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House Administration Committee ranking member Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill., penned a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., demanding House offices under her control stop obstructing a GOP investigation into the Capitol building's security vulnerabilities.

"The events of January 6, 2021 exposed serious security vulnerabilities at the Capitol Complex," Davis said in the letter Monday. "Unfortunately, over the past twelve months, House Democrats have been more interested in exploiting the events of January 6th for political purposes than in conducting basic oversight of the security vulnerabilities exposed that day."

Rep. Rodney Davis, R-Ill.

NY TIMES EDITORIAL BOARD CALLS FOR NUKING THE FILIBUSTER, PROCLAIMING EVERY DAY IS JAN. 6

Davis said GOP lawmakers began investigating the security vulnerabilities of the Capitol immediately after last year's riot, requesting records from the acting chief of the U.S. Capitol Police, the House sergeant-at-arms and the House chief administrative officer.

GOP lawmakers are most interested in the communications the House sergeant-at-arms and the House chief administrative officer had with Pelosi in the days leading up to and during the riot, hoping those emails, phone calls and text messages could shed light on the directions Pelosi gave that could have impacted security at the Capitol.

But Davis said only the USCP has so far cooperated with the request, pointing out that the House sergeant-at-arms and House chief administrative officer are "the two House officers who report directly" to Pelosi and have yet to produce records related to the Jan. 6 riot.

The GOP lawmaker detailed the numerous attempts Republicans have made to gain access to the records, all of which have so far been denied or ignored by officials directly answerable to Pelosi.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

"As Speaker of the House, you are the most senior elected official in the House of Representatives, and therefore ultimately responsible for all House operations, not just those of your party," Davis wrote.

During a GOP conference call with reporters on Monday, Davis pointed out that many changes that could help improve the security of the Capitol complex have not been implemented nearly a year later. Davis pointed out that recommendations to improve training have not been implemented, nor have there been improvements to all of the building's physical security infrastructure.

Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, took aim during the call at the U.S. House Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack, saying it has lied to the American people and was designed to hide Pelosi's actions.

Jordan was originally selected by House Minority Leader Kevin McCarty, R-Calif., to serve on the committee but was rejected by Pelosi, citing his objections to certifying the 2020 presidential election.

Rep. Jim Banks, R-Ind., who was also rejected from service on the committee by Pelosi, said Americans deserve a bipartisan effort to get to the bottom of the events on Jan. 6, but Pelosi so far has only worked to exclude Republicans from the process.

Davis concluded his letter by accusing Democrats of only displaying a "superficial interest in examining the security vulnerabilities highlighted by January 6" and obstructing "Republican access to House records," yet have held "witnesses in criminal contempt of Congress for raising genuine questions of legal privilege."

(AP Photo/John Minchillo)

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"This double standard only adds to the evidence that Democrats are weaponizing events of January 6th against their political adversaries," Davis wrote. "If you are truly interested in working with Republicans to improve the Capitol security posture, I demand that you direct all House officers immediately to stop obstructing our oversight."

Pelosi's office, the House sergeant-at-arms and the House chief administrative officer did not immediately return a Fox News request for comment.

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Top Republican charges Pelosi is restricting access to Jan. 6 records in GOP probe of her actions - Fox News

The following is an excerpt from The Steal: The Attempt to Overturn the 2020 Election and the People Who Stopped It by Mark Bowden and Matthew Teague which will be published by Atlantic Monthly Press on January 4. The book records the story of what happened in the six swing statesArizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsinbetween November 3 and January 6 through the eyes of participants on both sides, those who believed there was widespread voter fraud and those who, after investigating and finding no evidence of it, defended the election results. It is based on original interviews conducted by the authors and the team of researchers and reporters who worked on the book, as well as public records, court testimony, and open legislative hearings.

In Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, a small city that wraps around the lower edge of Lake Winnebago, Rohn Bishop hosted a celebration on Election Night at Republican Party headquarters.

Inside a big, low, square building just two blocks south of the lakefront, about 60 people watched as Fox News reported the election results. The windowless, fluorescent-lit room was decked with Trump banners, small American flags, and movable wall panels studded with campaign buttons. The mood was festive. All the local Republican candidates were winning, and so was Trump at first. Then when Fox called Arizona for Biden, a chorus of boos went up, and Bishop could see trouble ahead; he knew the Arizona result suggested danger for the president everywhere. Mail ballots, which would take longer to count, were going to swing heavily to BidenTrump had helped ensure it.

Bishop wasnt happy about it. Few had invested more in Trumps reelection or cared more.

Bishop was GOP chairman in Fond du Lac County, flat farm country that unrolls green and lake pocked to the west and south of Green Bay. He was leery of Trumps chances statewide and nationally, but he had done his job. Trump was going to carry his patch of Wisconsin handilyby about 26 percent, with about 62 percent of the vote.

