Morning Digest: An indicted election denier wants to be Michigan's top law enforcement official—again

Pending criminal charges and possible disbarment aren't deterring a Trump favorite

Matthew DePerno (middle) during his 2022 campaign for Michigan attorney general (credit: Matthew DePerno X)

Leading Off

MI-AG

Election conspiracy theorist Matthew DePerno, who has spent the last two years under indictment for allegedly participating in a scheme to illegally obtain a voting machine, all but announced on Thursday that he would wage a second campaign to become Michigan's attorney general.

"Getting ready to roll . . ." DePerno tweeted shortly after he created a fundraising committee.

That missive came two weeks after he labeled Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel, who decisively beat him in 2022, "an absolute lunatic and a groomer." Nessel, whose 2018 win made her the first openly gay person elected statewide, cannot seek a third term next year.

DePerno also didn't hold back his feelings about Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, another Republican who wants to become this perennial swing state's top lawyer.

"This ass hat will never be the nominee for Michigan Attorney General. I will see to that," DePerno posted on social media late last month. "He is a RINO and a clown. He is buddies with Dana Nessel. Do not be fooled by this charlatan."

By contrast, DePerno appears to have ignored the other GOP candidate, attorney Kevin Kijewski. Kijewski has represented one of Michigan's phony electors in an ongoing criminal prosecution that's separate from the case involving DePerno.

There's been considerably less heat in the race for the Democratic nomination. The field currently consists of Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, former U.S. Attorney Mark Totten, and Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald, who is the sister of Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet.

It will not be up to primary voters in either party, though, to pick nominees.

State law instead requires Republicans and Democrats to hold party conventions in the summer of next year to select candidates for attorney general, secretary of state, state Supreme Court, and other posts further down the ballot. (Traditional party primaries will still take place both in the governor's race and for all federal offices.)

The parties are also allowed to hold a separate, earlier gathering several months beforehand, known as an endorsement convention, to unofficially select their nominees and give them a head start in the general election.

Neither Democrats nor Republicans appear to have announced whether they'll take that option in 2026, though the Detroit News says the GOP is "expected to endorse a candidate early next year."

Convention delegates tend to be considerably more ideological than primary voters, both in Michigan and in other states where conventions are used to select nominees or at least winnow the field. They're also often open to backing candidates who aren't well-known to the general public.

That's precisely how DePerno, with the help of Donald Trump, triumphed at the GOP's endorsement convention in 2022 over two Republicans with more established names.

DePerno was only a minor figure in Wolverine State politics until the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, when he filed a lawsuit arguing that election fraud had taken place in Antrim County after vote totals initially showed Joe Biden leading Trump in this small conservative community.

Those tallies were the result of a clerical error that was quickly corrected to reflect Trump's actual 61-37 win in the county, and a hand-count audit confirmed that the Dominion Voting Systems machines had correctly tabulated the results. None of that stopped Antrim, though, from assuming a prominent role in the fake Trumpian narrative about Dominion "stealing" the election.

Trump expressed his gratitude to DePerno in his endorsement message that year, writing, "Dana Nessel, the Radical Left, and the RINOs are targeting Matt because he gets results and has exposed so much Voter Fraud in Antrim County, and many more places, in the 2020 Election."

Trump's backing transformed DePerno, who had called for the arrests of Nessel, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, into the frontrunner against a pair of other Republicans: former state House Speaker Tom Leonard, who had narrowly lost to Nessel in 2018, and state Rep. Ryan Berman.

The crowd of over 2,000 delegates at the GOP's endorsement convention selected DePerno on the same day they chose Kristina Karamo, another election denier who had Trump's backing, to take on Benson.

Berman initially said he'd continue his campaign in the hopes of achieving a different result at the full-blown August convention, where the nominees would be officially chosen. It would, however, have taken an affirmative vote of three-fourths of delegates to overturn the vote at the endorsement convention, something one consultant characterized as a "smash-glass-in-case-of-emergency" option.

Berman didn't end up following through, though some Republicans may have wished he had. Nessel easily fended DePerno off 53-45 while Whitmer and Benson won comfortably as well.

After his loss, DePerno soon launched a campaign for state GOP chair against none other than Karamo, but this time, Trump's endorsement wasn't enough to propel him to victory. He soon had much bigger things to worry about, though.

A special prosecutor indicted DePerno in the summer of 2023 for allegedly participating in a scheme to illegally obtain a voting machine following the 2020 election so that he could perform unauthorized "tests" in a hotel room.

The Michigan Attorney Grievance Commission also said it was considering whether to suspend DePerno's law license―or even disbar him―over a completely different matter.

The disciplinary panel has alleged that DePerno committed professional misconduct while serving as an attorney for former state Rep. Todd Courser, a Republican whose career came to an absurd end in 2015 after the public learned that he and colleague Cindy Gamrat devised a fake gay sex scandal to try to hide their real—straight—sex scandal.

