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Republican resigns from state elections board as he seeks state House seat
A Republican member of the Michigan Board of State Canvassers (BSC) who questioned the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election former President Donald Trump lost has resigned his position, as he is seeking a seat in the state House.
Norman Shinkle of Williamston had served for 13 years as one of two Republican members on the BSC, which certifies statewide elections. He is seeking the GOP nomination for the Ingham County-based 73rd state House district. That seat is currently held by state Rep. Julie Brixie, (D-Meridian Twp.).
While Shinkle told MLive that his experience as a canvasser gave him ideas on how to improve election integrity, he was also among Republican officials who cast doubt on the 2020 election results, which more than 250 state and local audits confirmed President Joe Biden won. Shinkle also abstained from certifying the election. In addition, his wife, Mary Shinkle, filed an affidavit in a lawsuit that unsuccessfully tried to block certification.
More recently, Norman Shinkle voted in favor of certifying the petitions of five GOP gubernatorial candidates involved in a signature fraud scandal. That was despite a report by the Bureau of Elections (BOE) that detailed an “unprecedented” number of fraudulent signatures — tens of thousands of them — that appeared across numerous petitions for office.
Because the BSC deadlocked 2-2 on the vote, the BOE recommendation that the five GOP candidates be dropped from the primary ballot stood.
While it was not legally necessary for Shinkle to leave his seat on the BSC, he said he felt it was still appropriate to do so.
The process to fill the vacancy left by Shinkle’s departure will require the Michigan Republican Party to submit three nominations to Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. She will then decide which of those three will become the newest member.
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