The 2017 Michigan Republican Leadership Conference took place on Mackinac Island during the weekend of September 22-24 under the leadership of Ambassador Ron Weiser, Chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. The Mackinac Conference is the traditional kick off for Republican campaigns for statewide offices. Hundreds of Republicans arrived at the beautiful Island of Mackinac to meet and greet special guests, candidates for the 2018 Michigan election, and to attend a variety of meetings and events.
Stan Grot, currently Shelby Township Clerk and District 10 GOP Chairman, was one of the candidates who had a very strong presence on the island. Stan Grot had announced his candidacy for Michigan Secretary of State in August and continued to spread his message at the conference. Grot had a huge billboard welcoming the conference participants on I-75 just before the Mackinac exit, big signs all over the island, over 100 young volunteers wearing his t-shirts, 3 vendor tables (with t-shirts, signs, bags, fudge, and more), and a very well attended event, Pizza and Politics, on Saturday afternoon. Stan Grot for Secretary of State signs were everywhere you turned.
One of the highlights of the conference was a straw poll with attendees voting for 2018 Michigan candidates for various positions. Stan Grot was the clear winner in this poll amid the 5 candidates running against each other for the office of Secretary of State.
An excerpt from the MIRS-Crains Detroit Business 2017 Michigan Republican Party Mackinac Leadership Conference Straw Poll stated:
“Over the course of the last two days, just shy of 700, Michigan Republicans cast their ballots in the MIRS-Crains Detroit Business 2017 Michigan Republican Party Mackinac Leadership Conference Straw Poll. The results have been tallied and conference attendees have made their picks.”
“With a billboard on Interstate 75, literally three vendor tables, and hundreds and hundreds of shirts on the island, it was little surprise that Shelby Township Clerk Stan GROT garnered the most support for the GOP’s Secretary of State slot with 48.08 percent of the vote. In second place was Eastern Michigan University Trustee Mary Treder Lang with 21.31 percent.”
According to the Conservative Intel:
“Stan Grot had the largest presence on the island and earned a big win in the straw poll in the race for the Secretary of State nomination. He showed his strong base support among the grassroots conservatives and his top competition, Senator Kowall, dropped from the race. The establishment has found a new candidate, Mary Treder Lang, but establishment candidates do very poorly at state conventions. Stan Grot has emerged as a strong frontrunner for Secretary of State and has a very strong base of support in the 9th and 10th congressional districts.”
Ann Paprocki
