Greg McNeilly

Last updated

Greg McNeilly is a Republican political strategist in the United States, and the President of the Michigan Freedom Fund. [1]

Contents

McNeilly was a regular host of WWJ (AM) talk-radio's Eye on Michigan Politics. [2]

In 2012, McNeilly led the efforts of the Michigan ballot committee Protecting Michigan Taxpayers which successfully defeated the union initiated proposal 57-42%. [3]

In 2010, McNeilly was the General Consultant for the Michigan Republican Party to then Chairman Ronald Weiser.

McNeilly was one of AOL-Time Warner's Political Machine bloggers [4] during the 2008 Presidential campaign. Political Machine has since become Politics Daily.

In 2006, McNeilly served as campaign manager for Michigan gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos. While unsuccessful at the ballot box, National Journal cited the DeVos campaign as the best run Republican challenger campaign of 2006. That cycle, no Republican challenger won election from the state house level to U.S. Senate; and only in Wisconsin did a Republican win an open seat for Attorney General.

In 2005, he served as Recruiting & Strategy Director for the National Republican Senatorial Committee under the leadership of then U.S. Senator Elizabeth Dole (R-NC).

During the reelection campaign of President George W. Bush (R), McNeilly served as Executive Director of the Michigan Republican Party, then under the chairmanship of Betsy DeVos.

In 2002, McNeilly served as communications consultant to Don Carcieri’s winning gubernatorial campaign against Myrth York in Rhode Island.

In 2000, he served as Communications Director for the Michigan statewide ballot proposal “Kid’s First Yes!” which sought to take money from public schools, to fund children in private schools. In 2001, he was the Executive Director of Choices for Children a Michigan-based education reform advocacy group supporting greater taxpayer accountability in state-run k12 schools. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Great Lakes Education Project. [5]

McNeilly, according to the St. Johns Reminder, [6] got involved in politics early in life at age 8; volunteering for State Representative candidate, a neighbor, Alan Cropsey.

McNeilly graduated from Michigan State University with a B.S. in Social Studies, Politics and Economics. During his undergraduate tenure he won placement in an essay contest for doctoral students in the Mont Pelerin Society’s Fredrick Hayek Essay Contest. [7]

Career

McNeilly managed his first campaign, an unsuccessful congressional effort by West Point graduate and retired U.S. Army Colonel, John Pappageorge in 1992. Congressman Sander Levin (D-MI) won by 7%.

In 1994, in a re-match the same outcome was experienced. This race saw Pappageorge outnumbered by a 3-to-1 ratio and in the end Pappageorge narrowed the loss to a 2.5% swing of the vote. The 1994 [8] race earned national attention when then Congressman Newt Gingrich called the core of volunteers that helped the campaign “the Pappageorge Army…the best application of grassroots volunteers in America.”

Beating out three others, McNeilly was elected to the state GOP's post of Youth Vice Chairman from 1993 to 1994. He was first employed at the central Republican Party's office in 1988, while still in high school, by then Chairman E. Spencer Abraham.

Later, in 1997, he returned to serve as the Communication's Director for the Michigan Republican Party and then in 1998–2000 as its Political Director. In 1998, Michigan Republicans had the most successful political year capturing all statewide offices, except Attorney General, including the state Supreme Court.

In 2003, he returned to the Michigan Republican Party to serve as Executive Director under Chairman Betsy DeVos. The duo inherited an organization $1.2 million in debt, the debt was overcome and the party was a key player in the 2004 electoral map.

In 2009, McNeilly served as a consultant to Michigan Republican Party Chairman Ron Weiser.

McNeilly, a product of both public and private schools, has been a key player in Michigan education reform battles. In 2000, he was Communication's Director for the Kids First Yes! ballot proposal that would have legalized k12 school vouchers and merit pay for teachers. In 2001, he was the Executive Director of a start-up school reform advocacy organization, Choices for Children. Since 2007, he has been a member of the Board of Directors of the Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP) under its Chairman E. James Barrett. [9]

In late 2009, McNeilly announced he would be serving as Vice President of Administration for the Windquest Group, a company led by Betsy and Dick DeVos. In 2012, McNeilly became the Windquest Group's Chief Operating Officer.

Controversy

During the 2004 election cycle, McNeilly admitted to leading the charge to put independent Presidential candidate Ralph Nader on the ballot. McNeilly defended the move by claiming it was simply a matter of providing choice to the voters. Local Democrats filed legal action against him but ultimately failed and he was cleared of any wrongdoing. [10]

Later in the same election, McNeilly accused filmmaker Michael Moore of breaking Michigan election law by bribing college students to vote. [11] Moore was offering noodles and clean underwear during Democrat get-out-the-vote drives.

