UNDATED (WHTC-AM/FM, Apr. 25, 2022) – One of the 10 hopefuls to unseat incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is making a swing through the Lakeshore on Wednesday, with another coming to the Tulip City a week from Tuesday.
Perry Johnson announced over the weekend scheduled Wednesday appearances at Pronto Pups in Grand Haven at 11 AM, at Marlena’s off of Lincoln Avenue in Holland at 12 Noon, and at the Siena Cafe in Saugatuck at 2 PM, part of what he is calling a “Small Town Tour.” According to his campaign, the Detroit-area businessman and self-proclaimed “Quality Guru” said about the four-day swing from Midland to Benton Harbor, “I’ll be visiting small towns to hear their needs and concerns firsthand … After years of neglect and inaction by Lansing, Main Streets across Michigan are in dire need of assistance.”
On Monday, another Detroit-area businessman who is also apparently financially backing his own campaign, Kevin Rinke, unveiled a 10-day, 50-location “Won’t Back Down” bus tour. Starting on May 2nd in Lansing and ending on May 11th at the state capitol, Rinke will be touring both peninsulas, including a scheduled stop on May 3rd in Holland at an undisclosed time and location.
In other political news, MIRS News “announced” over the weekend that Joseph Alfonso is the next Democrat to try and unseat six-term Republican Congressional incumbent Bill Huizenga, although the 32-year-old owner of Stratosphere Industries had announced those intentions back in January. He submitted just 50 more signatures than the 1,000 minimum to the Secretary of State’s office by last Tuesday’s filing deadline. Alfonso was appointed by Governor Whitmer two years ago to the state Plumbing Board, and managed just 125 votes as an independent in the 2020 General Election in losing to GOP incumbent Amanda Price for Ottawa County Treasurer.
Since beating Hope College History Professor Fred Johnson 12 years ago to succeed Pete Hoekstra in the US House, Huizenga has fended off Democratic challengers Willie German Jr., Dean Vanderstelt, Dennis Murphy, Rob Davidson and Bryan Berghoef for a seat Republicans have held since 1935, and for all but four of the last 150 years.
