Flipping West Michigan (Guest: Hillary Scholten)

Multiple Republican county conventions devolved into chaos as Trump backers faced off with the party’s onetime establishment. Mark and Jeff analyze the fallout from the growing divide in the party and its implications for this fall. Also in our “legitimate political discourse”: the Planned Parenthood lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Michigan’s abortion ban; and the police killing of an unarmed African American in Grand Rapids. Both have significant political implications. Joining the conversation this week is one of the national Democratic Party’s strongest hopes for “flipping” a congressional district, immigration attorney Hillary Scholten. She’s running in the newly drawn district centered in Grand Rapids where incumbent Republican Peter Meijer faces a Trump-supported primary opponent for the sin of voting in favor of impeaching Trump for instigating the January 6 insurrection.  Scholten is an attorney with the Miller Johnson law firm in Grand Rapids. She is expert in immigration law, having served as Staff Attorney for the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, Judicial Law Clerk & Attorney Advisor for the U.S. Department of Justice Board of Immigration, and Immigration Staff Attorney for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. This week’s podcast is sponsored by EPIC/MRA, the state’s top-rated public opinion research service. EPIC ▪ MRA is a full service survey research firm with expertise in: Public Opinion Surveys – Market Research Studies Live Telephone Surveys, On-Line and Automated Surveys Focus Group Research Bond Proposals – Millage Campaigns Political Campaigns & Consulting Ballot Proposals – Issue Advocacy Research Community – Media Relations Issue – Image Management Database Development & List Management