Michigan Republican announces retirement, opening up pickup for Dems

[workinclasszero]

Michigan Republican announces retirement, opening up pickup for Dems
BY CRISTINA MARCOS - 09/11/17 11:56 AM EDT

Rep. Dave Trott (R-Mich.) announced Monday that he will not seek reelection next year, opening up another potential pickup opportunity for Democrats in the 2018 midterm elections.

Trott will leave the House after only two terms, citing a desire to spend more time with family.

Trott is the third House Republican in a competitive district in the last several days to announce his retirement.

Cook Political Report moved Trott's seat from "likely Republican" to "toss-up" in its campaign ratings following the announcement, suggesting that the seat is now seen as more competitive for Democrats.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/350069-michigan-republican-announces-retirement-opening-up-pickup-for-dems

[BeyondGeography]

1. Feels like the midterms should be this year

What a slog this has been.

Anyway, excellent news. They'll run a nutjob and we should take the seat. What could possibly go wrong in this day and age...

[workinclasszero]

2. I hope the democratic party gets the pickup

One step on the road back to sanity.

[Siwsan]

3. Why do I always sense a barely concealed scandal when they leave to spend time w/family?

He is a pretty skeevy guy, that's for sure.

From his Wiki page:

After the town-hall meeting, Trott and his aide, Stu Sandler, were caught on a hot mic stating “We’re going to take that part where they’re booing funding for the military and I’m going to get somebody to write a story and we’re going to promote the sh*t out of that”, adding “It’s un-American crap.” An aide was also heard stating that they had “bounced” certain questions they did not want Trott to answer. Review of the tape shows that the booing begins after Trott said the American military was “the weakest it’s ever been” rather than related to military funding.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dave_Trott_(politician)

[Leith]

4. Let's Not Get Too Excited Yet

Here's a map of the extraordinarily gerrymandered district:

Click here.

Note how the district cuts out areas where people of color live, like Pontiac. That little extra bit in Farmington looks like a closed circuit security camera.

The district hasn't been won yet.