Upbeat, popular, and garrulous, Bishop had a high-pitched nasal voice that was surprising from a man of his bulk. He was broad shouldered, big bellied, with a wide, florid face, big dark-rimmed glasses, a cleanly shaved dome, and a thick red-brown beard. He managed the detailing department of a GM dealership in his day job, but everybody in Fond du Lac knew his passion was politics. He was the face of the Republican Party here.

In at least one respect, Bishop may have been the most authentic Republican in America. Because it was in Fond du Lac County, according to local lore, that the party got its start. In 1854, a group of antislavery former Whigs and members of other parties had met in Ripon, inside a little white schoolhouse. They had formed a new political organization, adopting the name Republican. Other meetings in other states made similar claims, but the Ripon schoolhouse had been preserved as a historical shrine, and the county laid claim to being the GOPs taproot.

Bishop lived in nearby Waupun, a biggish town of clapboard houses on neatly manicured lots, where no one had ever questioned his party bona fides. His whole life was wrapped up in his Republican identity. One of his grandfathers volunteered for Robert Taft at the partys convention in 1952 because Dwight Eisenhower wasnt conservative enough. His other grandfather worked for the party in nearby DuPage County, Illinois. He proudly notes that the river that runs near his corner lot is the south branch of the Rock River, which, downstream in Illinois, Ronald Reagan once patrolled as a lifeguard. He named his two daughters after 80s conservative iconsReagan and Maggie, for Britains Maggie Thatcher. Beneath the stars and stripes that fly over his driveway is a red 2006 Pontiac with the license plate GOP 4ME. His family calls his favorite pastime, simply, Republican-ing, which includes riding on the party float in as many as nine annual county parades while waving, as his daughters put it, like a princess.

Bishop also holds baked-in Republican views. He watches Fox News and sees Democratic priorities as creeping socialism. But he has the personality to transcend differences of opinion, even in the darkest dens of Democratic orthodoxy. Invited in 2019 by a Columbia University professor to a series of interview sessions in New York via Skype, he likely failed to alter a single opinion on the liberal campus about abortion or gun rights, but according to the professor, they loved him.

Bishop had made his house Trump campaign central. On a patch of lawn between his house and his neighbors garage, hed set out Trump signs 100 at a time, inviting supporters to drive up and take as many as they liked. He registered new voters and trained campaign workers at the picnic table in his backyard, where volunteers downloaded the Trump campaigns canvassing app and used it to find fellow Republicans. As they learned how to address potential voters, Bishop served coffee and juice.

Despite the presidents popularity in Waupun, Bishop had seen signs that it was slipping in Wisconsin overall. The presidents victory over Hillary Clinton in the state had been narrow, less than 1 percent. More and more, Wisconsins people were concentrated in Green Bay, Milwaukee, and the state capital of Madison. When Bishop had driven an hour southwest to do door-to-door work in the reliably Republican suburb of Mequon, just north of Milwaukee, hed seen Biden and Black Lives Matter signs on front lawns, which shocked him. This was not his grandfathers Wisconsin anymore.

And as far as Bishop was concerned, Trump had hurt himself badly by discouraging people from voting by mail. When the president had suddenly inveighed against the practice, it came as a surprise to the states Republican leaders. Not long before, they had mailed pamphlets to every GOP voter in the state encouraging it, with a picture of Donald Trump on the front giving two thumbs up. Now he was telling Fox News, I think mail-in voting is going to rig the election, I really do, later tweeting that it would produce the most CORRUPT ELECTION in our Nations History!

Bishop countered by urging that the presidents comments be ignored. Its such a bad idea to scare our own voters away from a legit way to cast their ballot, he tweeted.

That discordant note from the presidents own party in Americas heartland drew some national press attention, which Bishop found both startling and troubling. A hail of criticism followed. Here he was, the nations most authentic Republican, a man who considered himself more pro-Trump than Trump, accused of being a Never Trumperall for trying to help get the guy reelected!

As local party chairman, your job is to help get our candidates elected, one critic wrote. I am not saying that you are wrong about some of Trumps tweets, but Joe Biden is a greater threat to our future. Focus.

Which, as far as Bishop was concerned, entirely missed the point. If the idea was to win, it was Trump who had lost focus.

A local Wisconsin news program invited Bishop on to explain himself.

I think the mail-in absentee voting can actually help Republicans in a state like Wisconsin, he said. We have early voting [by mail] for two weeks. So why give big metropolitan areas where the Democrats are more concentrated 14 days to vote while only giving the Republicans one day to vote? I think urging Republican voters who live in those more rural areas to get their ballot in the mail is a good way for us to reach voters. And any vote we can bring in, in what I thinks gonna be a high-turnout elections a good thing for us.

He defended the voting system in Wisconsin, which he had witnessed up close for years. As a young man, hed tended to believe stories of widespread voter fraud, but his familiarity with the process had taught him that it would actually be very hard to fix an election. Instances of fraud were rare, almost always insignificant, and committed by both sides. Whipping up fears among conservatives would just discourage them from voting.

