By Liz Nass
Gongwer News Service
Former U.S. Attorney Mark Totten dropped out of the race for attorney general on Tuesday, saying there is not a viable path forward after major labor unions are backing a different candidate.
The UAW and the Michigan Education Association have both endorsed Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald for the Democratic nomination. The Michigan Democratic Party will hold its endorsement convention on April 19.
Totten said in a post on X that he will remain committed to supporting the Democratic nominee and finding other ways to fight for Michigan and “our democracy,” saying his campaign was guided by this mission.
“We live in an unprecedented moment, with the president attacking our democracy while the rich and powerful accumulate even more power at the expense of everyone else,” Totten said in a statement. “I have always believed that state attorneys general stand on the front lines of this fight, and that my service as chief legal counsel to the governor of Michigan and as United States attorney prepared me to lead in this moment.”
The Democratic primary for attorney general is down to two candidates: McDonald, who has pulled ahead dramatically in funding, and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit. Attorney General Dana Nessel cannot run for reelection due to term limits.
Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, seeking the Republican nomination for attorney general, released a statement on Totten’s exit, saying the decision clarifies the contest for AG is no longer about résumés from Washington or Lansing, but “real courtroom experience, direct responsibility for public safety, and decades of enforcing the law on behalf of Michigan citizens.”
“On both sides of the aisle, the remaining candidates with momentum are county prosecutors,” Lloyd said in a statement. “It is all but guaranteed that Michigan’s next attorney general will be a county prosecutor, and I intend to make sure that prosecutor is a Republican.”
His Republican opponent, Birmingham attorney Kevin Kijewski, is not a county prosecutor.
Gongwer News Service
Former U.S. Attorney Mark Totten dropped out of the race for attorney general on Tuesday, saying there is not a viable path forward after major labor unions are backing a different candidate.
The UAW and the Michigan Education Association have both endorsed Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald for the Democratic nomination. The Michigan Democratic Party will hold its endorsement convention on April 19.
Totten said in a post on X that he will remain committed to supporting the Democratic nominee and finding other ways to fight for Michigan and “our democracy,” saying his campaign was guided by this mission.
“We live in an unprecedented moment, with the president attacking our democracy while the rich and powerful accumulate even more power at the expense of everyone else,” Totten said in a statement. “I have always believed that state attorneys general stand on the front lines of this fight, and that my service as chief legal counsel to the governor of Michigan and as United States attorney prepared me to lead in this moment.”
The Democratic primary for attorney general is down to two candidates: McDonald, who has pulled ahead dramatically in funding, and Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit. Attorney General Dana Nessel cannot run for reelection due to term limits.
Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, seeking the Republican nomination for attorney general, released a statement on Totten’s exit, saying the decision clarifies the contest for AG is no longer about résumés from Washington or Lansing, but “real courtroom experience, direct responsibility for public safety, and decades of enforcing the law on behalf of Michigan citizens.”
“On both sides of the aisle, the remaining candidates with momentum are county prosecutors,” Lloyd said in a statement. “It is all but guaranteed that Michigan’s next attorney general will be a county prosecutor, and I intend to make sure that prosecutor is a Republican.”
His Republican opponent, Birmingham attorney Kevin Kijewski, is not a county prosecutor.
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