DePerno, the board charged, brought frivolous lawsuits on Courser's behalf and falsely accused the Detroit News of publishing deceptively edited audio of his client. It also said that DePerno made evidence-free allegations insinuating that the judge in the case and the paper's attorney had a "personal relationship."

An unapologetic DePerno told Bridge Michigan he was the target of political "persecution" by the state and dismissed the accusations as "a booger they can't get off their finger." Despite his legal woes, DePerno mounted yet another campaign—this time for the state Supreme Court—though he dropped out the day before the convention last year.

DePerno's apparent new bid for attorney general comes as he's still awaiting trial in the voting machine case. The Grievance Commission also has yet to announce judgment in the Courser matter. On top of that, the Commission began probing yet another allegation in February, this one insinuating that DePerno failed to provide proper representation to a client who had been fired for refusing to get vaccinated for COVID.

How to stay on top of the redistricting wars

Redistricting Roundup

TX Redistricting, CA Redistricting

Texas House Democrats signaled on Thursday that their walkout might soon come to an end.

In a statement, lawmakers said they would "only return to Texas once two critical conditions are met: the Legislature's adjournment sine die on Friday; and the introduction of California's redistricting maps that would neutralize the Trump-Abbott voter suppression effort."

Both conditions are close at hand. State House Speaker Dustin Burrows has said he would adjourn the legislature's ongoing special session on Friday if Democrats haven't returned by then, though Gov. Greg Abbott has also said he'd immediately call a new session.

Democrats in California, meanwhile, will reportedly introduce new maps to counter the Texas GOP's proposed gerrymander that same day. Next week, California lawmakers are set to vote on a plan that would ask voters to approve those maps on a temporary basis in a November special election.

At a rally kicking off the effort on Thursday, Gov. Gavin Newsom confirmed earlier reports that the proposed amendment would only take effect if Texas and other red states refuse to back down.

Senate

GA-Sen

Gov. Brian Kemp's allied super PAC has begun airing ads on Fox News and the far-right Newsmax praising Derek Dooley, the former University of Tennessee football coach Kemp is backing in next year's GOP Senate primary.

Morning Digest: Why Trumpworld disdains this failed football coach turned Senate hopeful

AdImpact last week tracked just over $300,000 in spending from Kemp's Hardworking Americans PAC, though the size of the buy may have risen since then. The governor and his supporters, though, are sure to expend a whole lot more money and energy to make sure Dooley gets to face Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff next year.

NC-Sen

A Republican poll shows former Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper posting a 47-39 advantage against Michael Whatley, the outgoing chair of the Republican National Committee, with well over a year to go before the general election.

The conservative site Carolina Journal, which commissioned this survey from Harper Polling, noted that Cooper is far better known than his opponent. However, it also acknowledged, "Cooper certainly has an advantage in this race, having held statewide office for 24 consecutive years."

OH-Sen

Wealthy businessman Fred Ode tells cleveland.com he'll seek the Democratic nomination for Senate and will spend millions of his own money on his campaign—comments that came just two days after the site first reported that former Sen. Sherrod Brown has decided to run for this seat.

Morning Digest: Sherrod Brown will reportedly seek a comeback

Ode, who has not previously run for office, did not appear to have shown any interest in challenging appointed Sen. Jon Husted before Brown's plans became public.

Governors

CT-Gov

Connecticut state Sen. Ryan Fazio, who is one of the GOP's few rising stars in this blue state, announced Wednesday that he would run for governor next year.

Fazio joins Westport First Selectwoman Jen Tooker in the primary, and a third elected official may be in before long. New Britain Mayor Erin Stewart, who began raising money in January, said this week she was close to hitting her goal of bringing in $350,000 from small donors.

Fazio, who flipped a Democratic-held seat in a 2021 special election, touted himself to CT Insider back in June as the type of Republican who could win enough crossover support to prevail in a state Kamala Harris carried 56-42.

Such a breakthrough would give Nutmeg State Republicans their first statewide win since 2006, when the late Jodi Rell secured the party's fourth consecutive gubernatorial victory.

Democrats, though, only narrowly prevailed in the following three elections, and Republicans remain hopeful there's still a large bloc of voters open to electing a Republican chief executive. But Democratic Gov. Ned Lamont dashed such optimism in 2022 when he earned his second term in a 56-43 landslide against Bob Stefanowski, the Republican he'd beaten just 49-46 in 2018.

The governor had seemed to be on track for another easy win next year until June, when he infuriated Democratic lawmakers by vetoing a bill to create more affordable housing that his own team had negotiated.

Morning Digest: Surprise veto sparks talk of primary challenge to Connecticut's governor

State Rep. Josh Elliott announced the following month that he would challenge Lamont from the left in next year's primary. Lamont hasn't committed to seeking a third term, though he sounds likely to run again.