Like the audiences at Columbia University, his listeners were unpersuaded. More criticism followed from his own people. Some passed word that the White House was not happy with him. Bishop was used to being criticized. Democrats were after him all the time. But here he was, trying to help Trump, lending his considerable local expertise, and getting vilified for it!

And there was no doubt that he was right. He didnt have to wait for the election results in Wisconsin to prove it, as they would. Bishop knew what he was talking about. People who knew and respected him, after hearing him out, would say, Okay, I get where you are coming from; that makes sense. But he couldnt have that kind of talk with all his new critics. And increasingly, he found, even those who would hear him out simply responded, But Trump says.

He had contradicted the Oracle. It didnt matter that he made sense. Heresy was heresy.

In early September, Bishop noticed his heart racing strangely. It worried him. Hed had an ear issue earlier in the summer, and when he went back for a checkup, the doctor noted that his blood pressure had shot up.

Hey, its the middle of an election year, Bishop said and laughed it off. But his mom told him that high blood pressure ran in the family. He started worrying about it.

Not that he didnt already have enough worries: the election stress, the criticism, planning for his wifes birthday and their anniversary in the same week. The final straw was a call from the state GOP chairman, who complained that internal polling showed weak numbers for Trump in Fond du Lac County. This made no sense to Bishop. His county was full of farmers, people who wouldnt vote for a Democrat if the GOP put up a dead man. But now the party questioned his performance as county chairman.

Thats when his heart started to flutter. Normally, he didnt notice his heart beating in his chest, but now it went so fast that he could hardly focus on anything else. It would stop and then start up again. The more he worried about it, the more it happened. Finally, sitting behind his desk at the dealership, there came an attack so strong that he drove to the emergency room on his lunch hour. Doctors hooked him up to an IV, gave him a calming drug, and ran some tests. Only when the results came back normal could he breathe easily again. He went home with anxiety medication, took a few days off, and resolved not to let things get to him so much.

So the clean sweep of local candidates on election night felt like vindication. But Trumps numbers continued to fall, just as he had feared.

Bishop had remained at campaign headquarters in Fond du Lac on Election Night long enough to watch Trump appear on TV to give a rambling, disconsolate victory speech. It was just before 2:30 in the morning in Washington, 1:30 in Wisconsin. Only a few of the Fond du Lac crowd remained. The president spoke from the White House with his wife, Melania, and Vice President Mike Pence at his side. He didnt look like a winner. He looked bewildered and disgusted. Before a wall of American flags, he saluted the millions who had voted for him and said, A very sad group of people is trying to disenfranchise that group of people, and we wont stand for it. We will not stand for it.

He meandered rhetorically through the various states where he said he had either won already or would soon win, soon transitioning to talk of voter fraud. Ive been saying this from the day I heard they were going to send out tens of millions of ballots. This is a fraud on the American public. This is an embarrassment to our country. We were getting ready to win this election. Frankly, we did win this election. We did win this election. So our goal now is to ensure the integrity for the good of this nation. This is a very big moment. This is a major fraud on our nation. We want the law to be used in a proper manner.

This is a fraud on the American public. This is an embarrassment to our country. This is a very big moment. This is a major fraud on our nation. Rohn Bishop looked over at one of his colleagues and they rolled their eyes at each other. This was nonsense.

Wisconsins election had been run by Republicans. In fact, the election laws in that state had been overhauled just a few years earlier during the tenure of Gov. Scott Walker, a Republican. Bishop had been around for that, had cheered it, and ever since, he had felt especially good about the integrity of the vote in his state.

This election stolen? It wasnt just false; it was dangerous. Bishop thought, This could get ugly.

Whatever hopes he had that his election travails would ease after Election Day were quickly dashed. He slept for only about two hours after the party, then woke up bright and early Wednesday, running on coffee, playing teacher for his daughters pandemic in-home virtual schooling. He also did two radio interviews.

He sympathized with Trumps outburst at the White House early that morning but did not agree. He told one interviewer that they had to give the president a few days to accept his loss.

Theres enough states outstanding that were not going to concede anything yet, he said. But if I was running for president of the United States Id rather be Joe Biden than Donald Trump at this moment.

Bishop regarded these interviews as a standard wrap-up, but he discovered as the week progressed that the contest remained far from settled for many of those he knew. Saying otherwise riled them up.

And he had become the local focus for election outrage. A truck driver called him and screamed at him for helping Democrats steal the election. Bishop wanted to know what had given him that idea. The driver was moving through northern Wisconsin and seeing Trump sign after Trump sign. He hadnt seen any Biden signs. So how could Trump lose Wisconsin?

Well, do you ever drive your semi in Dane County? Bishop asked. This encompassed Madison, the state capital, a city of about 270,000 and the second largest population center in Wisconsin, behind Milwaukee. It was also a Democratic stronghold.

No, said the driver.

Bishop suggested that his sample was flawed.

Strangers were one thing. What really got under his skin were his friends, even his coworkers. He engaged with his colleague Jeff Respalje on Facebook. A mechanic at the GM dealership who had been increasingly vocal about Trumps claims, Respalje had reposted a news report that generals would refuse to take orders from Biden as commander in chief. The first mutinous general quoted was Joe Barron, who had died in 1977.

