There will be two elections held at once to fill the seat of deceased State Rep. Isaac Robinson (right). Read the story find out why there will be two elections at once.
By Charles Sercombe
A special election will be held to fill the vacant seat of State Rep. Isaac Robinson, who died two weeks ago.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer called for the special election last week. As usual, the election begins with a primary, which will be held Aug. 4.
The winners of the Democratic and Republican primary will then square off on Nov. 3.
Whoever wins, though, will enjoy a short-lived victory. Robinson’s remaining term, at that point, has only six weeks before it ends.
Robinson, 44, died recently, and the suspected cause is COVID-19. He was in his first term.
Believe it or not, that’s not the only election for that seat.
Robinson was up for re-election this year, so at the same time that there will be an election to fill out his remaining term, there will also be a regular election for his seat.
In other words, The Aug. 4 primary will be to fill his vacant seat, and then in a separate primary election, held on the same day, candidates will vie for the brand-new term.
Those winners for the brand-new term will then face-off on Nov. 4 to see who gets to go to Lansing for two years, before doing it all over again.
So, to recap, a primary election will be held on Aug. 4 for the vacant seat, and then on the same day, same place, another primary election will be held for the new term.
Candidates can sign up for both primary elections: one to fill his seat for the remaining term, and the other for a whole new two-year term.
Candidates must file by April 21.
If past elections for this position when there was no incumbent running is any indication, expect there to be a crowded field of candidates.
Robinson’s mother, Rose Mary C. Robinson, held the state representative seat for the same district for six previous years until she was termed out of office. She told The Review that her daughter, Sarah Robinson, who is an attorney, is interested in the seat.
Isaac Robinson, a Democrat, easily outdistanced his challengers in the 2018 primary election – beating second-place finisher, former Hamtramck City Councilmember Saad Almasmari, by about 600 votes. Coming in just a handful of votes behind Almasmari was another Hamtramck resident, Michele Oberholtzer.
Several other candidates finished far behind those top three candidates.
Because the district votes heavily Democratic, whoever wins the Democrat primary elections is virtually guaranteed to win the November election.
The district includes Hamtramck and part of Detroit, including a portion of Midtown.
The position pays $71,685 a year, with an additional $10,800 year expense allowance.
Posted April 17, 2020