Two groups are competing to control the Hillsdale County Republican Party after weeks of infighting.

“What is the local party?” HCRP Secretary Jon Smith asked. “In theory, we’re going to have two, but one will be sanctioned.”

Twenty Republicans met on Aug. 25 to remove officers of the HCRP’s executive committee, according to County Commissioner Brent Leininger. Party members voted to oust Smith, Daren Wiseley, Belle Steier, Jon-Paul Rutan, Josh Gritzmaker, and Lance Lashaway, Leininger said. 

“They had an illegal meeting, they illegally booted us,” Smith said. 

At the meeting, Republicans voted to replace the executive committee officers with Leininger, Zoning Board Member Penny Swan, County Clerk Marney Kast, Prosecutor Neal Brady, recently-defeated County Commissioner Kathleen Schmitt, and Bambi Somerlot. 

“We will be the Hillsdale Republican Party going forward,” Leininger said.

The Michigan Republican Party officially recognized the HCRP’s prior leadership, which Smith called an “America First” group, on Aug. 27.

“The Michigan GOP continues to recognize the current leadership of the Hillsdale County GOP and will not be reviewing the matter,” state Chairman Ron Weiser said in a letter.

Weiser said Leininger’s Aug. 25 meeting is “not considered legitimate.” Leininger, however, said he and the officers would not comply with the state party’s ruling.

“The state party has no authority in determining who the officers are of the local executive committee,” Leininger said in a press release. “The letter from the chairperson of the Michigan Republican Party was a mistake, sent in error based on inadequate knowledge of the Aug. 25, 2022 meeting, and as such, will be disregarded.”

Background

The HCRP executive committee accused more than 61 county convention delegates of being “Trochky [sic] International Socialists” in early August. Party officials barred the delegates, including state Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey, state Rep. Andrew Fink, and Hillsdale College Professor of Economics Gary Wolfram, from attending their Aug. 11 county convention. 

“I was astonished,” Wolfram said. “But we held our own meeting.”

While the official convention took place in Sozo Church, Leininger led an alternate convention of disavowed delegates in a downtown parking lot.

The state party ruled in favor of the alternate convention on Aug. 19, and accepted their nominees to represent Hillsdale at the state Republican convention. 

Leininger and other Republican officials then held the Aug. 25 meeting to remove HCRP executive committee officials from office. The Michigan Republican Party ruled against this on Aug. 27, recognizing the HCRP leadership that barred delegates from the county convention.

The divide and its consequences

Leininger said he and the other officers would consider “all steps necessary including legal action” to obtain their positions. The Aug. 25 meeting was justified, Leininger said, as elected officials and party nominees serve on the executive committee under party bylaws and Michigan election law.

“We’ve got some work to do on our end to follow through with those removals and replacements,” Leininger said.

Meanwhile, Smith said the HCRP’s prior leadership would continue to hold events and conduct party business. Smith said more than 100 people attended the party’s Sept. 1 “Business Spotlight” event.

“We’re going to do some great things, still, before we leave,” Smith said. “The state party recognizes us as the legitimate party.”

Smith said he and other HCRP officials are speaking with an attorney representing Macomb County Republican Party officials in a similar dispute.

At the same time, both Smith and Leininger said they are open to negotiations with the other side. 

Leininger said he didn’t believe the factions could resolve their differences before the November election, but that he and party officials would meet with the HCRP’s initial leadership at an “appropriate time.”

Smith said negotiations are contingent on what he called “election rigging.”

“We could sit down and have a talk about this,” Smith said. “Unless we have an honest talk about election rigging, we’re not going to come to the table.”

County Clerk Marney Kast denied any election fraud, and said the HCRP’s grievances stem from a failure to file proper paperwork. Deputy County Clerk Abe Dane said if people doubt election integrity, they should request access to campaign filing forms.

“Anyone can look at those and see the errors that were made,” Dane said. “We didn’t make them, we just found them. And I think the errors speak for themselves.”

Party division is unlikely to affect ballots in the November election, Dane said.

The HCRP will get a new executive committee after the election, despite whether the “America First” leadership maintains their committee positions, or whether Leininger and his fellow officers take control of the party. Leininger said after the election, the HCRP will hold another county convention.

“In November, we’ll have new delegate-elect members selected to the executive committee for the next two years,” Leininger said.

Smith said the state party wants to facilitate “a clean transfer of power,” and that HCRP officials will work to do so “if at all possible.”