Schuette — no, not that one — considering possible 2022 State House run
MIDLAND, Mich. — Bill G. Schuette, the son of former Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette, is considering a possible run for State Representative.
“I think at this point, he’s a young guy who’s come back to his hometown and bought a house, got a new job, and doing all of the things that we do at that stage of life, and I think he’s weighing whether the timing is right, right now,” a person close to the Schuette family who also serves on the Midland County G.O.P. executive committee, told the City Paper. The person spoke to the City Paper on condition of anonymity because Mr. Schuette has not yet made a formal announcement.
“I know that there is no immediate plan, but I think it is something that at some point in the future, he is likely to do,” the person said, referring specifically to running for State Representative.
If he enters the race, Mr. Schuette, 26, would face off against Midland County Clerk Ann Manary in the G.O.P. primary. Ms. Manary announced her intentions to run for the seat representing Midland back in March, saying that election reform, local flood recovery, and government transparency would be her top priorities.
“We live in a democracy and anyone is able to get into the race,” Ms. Manary told the City Paper. “I would hope that the community would support the candidate with experience not only in the elections field but also in county government. I have spent the last 31 years working with the constituents in Midland County, making sure that every election has been run fairly and with the utmost integrity. I will continue to do so as the County Clerk or as the State Representative. My job is to serve the people no matter what role I am elected to.”
Ms. Manary is a donor to the City Paper. Please read our Editorial Independence policy to see how our sponsors, donors, and advertisers never influence our journalism.
The state House seat, which now represents the 98th District, is currently held by Annette Glenn. The district lines for the 2022 race have yet to be formally drawn. A draft proposal from the Michigan Independent Citizens Redistricting Commission leaves the district relatively unchanged, politically, encompassing all of Midland County and portions of the southern half of Gladwin County.
Mr. Schuette recently applied to serve on the Midland Planning Commission in order to occupy a seat that ultimately went to Live Oak Coffeehouse owner Aaron Deckrow. Mr. Schuette included a résumé with his application for that position. The résumé listed several Washington D.C.-internships as well as his stint serving with the Defense Intelligence Agency as an Intelligence Analyst. Mr. Schuette said that he was the primary drafter of multiple Presidential Daily Briefs “which directly supported Oval Office meetings,” and that he was once recognized as the agency’s Latin America Division “Intelligence Officer of the Year.”
Mr. Schuette has a Master’s Degree in Latin America Studies from Georgetown University. He currently works as a Government Affairs Specialist for Dow, preparing briefing documents for Dow C-suite executives to support their external engagements and board meetings.
“I was born and raised in the city and grateful for the wonderful resources it provided our community. I want Midland to continue to be a great place to group, work as a young professional, raise a family and retire,” Mr. Schuette said in his application to serve on the commission. He declined to comment on the possibility of a state House run.
“It’s not an election year without a Bill Schuette on the ballot. Bill Schuette running for the Legislature was probably the worst-kept secret in Midland politics, although one can certainly argue his resume is better for Congress,” a Republican political consultant who wished to remain anonymous told the City Paper.
Michael Westendorf is the chairman and executive editor of Chemical City Paper. As Executive Editor, he leads the City Paper’s news coverage and editorial team.