In Antrim County, Michigan, the upcoming primary election could affect the retirement plans of Sheryl Guy, who has worked in the clerk’s office for over 40 years. Five Republican candidates are vying to succeed her as the county’s top elections official, with one of them being a vocal proponent of election conspiracies since the 2020 presidential election. In response to this candidate’s stance, Guy has expressed concerns and stated she may run as a write-in candidate in the general election to prevent the office from falling into the hands of an election conspiracist.
Across Michigan and other states, Republican primary races are also showcasing candidates who continue to promote false claims regarding the 2020 election, despite no evidence of widespread fraud. The primaries have become a measure of Republican voters’ support for candidates who question the legitimacy of the election results. In some instances, individuals who have perpetuated election conspiracies have faced opposition, such as the recent ousting of the head of the elections office in Arizona’s Maricopa County by Republican voters.
The focus on Antrim County began after the 2020 presidential election when a reporting error initially indicated a win for Biden before being corrected to show Trump as the actual winner. Despite the error being attributed to human error and swiftly corrected, conspiracy theories suggesting voting machines were involved in widespread fraud persisted. Sheryl Guy, who voted for Trump in 2020, has faced unfounded attacks and conspiracy theories due to her role in the office. One of the candidates running for her position, Victoria Bishop, has been a vocal supporter of election conspiracy theories, advocating for hand-counting all ballots to ensure election integrity.
The push for hand-counting ballots, promoted by some election conspiracy theorists, has been highlighted as less accurate and more time-consuming compared to machine tabulation by experts in election law. Individuals associated with promoting election falsehoods, such as Stanley Grot and Michele Lundgren, have found themselves running for positions in Michigan despite facing charges related to false elector actions in the 2020 election. Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, known for spreading doubts about the election results, is also running for reelection amidst challenges from other Republicans.
The prevalence of candidates and officials within the Michigan Republican Party who continue to propagate election conspiracies underscores the ongoing impact of false claims regarding the 2020 election. Despite efforts to address the issue, the persistence of conspiracy theories and their influence on electoral processes remains a subject of concern in various election races.