Bishop pointed out this and other clear signs of the articles falsity, to which Respalje made the curious reply, Theres too many fact-checkers already, dont need another one.

Taking a stand on the principle that facts mattered, Bishop had tried to speak to Respalje about it in person at the back end of the workshop where vehicles were hoisted on lifts so mechanics could work underneath. He considered Respalje one of the best workers in the shop. Beneath a Chevy Silverado, Bishop told his friend, Im just trying to help because the stuff youre sharing is completely wrong.

Again, Respalje responded, I dont need a fact-checker. Then they got into it: Respalje, tall and lean with a long, thin beard and a baseball cap; Bishop, bald, burly, and thickly bearded.

Dude, I voted for the same guy you did, Bishop said. Im just telling you it wasnt stolen; these ballots werent illegally cast. Theyre not going to be thrown out. Theres nothing there.

You really think Joe Biden got 84 million votes? Respalje asked.

Yeah.

No f---ing way. He never left his basement.

Yeah, thats right, Bishop said. Trump was unpopular enough to drive Democrats to vote for a doormat. Yeah, I dont deny that; but he won and its legit.

Then another colleague joined inon Respaljes side. This was a man who had never evinced an interest in politics, but suddenly he was asking whether the state legislature could overturn Bidens win, or whether the states representatives to the Electoral College might ignore the popular vote, which he had seen reported, and simply cast their ballots for Trump.

Bishop answered the questions, but he could see that nothing he said connected. The fact that he had toiled for a year trying to get Trump electedhe hadnt seen these guys at his training sessions or door-to-door outingssimply didnt matter.

He felt increasingly troubled by the tactics of Trumps ardent followers. When state legislators called for partial recounts in Dane County and Milwaukee, seeking to throw out the votes of those who had voted early and in person, it offended him. The effort went nowhere. Its rationale was that election clerks, following procedures adopted informally years earlier, had used a single form instead of a two-form procedure that was still technically mandated. Bishop saw it as fundamentally unfair, a bald effort to toss out black ballots since both recounts were aimed where most of Wisconsins black voters lived. As it happened, he had used the single form, too. By this standard, his own early, in-person vote also deserved to be tossed.

Bishop took down the Trump sign in his front yard on the Thursday after the election. When some of his neighbors complained, he told them simply, We lost.

In February, months after the state elections commission struggled over whether to certify the election results over the protests of Republican electors, Bishop was reelected to his party chairmanship. His neighbors came out in a blizzard to support him. After all the abuse he had taken for telling the truth, Bishop was touched.

Bishop had wavered about seeking the job again. He feared that Trump loyalists would challenge him. But the vote was unanimous. He would remain the most authentic Republican in America, at least as things are seen in Wisconsin. When he stood to accept and to offer thanks, one of his friends thought he might be about to cry.

He didnt, and proud as he was, he didnt plan to keep the position for long. He decided to run for mayor of Waupun. He had T-shirts that read, Rohn for Waupun.

His affection for the town gushed forth in one breath: Its a part-time mayor and its a nonpartisan position, but I like Waupun, and we have a lot of history in Waupun, and I was raised here, and I love the town, and the history of the town, and the people who live here and Im a good advocate for Waupun, and the best part about being the mayor is basically youre the cheerleader for the city, and Im kind of like, Well, who better than me? And plus, we have a cute little slogan, Rohn for Waupun.

In Wisconsin, Rohn (Raahn) is pronounced the same as the Waah in Waupun. He says, It helps people finally learn how to pronounce Waupun correctly.

Excerpted from The Steal. 2022 Mark Bowden and Matthew Teague. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Atlantic Monthly Press, an imprint of Grove Atlantic Inc. All rights reserved.

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The Most Authentic Republican in America - The Dispatch

Republican Rep. Peter MeijerPeter MeijerSunday shows - Officials brace for Jan. 6 anniversary GOP rep says Republicans have 'no other option' than to back Trump Sunday shows preview: Omicron surge continues; anniversary of Jan. 6 attack approaches MORE (Mich.) on Sunday said the GOP has no other option than to back former President TrumpDonald TrumpCheney cites testimony that Ivanka asked Trump to 'please stop this violence' on Jan. 6 McCarthy says Democrats using Jan. 6 as 'partisan political weapon' Biden, Harris to speak on anniversary of Capitol insurrection MORE, pointing to the actions of the Biden administration in its first year.

During an interview on NBCs Meet the Press, host Chuck ToddCharles (Chuck) David ToddJan. 6 panel eying subpoenas to force Republican reps to cooperate Nearly one year after Jan. 6, investigation into riot in full force Thompson says Jan. 6 panel has requested videos Trump made amid Capitol riot MORE cited Sen. Lindsey GrahamLindsey Olin GrahamBiden's court picks face fierce GOP opposition GOP rep says Republicans have 'no other option' than to back Trump McConnell urges Thune to run for reelection amid retirement talk MORE (R-S.C.), who following the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol brieflybroke from Trump during a speech on the Senate floor, saying, Enough is enough.

