A 29-year-old Macomb County prosecutor has emerged as the Democrats’ choice to replace actress Melissa Gilbert in the party’s bid to oust freshman Republican Congressman Mike Bishop in Michigan’s 8th District.
Suzanna Shkreli will be introduced today by state Democratic Party officials as the presumptive nominee after Gilbert abruptly ended her campaign in May, citing health reasons relate to prior head and neck injuries.
Shkreli, a Clarkston resident, is a newcomer to politics and she certainly lacks Gilbert’s star power and ability to tap Hollywood donors. When Gilbert was announced as a candidate last year, the 8th District (parts of Oakland, Livingston and Ingham counties) became a targeted seat for the Dems on a national level.
Now, the party’s first challenge is to get Shkreli on the November ballot. Gilbert announced she was quitting the race after the withdrawal deadline so her name will appear on the Aug. 2 primary ballot.
Democrats believe that party leaders would have the post-primary ability to replace Gilbert, due to health reasons, and name Shkreli as their ballot choice in the fall election. Bishop, a Rochester Republican, has said he doesn’t believe that procedure is legal.
The former state Senate Majority Leader, Bishop has strong support within the GOP and he’s seeking re-election in a district that is Republican-friendly territory.
In interviews granted on Tuesday to The Detroit News and Detroit Free Press, Shkreli said she does not believe party labels will have much of an impact in 2016.
Dem strategists are hoping that the presumed GOP presidential nominee, Donald Trump, will lose badly in Michigan and that his unpopularity with many voting blocs will affect down-ballot races such as those for Congress.
Shkreli has worked for the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office for five years, handling a variety of criminal matters. She is currently assigned to the unit that deals with physical and sexual abuse of children.
Her parents are Albanian immigrants to who came to America from Montenegro, initially settling in Hamtramck. She is a graduate of Oakland University and the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Auburn Hills.
In a statement announcing her candidacy, Shkreli said:
“As a Macomb County Prosecutor in the Child Protection Unit, I take on tough fights every day to protect children from sexual abuse and violence. Mike Bishop and this Congress refuse to take on any tough fights.
“I’m a first-generation American. My parents are working class Albanian immigrants who worked very hard to help my sister, my brothers and me get a good education and go to college. That’s why I’ve dedicated my career to giving back, and helping make sure the next generation has the same opportunities I had.
“In Congress, I’ll work to create good jobs, improve our schools, keep guns out of the hands of terrorists, care for our veterans, end the pandemic of opioid addiction, and protect Social Security and Medicare.”
Photo: Shkreli campaign
