Return of the GOP

continued

Democrat Catherine McClary has held the treasurer's job since 1996, and was a seven-term county commissioner before that. "I have a strong track record of helping prevent foreclosure and protecting public funds and county assets," emails McClary. "I have the experience, expertise, and knowledge to fulfill the duties of County Treasurer."

Libertarian attorney Justin Altman, running for prosecuting attorney, is also for limited government--but with a very specific focus: Altman, who passed the bar last year, charges that incumbent Democrat Brian Mackie has "shown he'll follow the orders of the attorney general in prosecuting medical marijuana." Mackie, prosecutor since 1993, says he doesn't take orders from the attorney general, and doesn't prosecute people who follow the law on medical marijuana. "My opponent is probably a fine person," Mackie says, "but being prosecuting attorney of a county with almost 350,000 people is not a job for a brand new lawyer."

If the Tea Party candidates can't win, why bother to run? The answer is that just putting their names on the ballot advances their views within the local Republican party.

According to chairman John Taylor, all fourteen people running for public office this year will automatically get a seat on the Washtenaw County Republican party's twenty-two member executive board.