In the words of Lindsey Graham, Enough is enough. I'm out of here, right? I'm done with this. The party is going to move on. Trump's gonna be left behind. Boy, did that not happen. Why do you think that didn't happen? Todd asked Meijer.

Meijer, who was one of 10 House Republicans who voted for Trumps second impeachment following the Capitol attack, said, There was no alternative. There was no other path.

He pointed to the partys pair of losses in the Georgia Senate runoff races and actions taken by President BidenJoe BidenBiden tells Zelensky US, allies will 'respond decisively' if Russia invades Biden, Harris to speak on anniversary of Capitol insurrection Biden's court picks face fierce GOP opposition MOREduring his first year in office.

"Given how President Biden, when he was elected into office, you know, said he would be moderate and look for bipartisan solutions. But then after, and, frankly, I blame the former president for this, after we lost the two Senate seats in Georgia and the Senate flipped, it became an exercise in trying to be an LBJ- or FDR-style presidency and enact transformational change in the absence of any compelling mandate from the American people to do so," Meijer said.

"So that gave the rallying signal. That created a very steep divide. And at the end of the day, theres no other option right now in the Republican Party," he added.

WATCH: After January 6th, Republicans like Lindsey Graham said enough is enough when it came to Trump. So why are Republicans still backing the former president?@RepMeijer: At the end of the day, there's no other option right now in the Republican Party. pic.twitter.com/OnUazUWu6d

Pressed by Todd on why Republicans cant seem to kick their Trump habit and why it is not the responsibility of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthyKevin McCarthyMcCarthy says Democrats using Jan. 6 as 'partisan political weapon' GOP rep says Republicans have 'no other option' than to back Trump Rep. Mike Turner to replace Nunes in top House Intel spot MORE (R-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnellAddison (Mitch) Mitchell McConnellBiden's court picks face fierce GOP opposition GOP rep says Republicans have 'no other option' than to back Trump Eleven interesting races to watch in 2022 MORE (R-Ky.), Meijer cited the stark polarization between the two parties.

We have a two-party system. And in the best-case scenario, each party challenges the other to do better, to be better, to have a scenario where iron sharpens iron, Meijer said.

Instead, if you have one party plumbing to the depths and the other just use that excuse to go further, to go more to an extreme, to go more away from any sort of governing consensus and towards trying to enact whatever the will of the most extreme constituency they have is, you know, that is a recipe for both parties to drive further away from anything that resembles serving the American people as a whole, he added.

Trump endorsed Meijers challenger, former Housing and Urban Development official John Gibbs, in the midterm House election. Gibbs is mounting a primary race against Meijer.

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GOP rep says Republicans have 'no other option' than to back Trump | TheHill - The Hill

OWOSSO, MI Fewer than 10 Black Republicans have ever been elected to state-level positions in Michigans history, something a growing pool of Black Republican candidates are looking to change in 2022.

Gubernatorial candidates James Craig, Austin Chenge and Articia Bomer, Trump-endorsed Secretary of State candidate Kristina Karamo and Daylen Howard, a 26-year-old resident of Shiawassee County running for a state House seat, are all vying for positions that could make them next.

But as they mount conservative campaigns theyre up against history: for close to a century, Democrats have been the party to elect most of the states Black lawmakers.

The voting pattern has become engrained, according to Wayne Bradley, the former director of African American engagement for the Michigan Republican Party.

Big cities historically led by Democrats produce other Democrats from those cities, making it a challenge to establish a grassroots Republican base. But that doesnt mean there arent Black conservatives living in those cities, Bradley said.

Theres no one there to kind inspire and guide people through the processes, Bradley said. I think the biggest thing is that Republican parties in general have not invested enough in urban communities where you can have these candidates. The ones that do win are typically outside of urban districts.

Howard, who is running in a rural district he grew up in, said those areas get pigeonholed as well.

If you watch the typical news when you talk about rural communities, that is where they would say racists mostly reside, which is not my experience whatsoever, Howard said.

The handful of Black Republicans running for office in Michigan this year will put conventional political wisdom to the test.

Historically, Michigan has elected few Black Republicans

Michigan has elected just three Black Republicans in the last 20 years: Former Sen. Bill Hardiman, who represented the Grand Rapids area from 2003 to 2011; Larry Deshazor, who represented the Grand Rapids area from 2008-2011; and Paul Scott, the former House member elected in 2008 who was the first Michigan state legislator to be recalled since 1983.

Going even further back, a Library of Michigan search for Black lawmakers returns five results: William Webb Ferguson, the first Black man ever elected as a state lawmaker in 1893; Charles Curtiss Phillips, elected to the state Senate in 1899, and served for just one year; Joseph H. Dickinson, a Michigan House member from 1897-1900; Charles Roxborough, Michigans first Black state Senator in 1930; and former Sen. Bill Hardiman in 2002 who represented the Grand Rapids area for eight years.

