Roy Schmidt is an American former politician. He served several terms as a member of the Grand Rapids, Michigan City Commission, and two terms as a member of the Michigan House of Representatives representing the 76th district, which includes part of the Grand Rapids metropolitan area. He retired from politics after losing re-election following a change of parties and controversial campaign activities.
Roy Schmidt | |
---|---|
Member of the MichiganHouseofRepresentatives from the 76th district | |
In office January 1, 2009 –January 1, 2013 | |
Succeeded by | Winnie Brinks |
Personal details | |
Born | Grand Rapids,Michigan | September 4,1953
Political party | Democratic (until 2012) Republican (since 2012) |
Spouse | Donna |
Beginning in the late 1980s,Schmidt was active in the West Grand Neighborhood Organization,becoming a board member and later president. [1] Schmidt served 16 years as one of two non-partisan commissioners for Grand Rapids' 1st ward,representing the city's northwest side.
He was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2008 as a conservative Democrat,and was re-elected in 2010. In 2012,after fund-raising as a Democrat, [2] he quietly changed parties and filed to run for re-election as a Republican,10 minutes before the filing deadline. [3] Meanwhile,Schmidt's son offered family friend Matt Mojzak $1000 to take Schmidt's place as the only Democratic candidate on the ballot,but not campaign. Mojzak filed,but when the scheme became public knowledge,growing scrutiny forced him to abandon his "candidacy". [4] Schmidt won the Republican primary,but lost the general election to Winnie Brinks,who had run as a write-in Democratic candidate in response to Schmidt's change of party. [5] Schmidt and state house speaker Jase Bolger were investigated by the Michigan State Police for potential fraud. [6] Kent County Prosecutor Bill Forsyth condemned the scheme as a "travesty" that should not have been allowed to happen,but no charges were filed. [7] Schmidt subsequently apologized for his role in the scheme,saying he had made "a dumb political decision." [8] [9] [2]
Schmidt earned a BBA from Aquinas College. He and his wife Donna have three children. [10] He is Roman Catholic. [1]
In 2016,Schmidt pleaded "no contest" to a charge of growing marijuana for sale;police had confiscated three pounds of marijuana and 71 plants at one of his two homes. He dropped his initial defense that he was acting under the state's "medical marijuana" law,and admitted that he had been supplying "no more than 20" customers who were not his patients. He was sentenced to 45 days in jail and two years of probation. [11]
Richard Posthumus is an American businessman,and politician. He was the 61st lieutenant governor of Michigan and majority leader of the Michigan Senate. In 2002,he was the unsuccessful Republican nominee for Governor of Michigan.
Holly Hughes is a former Republican National Committee member from the State of Michigan was a member of the Michigan House of Representatives from the 91st district.
The tables below indicate the political party affiliation of elected officials in the U.S. State of Michigan from statehood through the results of the November 2022 elections.
The politics of Michigan,currently a true swing state in presidential elections,are divided. Until 2016,Michigan was considered part of the Democrats' "Blue Wall." Governors since the 1970s have alternated between the two parties,and statewide offices including attorney general,secretary of state,and senator have been held by members of both parties in varying proportions,though the state currently is represented by two Democratic U.S. Senators and Democrats hold every statewide office. The Democratic Party has the minimum majority of two seats in both the Senate and the House of Representatives in the Michigan Legislature,though the GOP will take a 58-52 majority in the House in 2025. The state's congressional delegation is commonly split,with one party or the other typically holding a narrow majority:Democrats currently have a 7-6 majority,while there will be a 7-6 Republican majority in the upcoming 119th Congress beginning in January 2025.
Justin A. Amash is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district from 2011 to 2021. He was the second Palestinian American and Syrian American member of Congress. Originally a Republican,Amash became an independent in 2019. He joined the Libertarian Party the following year,leaving Congress in January 2021 as the only Libertarian to serve in Congress. Amash returned to the Republican Party in 2024.
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.
