Candidate David Curson on Understanding Michigan's 11th Congressional District Elections

- The following Letter to the Editor was submitted by Democrat David Curson, a candidate for the temporary 11th Congressional District seat

My name is David Curson and I am a candidate for US Congress in the 11th District, undoubtedly Michigan’s most confusing election. I am writing this letter to try and untangle the confusion.

Congressman Thaddeus McCotter (R) has represented the 11th District since 2003. His current term of office expires on Jan. 2, 2013. In May of this year in a stunning surprise, the election commission determined that McCotter’s petitions to validate his candidacy for the 113 th Congress contained illegal and forged signatures rendering him ineligible to run for re-election.

Then in yet another surprise move, on July 6, 2012, Congressman McCotter announced his resignation from the 112th Congress effective immediately leaving the citizens of the 11th District without representation in Washington.

Because McCotter’s resignation came too late to include candidates for his partial term of office remaining in the 112th Congress to be included on the August 7th regular primary election, which determined the candidates for all of the offices in the regular election, a ’special primary election’ took place on Sept. 5, 2012 to determine the candidates just for the partial term to be on the Nov. 6 ballot. The ‘special primary election’ cost Michigan taxpayers $650,000.

The August 7th primary resulted in Democrat Dr. Syed Taj facing off with Republican Kerry Bentivolio for the new 11th District congressional seat. The winner’s term will begin Jan. 3, 2013 and expire in January 2015.

The Sept. 5, 2012 ‘special primary’ election resulted in Democrat David Curson facing off with Republican Kerry Bentivolio for the (partial term) old 11th District congressional seat. This term of office will begin as soon as the election is certified (approx Nov. 9) and will expire on Jan. 2, 2013.

Think you got it figured out, well hold on, there’s more. As a result of the 2010 national census, Michigan’s 11th District dramatically changed for the 113th Congress. Voters in the old 11th District who live in Canton Twp., Commerce Twp., Highland Twp., Livonia, Milford Twp, Northville, Novi, Plymouth Twp., Walled Lake, Waterford, White Lake and Wixom will see on their ballot for the Partial Term Ending 01/02/2013 (D) David Curson vs. (R) Kerry Bentivolio, and on the same ballot for the new 11th District (D) Syed Taj vs (R) Kerry Bentivolio.

Voters in the old 11th District who live in Belleville, Dearborn Heights (parts) and Van Buren Twp will see on their ballot for the partial term ending 01/02/2013 (D) David Curson vs. (R) Kerry Bentivolio, and on the same ballot for the new 12th District (D) John D Dingell vs (R) Cynthia Kallgren.

Finally, voters of the old 11th District who live in Dearborn Heights (parts), Garden City, Wayne and Westland will see on their ballot for the partial term ending 01/02/2013 - (D) David A. Curson vs. (R) Kerry Bentivolio, and on the same ballot for the new 13th District (D) John Conyers Jr. vs (R) Harry T. Sawicki.

I hope that this letter helps the voters of the old 11th District navigate through the confusion and fully participate in our greatest act of freedom, the right to vote.