William Webb Ferguson was Michigans first Black lawmaker, elected to the state House in 1894 as Southern American states began deploying literacy and understanding tests to disenfranchise black citizens in the years leading up to the Jim Crow era, which barred Black people from holding office. A portrait of Ferguson has been hanging in the Michigan State Capitol since 2018.

Both Ferguson and Charles A. Roxborough, who became Michigans first Black state Senator in 1930, were Republicans at a time when the party was known as the party of Civil Rights.

Shortly afterward, Black voters nationwide began leaving the Republican Party due to the perception that Democratic organizations better represented their interests. As a result, Michigan, mirrors the rest of the country electing far more Black Democrats.

Today, there are 20 Black Democratic state lawmakers serving throughout both chambers. Democratic Lieutenant Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II became the states first Black lieutenant governor in 2018.

Charles C. Diggs was elected to the state House in 1941, the same time that fellow Democrat Horace A. White won a seat in the House of Representatives. It was the first time in state history two African Americans served simultaneously in the Michigan Legislature.

A decade later, in 1951, Diggs son Charles Diggs was the first African American to be elected to Congress by the state.

He received national attention for being the only congressman to attend the trial of Emmitt Till, a Black teenager who was murdered. Despite being a member of Congress, Diggs received Jim Crow treatment in the Mississippi courtroom as he was ordered by the sheriff to sit at a small table with Black reporters.

Black Democrats have flourished in Michigan since the federal Voting Rights Act, which required the creation of districts with a majority of Black or other minority racial or ethnic group voters in places where the white population has a history of preventing them from electing their chosen representatives.

But in the modern era of Americas political parties, electing Black Republicans has been almost unheard of. Michigan is one of many states to have never elected a Black Republican to Congress.

John James was Michigans most recent high profile Black Republican candidate, losing to Sen. Gary Peters, D-Bloomfield Township, in what was a closely-watched 2019 Senate race. James would have been Michigans first Black Republican Senator and the countys ninth Black Senator since the 1940s had he defeated Peters.

Like many Black Republican candidates before him, James didnt focus on race during his run for office, but also displayed an understanding of its impact on the country that white Republicans typically do not.

Can Republicans win over Black voters?

Its going to take more than holding strong traditional conservative positions to win over Black votes in urban areas, says Bradley, who after leaving the party consulted for James campaign and former Attorney General Bill Schuette. Republicans will need to appeal to suburban and some urban voters, too, he said.

He doesnt question whether its leadership is committed to making an impact with urban voters. But he does think candidates need to do a better job of working with some of the communities they call on for support.

A lot of it comes down to being there, Bradley said. You cant ask people to support you when youre doing it from an ivory tower, you have to go and talk to the folks. Because most of our elected officials arent from that community, thats not their responsibility, so to say, and thats where Black folks like myself, other Black conservatives can come in and talk about those issues.

Bradley said that in order for Black Republicans to earn the trust of Black communities, candidates need to show that theyre able to stand up to positions held by their party they dont agree with. Black candidates cant just be essentially a blank check for whatever Republicans want to talk about, he said.

Bradley, a lifetime member of Detroits NAACP branch disagrees with some ideas currently held by much of the Republican base, like voter fraud or support for a future Trump presidential run. But he has no plans on giving up his support for conservative Republican candidates who reflect his values, and says he sees James Craig as the Republican primary favorite.

If Black Republicans want to win statewide races, theyre going to have to appeal to urban voters, Bradley said.

Most Republicans Im not going to say everyone is like that are looking for the person who best represents their values, Bradley said. A lot of these guys... theyre transmitting the values of the Republican Party and they just happen to be Black. Most white Republicans dont look at Black politicians and say Oh, hes the Black guy, they think hes the right guy.

If youre representing their values, most Republican voters dont care about what color you are, argues former state Rep. Larry Deshazor.

People knew me, so me being Black was only an issue to the far right and the far left because they didnt know how to handle that, Deshazor told MLive in a phone interview.

Deshazor, who now lives in Texas part-time had served Portage city council in Kalamazoo County before serving in the Michigan Legislature from 2009-2011.

He was elected by a mostly white district representing the city of Portage, Texas Township, Kalamazoo Township and part of Kalamazoo.

People were surprised that I was a Republican, but folks who really knew me say Im an independent, I didnt go with the status quo, Deshazor said.

People assume African Americans are Democrats, he said, but there are a lot of African Americans that are independent, conservative, Republican that are just in the closet. They dont want to be chastised by their own people.

Deshazor said that greater priorities like just figuring out how to make a living, have hindered Black conservatives from organizing successfully in the last decades. However, today, he thinks Black Americans are moving toward a more independent way of thinking that more closely aligns with the Republican Party.

I think African Americans are starting to think more and more about where they align in a socio-economic spectrum and more and more are thinking, Hey, wait a minute, I dont necessarily agree with everything the Democratic Party is all about, Deshazor said. As an African American youre always going to get some resistance a little bit. Youre going to get people who question you on certain issues... But you just stick to the work at hand, youll be fine.

