Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard scored an impressive 60-percent to 40-percent victory over Minister and former Detroit Councilman Keith Butler in yesterday's GOP primary. He will face first-term Democratic incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow in November.
At first blush, Butler was an interesting candidate--an African-American Republican who could make inroads among traditional Democratic voters in and around Detroit. However, it quickly became apparent that Butler had not put together the kind of campaign he needed to win a primary. While Butler was certainly able to raise money, he burned through it quickly and with little to show for it. His media, which started late in the campaign, was ineffective and failed to play to his strengths.
Bouchard was an early entrant into the contest but ended his campaign shortly after because of some health problems. After successfully addressing those problems, national Republicans, concerned about Butler's campaign, urged him to get back in the race. Bouchard threw his hat into the ring again and spent the early months playing catch-up with Butler in fundraising and endorsements. In the end, Bouchard had a
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