Joe F Spaulding 🦉

The first mayor in the US to be elected using Ranked Choice Voting was Ann Arbor's Al Wheeler, the first Black tenured professor at University of Michigan. Dr. Wheeler formed the NAACP Ann Arbor Chapter and wrote the bill that became MI's Civil Rights Department. He helped create some of the first housing protection ordinances in the country. In a racist backlash against his victory, Ann Arbor repealed Ranked Choice Voting in a low turnout election that happened to have record Republican turnout. Now, election deniers in Michigan tied to Cleta Mitchell (a woman who once chased a garbage truck down the street to try to prove the 2020 election was stolen from Trump), are once again pushing to suppress Ranked Choice Voting, but that's not all. They are also trying to purge the voter rolls of any ethnic sounding names. We know this because "Pure Integrity Michigan Elections" outed themselves to oppose @RankMIVote's petition to bring Ranked Choice Voting to Michigan Elections. *All* of their plans for voter suppression in Michigan in 2026 are in their rumble videos. These moves are so transparently racist, MI Election Deniers like Patrice Johnson are openly *celebrating* what took place in Ann Arbor in the 1970s. Mayor Wheeler's story is just a moment in the history of Ranked Choice Voting and, unfortunately, racist voter suppression in this country, but it still a powerful reminder of what's at stake in our politics *today*. You can help get the word out about Dr. Al Wheeler and help Rank MI Vote bring Ranked Choice Voting back to not just Ann Arbor, but all of Michigan. You can find all original sources for this video at AnnArborRCV dot com.

@matthewmaddock @gretchenwhitmer x.com/i/status/20347…

Since @gretchenwhitmer has been Governor, just over 409,000 people have been added to our welfare roles. Before her, we had as low as 1 out of 12.21 people on welfare and today it’s 1 in 4.35 on welfare. This has cost working ppl billions more in taxes.

@matthewmaddock @gretchenwhitmer You're a dümbäss

@JezowskiStef @LilyCGuiney You are not an independent, and your insight is narrow

@beyond_process @LilyCGuiney Maybe because they recognize taxing the rich more doesn't actually help anyone. As an Independent, I can see it so I bet they can too.

Public ed advocates are in the Romney Building right now requesting a meeting w/ Gov. Whitmer to get her stance on Michigan opting into the federal govt’s new education tax credit, which can be used for private school. Critics say it’s a voucher program that may be illegal in MI.

@TheOnlyEsta Toe fungus

Fill in the blanks John Fetterman is a _________

@MhmmitsG @Press4BC I think Mason's pretty smart. This is one that we reasonably should have all (including Abdul's team) been able to anticipate because of how prior endorsements happened. Just like when Jesse Jackson endorsed Bernie Sanders long after Bernie endorsed Jesse.

@beyond_process @Press4BC There absolutely is. Folks like Mason just can’t resist the urge to use identity as a cudgel (similar to BlueMAGA attacking Talarico) when his preferred candidate doesn’t get an endorsement.

Again I like Platner but endorsing him and not Abdul is just racist garbage. They’re identical on policy, both in targeted races, both endorsed by Bernie, and both men running against women. There is no reason to support Platner but not Abdul unless you’re just racist.

@MIForward_Net Donald Trump lost in 2020.

Ever stop to think the people of Downriver fired you for a reason?

DeVos lapdog circlejerk

@Th_Midwesterner No, she voted against giving this incompetent administration excuses to beat up more of our neighbors. Tudor Dixon is a 🗑️🔥.

U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten votes against deporting fraudster illegal aliens themidwesterner.news/2026/03/u-s-re…

@FrankLuntz Are they self-identifying as Republicans, unbelievably toxic label at this point before they are asked the other question? If so, there is a bit of selection bias going on

83% of likely Republican voters “strongly” or “somewhat” support strikes against Iran, while just 9% say they “strongly” or “somewhat” oppose military action against Iran.

@stevegrubershow For the guy being a huge public piece of s*** in front of the entire world?

We live for moments like this.

@MISenate @SenAricNesbitt Did you ask @RepLisaMcClain? She and her husband are making a fortune on insider trading

Senate Republican Leader @SenAricNesbitt: "Over the last eight years, state government's grown by nearly 50%. I don't know anybody else's income or household income that's going up by that much."

@jenelaina Yes. Exactly. And the weirdest food here is muskrat

WTF is a dessert nacho

@AFPhq F*ck off Tim and Sean. You guys suck

Innovate again. Dominate again. Thrive again. This is MichAGAIN. It’s time to bring it back.

@electionsjoe Is there any specific reason fetterman needed to be on that committee?

We had the power to block his nomination. Fetterman allowed it to happen. He must be primaried. He is no Democrat.

@PollTracker2024 Why the fuck is fetterman on this committee

People who got chickens, started gardening, and built gaming PCs during COVID are strangely prepared for this.

Renewable energy production is directly correlated with national security.

"Every effort around voting should focus on getting as many people actively engaged as possible," the editorial board of Pennsylvania's @TribLIVE writes. "The more people who vote — in every election, every year — the more voices are heard on the most important questions. These proposals should be heard. They should be debated. They should be discussed and given votes in committee and on the floor, regardless of the outcome." Read more: triblive.com/opinion/editor…