Here are the five Black Republican candidates running in 2022:

James Craig, gubernatorial candidate

Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig speaks at a relocated press conference announcing his candidacy for governor at 200 Walker St. in Detroit on Tuesday, Sept. 14, 2021. Craig's originally planned press conference on Belle Isle was interrupted by a Detroit Will Breathe protest, causing him to quickly announce his candidacy over a microphone before leaving for a second event on private property.Jacob Hamilton | The Ann Arbor News

Craigs background in leadership hasnt centered around politics, but law enforcement. He became the first Black police chief of the city of Cincinnati in 2011 before returning to Detroit.

Craig became a guest on conservative TV channels to espouse pro-police messages at a time when Michigan cities protested police violence following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, choked to death by former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin.

His experience leading, he said, prepares him to be the CEO of Michigan. During his campaign Craig, 65, has spoken with business owners and charter school leaders about issues facing Michiganders.

I am a proven leader who refuses to be boxed in by the color of my skin or partisan affiliation, Craig told reporters at his second Detroit press conference, moved across the river after protestors interrupted his initial attempt to announce at a public park on Belle Isle.

Should Craig win the Republican primary and defeat Gov. Whitmer, he would become Michigans first Black governor.

Articia Bomer, gubernatorial candidate

Articia Bomer is running for Michigan governor as a Republican.

Bomer is also a Black Detroiter running for governor as a Republican.

An election worker at Detroits TCF Center for the November 2020 presidential election, Bomer whole-heartedly believes in the false theory that Democrats cheated to elect President Joe Biden. Joe Biden won Michigan by 154,000 votes and theres no credible evidence to believe otherwise.

Bomer is a Second Amendment advocate and says she was wrongfully accused of a gun charge.

She faces a crowded field of Republican candidates vying for their partys primary nomination but would become Michigans third woman and first Black woman if elected governor.

Austin Chenge, gubernatorial candidate

Austin Chenge is a Republican running for governor of Michigan.

Grand Rapids business owner Austin Chenge, 36, is running for governor and has made headlines for his controversial social media posts that include messages like the proposal to end Black History Month and his support for Jan. 6 rioters.

His Instagram page is filled with memes containing conservative messages opposing anti-mask mandates, immigration or showing support for national causes like the defense of Kyle Rittenhouse.

We all have a son like Kyle, young, brave & innocent... Chenge said in the caption of a post.

Chenge was the first Republican candidate for governor for the 2022 election when he filed to run in March 2020.

Hes a Christian who has no background in politics, but the spirit led me that when even when youre a nobody, just like David, God can lift you up to fight for the people, he told MLive in September.

Chenge says hes spoken to voters in every county in Michigan as part of his campaign.

Im the first candidate in more than 30 to 40 years to do that, Chenge said. ...I want people to know that in order to lead, really, you have to connect with people. Its not about making deals and acting like youve already won the primaries.

Kristina Karamo, Secretary of State candidate

Kristina Karamo, Republican candidate for Secretary of State, speaks as several hundred demonstrators gather for a rally Tuesday, Oct. 12, 2021 outside Michigans Capitol in Lansing, demanding an additional investigation into 2020 election results. Conservative activists announced a petition initiative aimed at changing state law on post-election audits. The Republican-led Legislature has not acted on demands for a forensic audit from supporters of former President Donald Trump who believe the results were tainted by fraud. (Jake May | MLive.com)Jake May

Facing an uphill battle against incumbent Jocelyn Benson and other Republican candidates, Karamo would be the states first Black Republican Secretary of State.

Read more: Trump-endorsed Kristina Karamo leads fundraising among Republican SOS candidates, but trails Benson

Karamo reported receiving the most contributions of any Republican candidate running for Secretary of State during the latest campaign reporting period, raising $99,042.

Karamos campaign reports spending $30,765 and has $116,886 in cash on hand as she reported an ending balance of $48,942 on her last report filed.

Much of her expenditures have gone toward strategic consulting, online fundraising and billboard advertisements, reports show.

This is Karamos first campaign for statewide office in Michigan. She got a boost in September when former President Donald Trump endorsed her.

In a statement, Trump reiterated false claims surrounding Michigans election, asking Karamo to check out the city of Detroits election results.

She is strong on Crime, including the massive Crime of Election Fraud. Kristina will fight for you like no other, and of equal importance, she will fight for justice, Trump said. Good luck Kristina, and while youre at it, check out the Fake Election results that took place in the city of Detroit.

Michigan elected its first and only Black Secretary of State in 1971 when Richard H. Austin took over the position and served for 24 years. Austin was the first Black person to be elected to any statewide office in Michigan except the Supreme Court, and was also the first Black certified public accountant in Michigan. He served from 1967 to 1971 as the first Black Wayne County auditor.

Daylen Howard, House of Representatives candidate

Daylen Howard is running to be elected to the Michigan House in the state's current 85th District.