The state capitol's insider publication MIRS, [12] wrote in a 2006 piece about McNeilly, he has “few undecideds. You know whether you like him or not.”

In a failed attempt to repeal the state's campaign contributions, McNeilly sued the State of Michigan (McNeilly v Land) but was rebuffed by the U.S. 6th Circuit Court of Appeals. [13]

Issues

In addition to being one of the top architects of Michigan's Right-to-work law, [14] McNeilly has been an advocate of repealing the states mandatory prevailing wage. [15] McNeilly has also gone on record favoring elimination of the compulsory State Bar of Michigan dues requirement for lawyers, [16] government teacher certification requirements, [17] for greater choice in electric utility options., [18] in support of gun-rights, [19] and for greater transparency in Michigan's state government. [20]

Personal

On 22 March 2014, he married Douglas Meeks, a Lansing attorney. [21]

Related Research Articles

Sander Levin American politician

Sander Martin Levin is an American politician who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1983 to 2019, representing Michigan's 9th congressional district. Levin, a member of the Democratic Party from Michigan, is a former ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee; he was Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee from 2010 to 2011. He is the older brother of former U.S. Senator Carl Levin, and the father of current Congressman Andy Levin, his successor.

Kinsley S. Bingham American politician

Kinsley Scott Bingham was a U.S. Representative, a U.S. Senator, and the 11th Governor of the State of Michigan.

Michigan Republican Party Michigan affiliate of the Republican Party

The Michigan Republican Party is the state affiliate of the national Republican Party in Michigan, sometimes referred to as MIGOP. Ronald Weiser was elected chairman in 2021.

2006 Michigan gubernatorial election American state election

The 2006 Michigan gubernatorial election was one of the 36 U.S. gubernatorial elections held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm was re-elected with 56% of the vote over Republican businessman Dick DeVos and three minor party candidates.

Dick DeVos American businessman

Richard Marvin DeVos Jr. is an American businessman and author. The son of Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, he served as CEO of the multi-level marketing company from 1993 to 2002. In 2006, DeVos ran for Governor of Michigan, but lost to the then-incumbent Democrat Jennifer Granholm. In 2012, Forbes magazine listed his father as the No. 351 richest person in the world, with a net worth of approximately US$5.4 billion. DeVos is the husband of Betsy DeVos, the former United States Secretary of Education in the Trump administration.

Betsy DeVos 11th United States Secretary of Education

Elisabeth Dee DeVos is an American politician, philanthropist, and former government official who served as the 11th United States secretary of education from 2017 to 2021. DeVos is known for her support for school choice, school voucher programs, and charter schools. She was Republican national committeewoman for Michigan from 1992 to 1997 and served as chair of the Michigan Republican Party from 1996 to 2000, with reelection to the post in 2003. She has advocated for the Detroit charter school system and she is a former member of the board of the Foundation for Excellence in Education. She has served as chair of the board of the Alliance for School Choice and the Acton Institute and headed the All Children Matter PAC.

Ruth Johnson American politician

Ruth Johnson is an American politician who served as the Secretary of State of Michigan and is a current member of the Michigan Senate for State Senate District 14. She is a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives and the 2006 Republican candidate for lieutenant governor as the running mate of Dick DeVos.

Bill Schuette American politician

William Duncan Schuette is an American lawyer and politician who served as the 53rd attorney general of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. He was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Governor of Michigan in the 2018 gubernatorial election.

John George Pappageorge is a former member of the Michigan State Senate.

Nancy Cassis is an American teacher and psychologist. As a Michigan Senator who initially ran against Dick DeVos, she dropped out of the contest before Michigan's 2006 gubernatorial Republican primary. In the Michigan Senate she served as the Majority Caucus Chairperson and introduced the Michigan Business Tax, which was eventually repealed by conservative governor Rick Snyder.

2008 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan

The 2008 congressional elections in Michigan were held on November 4, 2008, to determine who would represent the state of Michigan in the United States House of Representatives. Michigan had fifteen seats in the House, apportioned according to the 2000 United States Census. Representatives are elected for two-year terms; those elected will serve in the 111th Congress from January 3, 2009, until January 3, 2011. The election coincided with the 2008 U.S. presidential election.

Jerry D. Roe

Jerry D. Roe is currently an adjunct professor at Lansing Community College and is best known for his 10-year stint from 1969 to 1979 as the executive director of the Michigan Republican Party. Roe is sometimes called "Mr. Republican" and was declared a Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News in 1986. He is the father of Jason Roe, former chief of staff to United States Representative Tom Feeney and former deputy campaign manager of the 2008 presidential primary campaign of Mitt Romney.

