WASHINGTON –Winning a write-in campaign for a nomination to Congress is daunting, but former state Sen. Nancy Cassis appears to be heading in the right direction.
Cassis, of Novi, is leading her rival Kerry Bentivolio of Milford 52% to 36% in Tuesday’s Republican primary for the 11th Congressional idstrict, even though Bentivolio’s name is the only one on the ballot, a poll conducted for the Free Press, WXYX-TV (Channel 7) and three outstate stations shows.
Cassis was tapped by Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson and other local Republican leaders in June as the best candidate to run a write-in campaign against Bentivolio, a former teacher and reindeer rancher who has never been elected to public office.
Bentivolio got a leg up in the race when the incumbent, U.S. Rep. Thaddeus McCotter, R-Livonia, dropped a write-in bid of his own after failing to make the ballot when his campaign submitted fradulent and duplicated signatures in support of his reelection effort.
The poll was done by EPIC-MRA of Lansing last Saturday and Sunday. It surveyed 800 likely voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
Pollster Bernie Porn said the results are a surprise.
“It suggests the institutional supporters of Nancy Cassis are doing a pretty good job,” he said. “It is very unusual for people to win write-in campaigns but she certainly seems to have the inside track.”
In order to win, though, Cassis will still have to execute an ambitious primary day plan, getting supporters to remember to write in her name. Her campaign said Wednesday it will hand out red silicone bracelets with her name on it to help supporters get the spelling right.
Whoever wins on Tuesday should have an edge: The district — which encompasses parts of western Wayne and Oakland counties — was redrawn this year to make it easier for a Republican (presumably McCotter at the time) to win. The Democratic primary includes Lyndon Larouche supporter Bill Roberts and Dr. Syed Taj, a Canton Township physician.
Meanwhile, in the 6th Congressional District in southwest Michigan, the tough race some expected U.S. Rep. Fred Upton to face this primary season never materialized
Some months ago, it looked like Upton – chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and a 13-term incumbent from St. Joseph – could face a tough primary, particularly if the conservative Club for Growth targeted him as believed and supported his rival, former state Rep. Jack Hoogendyk.
But acccording to EPIC-MRA’s poll in the 6th, Upton leads Hoogendyk 61% to 31%, with 8% undecided.
As in the 11th District survey, EPIC-MRA polled 800 likely voters and the poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.5 percentage points.