Daylen Howard is a 26-year-old Owosso resident gunning for the seat held by Rep. Ben Federick, R-Owosso, who is currently serving his final term.

He holds traditional conservative Republican small-government positions, is against Critical Race Theory in schools and said that in an interview with MLive that he never experienced true racism, growing up in Owosso.

Howard, who has worked in the jewelry industry since leaving college, formed a campaign committee back in June to run for the 85th District House seat, which represents his hometown Owosso, the cities of Corunna, Ovid and Bennington Township in Shiawassee County.

About 90,000 people live in the district, and 93% of them are white. Howard is part of the 0.4% of Black residents that live in the area that stretches from just north of Lansing, nearly reaching Midland County to the south.

He said he hopes his campaign inspires young Black conservatives to know they dont have to be Democratic to have a future in politics.

Theres many times in my life when I have been called an Uncle Tom just because of what my views are, Howard said. I think the way people vote has a lot less to do with race than we think it does. Its about values

Howard is the son of his white mother and Black father, and grew up in a single-parent household for 16 years before his mom met Howards step-father.

He would become the fifth Black Republican to ever be elected to the Michigan House if elected.

Link:
Michigan hasnt elected many Black Republicans. These candidates running in 2022 could change that. - mlive.com

Kelly Ernby, a political newcomer who ran for an Orange County state Assembly seat two years ago as a Republican, died this week of COVID-19. In addition to political activism, she worked for 10 years as an O.C. deputy district attorney.

Ernby, a Huntington Beach resident, was 46.

The Orange County district attorneys office is utterly heartbroken by the sudden and unexpected passing of Deputy Dist. Atty. Kelly Ernby, Dist. Atty. Todd Spitzer said in a statement. Kelly was an incredibly vibrant and passionate attorney who cared deeply about the work that we do as prosecutors and deeply about the community we all fight so hard to protect.

Spitzer praised Ernbys enthusiasm as part of his agencys Environmental Protection Team and called it an absolute privilege to work alongside her.

News of Ernbys death surfaced Monday morning when local Republican politicians and party activists began publicly paying tribute to her.

She was very passionate about her love for politics, for America and the Republican Party, said Jon Fleischman, former executive director of the California Republican Party and a longtime Orange County GOP activist. She jumped into a race for state Assembly when not many people knew her, ended up raising more money and having a much larger grass-roots organization than expected.

In 2020, Ernby declared her candidacy for state Assembly in the 74th District and described herself as a political outsider. The district was anchored by Irvine but encompassed several coastal cities, Huntington Beach most prominently among them. In the primary election, she challenged Newport Beach Mayor Diane Dixon, a fellow Republican, for the chance to unseat Cottie Petrie-Norris, the freshman Democratic incumbent.

Ernby earned the endorsement of former Newport Beach City Councilman Scott Peotter, Dixons onetime colleague on the dais. She also enjoyed the support of Orange County Supervisor Don Wagner, former Assemblyman Jim Silva and Mission Viejo Councilman Greg Raths.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, Ernby took a firm stance against a new state law tightening immunization rules for California schoolchildren when appearing in an online town hall on the campaign trail in November 2019.

I dont think that the government should be involved in mandating what vaccines people are taking, she said. I think thats a decision between doctors and their patients. If the government is going to mandate vaccines, what else are they going to mandate?

Dixon edged Ernby for second place by 4,000 votes before narrowly losing to Petrie-Norris in the general election.

A lot of people take their marbles and go home, but after losing her state Assembly race, Kelly got involved with the county Republican Party instead, Fleischman said. She took on the very important job of being precinct chairman, which meant she was finding captains, as they call them, in all of the different cities around Orange County in getting geared up for the next election cycle.

Ernby became an elected Orange County GOP central committee member in 2020. She was halfway through the four-year term at the time of her death.

According to Fleischman, Ernby was readying another state Assembly run in the newly drawn 72nd District when the two traded text messages last week. Ernby also confided that she had fallen ill with COVID-19, but Fleischman didnt expect her to die, calling her passing sudden, especially as the two planned to talk this week.

I found her to be funny and generous, he said. She quickly became part of the fabric of our party. Were really going to miss her. Its very sad.

During the pandemic, Ernby remained an ardent and vocal opponent of COVID-19 vaccination mandates.

As recently as Dec. 4, she spoke against such mandates during a rally outside Irvine City Hall. Organized by the UC Irvine and Cal State Fullerton chapters of Turning Point USA, the rally drew dozens in attendance, according to the Daily Titan, a Fullerton student newspaper.

Theres nothing that matters more than our freedoms right now, Ernby said.

The daughter of Navy veterans, Ernby grew up in San Diego. She earned a law degree from the University of San Diego School of Law and was recruited to join the Irvine offices of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher. Ernby took a significant pay cut in 2011 to work for the Orange County district attorneys office until the time of her death.

Ernby is survived by her husband, Axel.

More here:
Kelly Ernby, O.C. GOP activist and prosecutor, dies of COVID-19 - Los Angeles Times