan Republican Party.
Colonel Robert Abbott
Michael Bruntjens
Captain Rob Deane
James Duray
General David Hall
Dan Healy
Vicki Healy
Carnie Jackson
Gary Lane
Command Master Chief Claude McManus
Donald Meskill
Thomas Mullaney
Sylvia Nicholas
Louis Oberle
Lieutenant Colonel Donald Odell
Rick Orlowski
State Senator John Pappageorge
Captain Brian Ratzlaff
Major Rocky Roskowski
Ralph Shufeldt
Steve Washington
Sergeant Major Bill Womer
 

State co-chairs of McCain's coalition of attorneys in the state of Michigan (announced May 31, 2007)
John Smietanka - a former U.S. Attorney and was the Republican nominee for Attorney General in 1994 and 1998.  Currently a partner in the firm of Smietanka, Buckleitner, Steffes and Gezon in Grandville, Michigan.

Richard Zuckerman - a former attorney with the U.S Department of Justice Organized Crime and Racketeering Section.  Currently a partner in the Michigan-based law firm of Honigman, Miller, Schwartz and Cohn LLP.
 
 

Finance Chairman - Jim Nicholson

Michigan Finance Committee Members  (announced March 5, 2007)

Margaret Allesee
Eugene Applebaum
J. Christopher Beckering
Curt Benson
Harold Beznos
Keith Brophy
Peter C. Cook
Samuel Cummings
David Dishaw
Kenneth Eisenberg
Harvey Gainey
Frank Hennessey
James Hiller
Thomas Hoeg
Robert Hoffman
Jeffrey A. Ishbia
Jerrold Jung
J. Douglas King
John A. Krasula
State Senator Wayne Kuipers
Alphonse Lucarelli
Habib Mamou
Richard F. Mazur
Claude McManus
State Senator Michelle McManus
George Mickel
Timothy O'Brien
Peter Remington
Shelby Reno
James Saalfeld
Stu Sandler
Former U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz
W. Sidney Smith
Michael Soimar
Derek Stevens
David Stone
Frank Torre
David Trott
Clune Walsh
Todd Wyett
Chuck Yob
Richard Zuckerman

Additionally, Ron Weiser, McKinley Associates CEO, former Ambassador, and longtime Michigan resident, who has served as MRP finance chair, is serving on McCain’s national finance committee.
 
 
 

Independent Site

http://michiganformccain.blogspot.com
First posting Sept. 24, 2006
Authors include Charles J. Szafir.

Straight Talk America Michigan Legislative Advisory Team.
House Co-Chairs (announced Aug. 9, 2006): Majority Floor Leader Chris Ward, Associate Speaker Pro Tempore Kevin Elsenheimer, Rep. Kevin Green, and Rep. Ed Gaffney.

Senate Co-Chairs (announced Sept. 7, 2006): Sen. Jason Allen, Sen. Pattie Birkholtz, Sen. Alan Cropsey, Sen. Tom George, Sen. Mike Goschka, Sen. Wayne Kuipers, Sen. Ron Jelinek, Sen. Michelle McManus, Sen. Laura Toy, and Sen. Gerald Van Woerkom.

Honorary Co-Chairs (announced Sept. 14, 2006): Former Speaker of the House Chuck Perricone, and former Senate Majority Leader Dan DeGrow.

Straight Talk America Michigan Veterans Organizational Committee
Co-Chairs (announced Sept. 20, 2006): 2002 GOP Senate nominee Andrew Rocky Raczkowski, Allegan County GOP Chairman Gerry Hildenbrand, and Michigan Republican Party Secretary Hank Fuhs.

Straight Talk America Michigan Grassroots Leadership Team
On Oct. 3, 2006 Straight Talk America announced its Michigan Grassroots Leadership Team comprising 24 Republican grassroots leaders including two state GOP vice chairmen, the state GOP secretary, four GOP district chairmen, thirteen county GOP chairmen, and three statewide elected officials.

Michigan Youth Advisory Committee
On October 24, 2006, Straight Talk America announced a Michigan Young Leaders Team comprising 27 young Republican leaders from around the state.
 
 

Copyright © 2006, 2007, 2008  Eric M. Appleman/Democracy in Action