Political Dynasties: Why Do Voters Keep Electing People With The Same Last Names?
Reporters Jake Neher and Rick Pluta talk about why 2018 might be an interesting test of dynastic politics in Michigan.
Two of Michigan’s longest-serving members of Congress are ending their tenure in Washington.
Congressman Sander Levin (D-Royal Oak) announced this week he will not seek re-election in 2018 after 35 years in the U.S. House. Former Congressman John Conyers (D-Detroit) resigned this week amid political scandal.
Already, it looks possible that Conyers and Levin could be replaced by people named Conyers and Levin. State Sen. Ian Conyers (D-Detroit), John Conyers’ great nephew, says he’ll run for that seat. In his resignation announcement on The Mildred Gaddis Show, Congressman Conyers endorsed his son John Conyers III — although it’s not clear whether he’ll actually run to succeed his father.
Rep. Sander Levin’s son Andy has already launched his campaign to fill his father’s seat.
This has sparked a lot of talk in the political world about dynastic politics in Michigan.
WDET’s Jake Neher and Michigan Public Radio’s Rick Pluta talk about political families in Michigan who have held onto power for generations.
“I think 2018 is going to be a really interesting year to see where Michigan voters lie on this [issue of keeping political dynasties in power],” says Neher. “Of course, Michigan was one of the states that helped put Donald Trump in the White House in a year of ‘draining the swamp.'”
Neher and Pluta talk about how, despite having identical last names, these races are not necessarily shoe-ins for anyone named Conyers or Levin running next year.
“We are not talking about the House of Lords here,” says Pluta. “Having a great political name is not necessarily being handed the keys to the castle.”
Click on the audio player above to hear the full conversation.