2010 Michigan gubernatorial election American state election

The 2010 Michigan gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 2010. Incumbent Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm was prohibited by the state's Constitution from seeking a third term. This resulted in a large pool of candidates which was whittled down, when the May 11 filing deadline passed, to two Democrats and five Republicans. Both the Cook Political Report and the non-partisan Rothenberg Political Report rated the election as leaning Republican.

Rebekah Lynn Warren is a former American Democratic legislator from Ann Arbor, Michigan, who represented the 55th District of the Michigan House of Representatives from January 1, 2019 until January 1, 2021. She was elected to this position on November 6, 2018, beating Republican opponent Bob Baird, 74% to 26%. Previously, she served two terms as State Representative for Michigan's 53rd District, from 2007 to 2010, and two terms in the Michigan Senate, from 2010 to 2018. She was arrested for drunk driving and fleeing police in a motor vehicle on December 26, 2019.

2012 United States Senate election in Michigan

The 2012 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 6, 2012, alongside the 2012 United States presidential election, other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow was re-elected to a third term after being unopposed in the Democratic primary. The Republican nominee was former Congressman Pete Hoekstra. Stabenow defeated Hoekstra by a landslide 20.8% margin and nearly one million votes.

Richard D. McLellan Lawyer and professor at Michigan State University

Richard D. McLellan is a lawyer at McLellan Law Offices PLLC. He has served as Chairman of the Michigan Law Revision Commission since 1986. He argued on the side of the appellee in the United States Supreme Court case Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce, 494 U.S. 652 (1990).

2014 United States Senate election in Michigan

The 2014 United States Senate election in Michigan was held on November 4, 2014, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of Michigan, concurrently with the election of the governor of Michigan, as well as other elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Steve Bieda American politician from Michigan

Steven Marion Bieda is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who is the Assistant Democratic Floor Leader of the Michigan State Senate.

2022 Michigan gubernatorial election Election for Governor of Michigan

The 2022 Michigan gubernatorial election will take place on November 8, 2022, to elect the governor of Michigan. Incumbent Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer is running for re-election to a second term. The deadline for candidates to file for the August 2 primary was April 19.

College Republican National Committee American organization of college and university students supporting the Republican Party

The College Republican National Committee (CRNC) is a national organization for College Republicans — college and university students who support the Republican Party of the United States. The organization is known as an active recruiting tool for the party and has produced many prominent republican and conservative activists and introduced more party members to the Republican party than any other organization in the nation.

References

  1. ↑ "Michigan Freedom Fund, headed by a DeVos associate, airs ads supporting right to work". 5 December 2012.
  2. ↑ "WWJ Newsradio 950 - *". Wwj.com. Archived from the original on January 6, 2009. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  3. ↑ "BallotPedia - *". ballotpedia.org. Retrieved 2013-05-15.
  4. ↑ "Greg Mcneilly". Politics Daily. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  5. ↑ "Great Lakes Education Project". Glep.org. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  6. ↑ "Serving St. Johns to St. Ignace and Traverse City to Bay City". Morning Star Publishing. Archived from the original on 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  7. ↑ https://www.msu.edu/unit/msuaa/magazine/w97/circlew.htm.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  8. ↑ "Michigan's Rep. Sander Levin In A Real Race - May 19, 1998". Cnn.com. 1998-05-19. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  9. ↑ "Jim Barrett, President and CEO, Michigan Chamber Of Commerce, Lansing, MI". Spoke. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  10. ↑ "Compliance Cases Made Public". Fec.gov. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  11. ↑ "Michael Moore responds to underwear charges by Michigan Republican Party". MichaelMoore.com. Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2010-01-26.
  12. ↑ . mirsnews.com http://www.mirsnews.com/ . Retrieved 2014-04-19.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  13. ↑ "FindLaw's United States Sixth Circuit case and opinions".
  14. ↑ "Amway heir Dick DeVos beat Big Labor in its own backyard. Next up: Your state".
  15. ↑ "McNeilly: End the prevailing wage in Michigan".
  16. ↑ "Detroit News".
  17. ↑ "Detroit News".
  18. ↑ "Detroit News".
  19. ↑ http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/12/17/mcneilly-gun-rights-attack/77441610/.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  20. ↑ http://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/2015/11/18/mcneilly-lawmakers-need-workplace-oversight/76032204/.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  21. ↑ Melissa Anders (March 22, 2014). Mlive http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/03/republican_strategist_greg_mcn.html.{{cite news}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.