Ruth Johnson, Oakland County Clerk, Wins Nomination For Secretary of State

Ruth Johnson, Oakland County Clerk,  Who Helped Uncover Suspected Election Fraud, Pledges to Continue to Fight for Clean Elections.
 East Lansing, MI  – Saturday, August 28, 2010 –  State Republicans today nominated Oakland County Clerk Ruth Johnson as their Secretary of State candidate in the November election.

“I am very honored by the nomination and will work hard for Republicans who have placed their faith and trust in me,” said Johnson, who joins gubernatorial nominee Rick Snyder, Lt. Governor  nominee  Brian Calley and attorney general candidate Bill Schuette on the Republican ticket.

Other candidates included State Representatives Cameron Brown, Michelle McManus and Paul Scott as well as Calhoun County Clerk Anne Norlander. “All of the candidates brought their own strengths to the table and were formidable competitors,” Johnson said.”We are united now and focused on winning this race in November.”
Last week, Johnson’s office discovered suspected election fraud in candidate filings for the “fake” Tea Party. She formally requested an investigation by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office on the advice of the Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office. Johnson also referred the matter to both the State Attorney General’s Office and the FBI. Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson has requested a one-person grand jury conduct a complete election fraud probe.
 

Johnson, a former state representative, earned a reputation as a tough opponent of government waste and corruption when she helped expose the spending of tax dollars on everything from Waterford crystal and limousine service to flying lessons by the Oakland Intermediate School District. Her investigations lead to major reforms in spending and accountability. As a result of the investigation a public official was prosecuted.

Ruth Johnson brings an impressive resume to the Secretary of State’s race. As Oakland County Clerk she has administered elections for Michigan’s second largest county. Her office has been recognized with 14 national awards for innovation and improved services. In addition, she joined with the county clerks in Macomb and Wayne Counties in launching Operation Our Troops Count. This group brought attention to and lobbied successfully for legislation to make sure that the overseas military have time to vote. Michigan had been named one of 15 “No Time to Vote” states for the military by the Pew Center on the States.

As a Secretary of State Candidate, Johnson has proposed a five-point plan to ensure that only U.S. citizens are able to cast a ballot on Election Day. She is an opponent of same-day voter registration and wants full photo ID requirements for voting in Michigan.

“Today, we are united to win in November. I look forward to bringing our message of election integrity, improved customer service and greater convenience without new costs to taxpayers,” said Johnson. “We face an opponent who has raised a large amount of out of state money and has backing from groups that want to repeal the photo identification requirement for voting. This will be a critical election and I am confident that the people of Michigan will respond to our message.”

Johnson lives in Holly with her husband, Don, and their daughter Emily.