MD-Gov

Is former Gov. Larry Hogan teasing a comeback or just trolling?

The Maryland Republican posted a picture of his old campaign bus on social media Thursday with the caption, "Slightly used 2024 RV, only 15,000 all Maryland miles. Never slept in. Could make a good deal."

But in case anyone thought that Hogan was starting a bespoke Craigslist for mothballed motorcoaches, he added, "Or…I guess we could always rewrap it and get back out on the road again?"

Hogan, who ran the state from 2015 to 2023, has not otherwise shown any interest in taking on Democratic Gov. Wes Moore, who was elected to succeed him three years ago. Hogan, though, didn't give any indication that he was looking to run for the Senate last year until he submitted his name just before candidate filing closed.

Hogan, who went on to lose that contest to Democrat Angela Alsobrooks, is eligible to reclaim his old job because the Old Line State only limits governors to two consecutive terms.

Maryland's filing deadline is Feb. 24, so we may need to wait a while to learn whether Hogan will take on Moore—or if he'd rather interest the Democrat in an old RV.

SD-Gov

Republican Gov. Larry Rhoden sent a strong signal he'd run for a full term by launching a campaign site this week that features the word "DONATE" no fewer than three times.

Rhoden, though, told the Argus Leader he won't announce his plans until after South Dakota's legislative session ends on Sept. 23, saying that people were free to "interpret" his site as they want. If you're aware of more than one way to interpret calls to "DONATE" to a campaign committee, The Downballot would love to hear from you!

Rhoden was elevated from the lieutenant governor's office in January after Kristi Noem resigned to join Donald Trump's cabinet, but in the ensuing months, he's said little publicly about his interest in keeping his new job. The governor was cagey in private, too: The Cook Political Report's Matthew Klein wrote in June that local party operatives "genuinely have no idea" what he'll do.

Rhoden, though, has a tough primary ahead of him to defend his new title, assuming our interpretations are correct. The GOP field consists of Rep. Dusty Johnson (who represents the entire state in the House), wealthy businessman Toby Doeden, and state House Speaker Jon Hansen.

House

AZ-06

Marine veteran JoAnna Mendoza publicized endorsements on Thursday from Sen. Mark Kelly and former Rep. Gabby Giffords for next year's Democratic primary to take on GOP Rep. Juan Ciscomani.

The move came two days after immigration attorney Mo Goldman dropped out of the race, leaving Mendoza as the only notable Democrat running to flip Arizona's swingy 6th District.

VA-08

Former Alexandria City Councilman Mohamed Seifeldein announced this week that he would challenge veteran Rep. Don Beyer in next year's Democratic primary for Virginia's reliably blue 8th District.

Seifeldein, who at 41 is more than three decades younger than the 75-year-old incumbent, cast his campaign as an opportunity for generational change.

"Don Beyer has served for decades, and I respect his tenure," Seifeldein said in a statement. "At this moment, it calls for a new kind of leadership and the next generation voice."

In 2018, Seifeldein became the first Sudanese American elected to the Alexandria City Council, whose six members all run citywide. He considered running for mayor of this Northern Virginia community in 2021, but he ultimately decided not to seek office that year.

Seifeldein went on to work as an attorney in the U.S. Department of Labor, a post he says he quit this year out of disgust with the Trump administration's actions. Beyer, a longtime Virginia politician who was first elected to Congress in 2014, announced he'd run again in June.

Obituaries

Mike Castle

Former Rep. Mike Castle, who was the last Republican both to serve as Delawares governor and to represent the state in Congress, died Thursday at the age of 86.

Castle's moderate image helped him easily win elections despite his state's Democratic lean, but his biggest moment in the national spotlight came when he experienced the only defeat of his long career. The congressman's 2010 campaign for the Senate ended when he lost a closely watched primary 53-47 to Christine O'Donnell, a far-right extremist aligned with the ascendant tea party movement.

That upset cost the GOP what had looked like a sure pickup in the special election for Vice President Joe Biden's old Senate seat—Democrat Chris Coons rapidly went from a heavy underdog to a sure winner—while it set O'Donnell on course to briefly become one of the most infamous politicians in America. ("Saturday Night Live," as far as we know, never parodied Castle during his decades in office.)

Castle's loss also vividly demonstrated that Republican primary voters were happy to purge centrists even if it might cost them, including in states like Delaware where hardliners would never have a chance.

But though Castle never sought elected office again, he wasn't immune to his party's hard shift to the right. The former congressman responded to Donald Trump's victory in the 2016 primaries by saying, "Donald Trump has emerged as the victor, and I think as Republicans we have the responsibility to support him." O'Donnell, meanwhile, denounced Trump.

Delaware Public Media has much more on Castle's long career in its obituary.