Patrick A. Miles Jr. is an American lawyer. He was the former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan based in Grand Rapids,Michigan. He was nominated by President Obama on March 29,2012,and confirmed by the U.S. Senate on June 29,2012. Miles is the first person of color to hold the position of U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan,which covers 49 Michigan counties including the state's entire Upper Peninsula.
James "Jase" Bolger served as the 71st Speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives from January 12,2011 to the end of 2014 session. Bolger is a member of the Republican Party,and represented Michigan's 63rd house district from 2009 to 2014. After being term limited out,he founded a consulting firm,Tusker Strategies. Bolger was also appointed by former Governor Rick Snyder on December 29,2016 to the Michigan Civil Service Commission and was elected chair on April 27,2023.
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan was held on Tuesday,November 6,2012,to elect the 14 U.S. representatives from the state of Michigan,a decrease of one following the 2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices,including a quadrennial presidential election and an election to the U.S. Senate. Primary elections were held on August 7,2012. The filing deadline for candidates to file to run in the primary was May 15. Except for two seats,all the incumbents sought re-election. The open seats were the 5th and 11th congressional districts. Due to the loss of one seat from the 2010 census,two congressmen ran against each other.
The 2012 United States presidential election in Michigan took place on November 6,2012,as part of the 2012 United States presidential election in which all 50 states plus the District of Columbia participated. Voters chose 16 electors to represent them in the Electoral College via a popular vote pitting incumbent Democratic President Barack Obama and his running mate,Vice President Joe Biden,against Republican challenger and former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and his running mate,Congressman Paul Ryan.
The 2012 Michigan House of Representatives elections were held on November 6,2012,with partisan primaries to select the parties' nominees in the various districts on August 7,2012. The Republican Party retained its majority in the House of Representatives despite losing the popular vote.
The 2014 Michigan House of Representatives elections were held on November 4,2014,with partisan primaries to select the parties' nominees in the various districts on August 5,2014. Members elected at the 2014 election served in the 98th Michigan Legislature which convened on January 7,2015.
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.
Lisa Posthumus Lyons is an American politician from Alto,Michigan,and served three terms as a Republican member of the Michigan House of Representatives from District 86 from 2011 to 2016. She is currently the elected Kent County Clerk / Register of Deeds.
Winnie Brinks is an American politician who has served as a member of the Michigan Senate since 2019. A member of the Democratic Party,Brinks assumed office as Majority Leader of the Senate on January 1,2023;she is the first woman to ever hold the office,and the first Democrat to do so since William Faust left office in 1984. Brinks previously served in the Michigan House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018,worked as an executive at a non-profit before seeking office. In the House,she served on the Workforce and Talent Development,Education,Health Policy,and Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committees. She also serves as chair of the Progressive Women's Caucus,a non-profit organization that addresses concerns about women's health,pay equity,economic security and gender violence.
The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Michigan were held on November 3,2020,to elect the 14 U.S. representatives from the state of Michigan,one from each of the state's 14 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election,as well as other elections to the House of Representatives,elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. Party primaries were held on August 4,2020. The Michigan delegation prior to the election consisted of seven Democrats,six Republicans and one Libertarian. Unless otherwise indicated,the Cook Political Report rated the races as safe for the party of the incumbents.
Mark E. Huizenga is a Republican member of the Michigan Senate for the 30th district.
Hillary Jeanne Scholten is an American attorney and politician serving as the U.S. representative from Michigan's 3rd congressional district since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party,she represents Grand Rapids and much of the urban core of West Michigan,in a district once represented by former President Gerald Ford.
Peter James Meijer is an American politician and business analyst who served as the U.S. representative for Michigan's 3rd congressional district from 2021 to 2023. A member of the Republican Party,Meijer was a candidate in the 2024 United States Senate election in Michigan to succeed Debbie Stabenow. He dropped out on April 26,2024.
An election was held on November 3,2020,to elect all 110 members of Michigan's House of Representatives.