(Source: MIRS.news, Published 06/10/2024) The Grand New Party (GNP) PAC and Michigan Republican Party State Committee Member Jon Rocha claim they want to RINO hunt Rep. Gina Johnsen (R-Lake Odessa) out of office. For her part, Johnsen said Rocha and the GNP are "desperate" considering her conservative voting record on policy.
The GNP is assembling the "RINO Removal Regiment" targeting Johnsen, who they call a budget traitor and RINO that is "being hunted for extinction," citing her yea vote on the 2023 omnibus budget bill as going against grassroots values. The group took out a website domain with her name to "expose the truth."
GNP Chair Shane Trejo said removal efforts are both to unseat Johnsen and to put Rocha in her place.
Trejo, former GNP executive director who came into the position of chairman after Rep. Steve Carra (R-Three Rivers) resigned earlier this year, said any quid pro quo dealings behind the scenes with Democrats that Johnsen entered into to secure funding in her district go against the grassroots values she campaigned on.
Johnsen said she understands the hype around mistrust of the Democratic Party, but when sitting in the minority, she negotiated to keep her district included in the conversation and secure funding for clean drinking water and upgrades to at-capacity wastewater treatment plants, bringing in $3 million for Portland and $17.5 million for Lowell.
Johnsen said there were some good things in the budget, such as increased law enforcement coverage and more money for veterans. Also, some pro-life women's healthcare centers received funding.
"As conservatives, we don't support that kind of thing. We don't support, 'Oh, I’ll vote for $82 billion and bankrupt the state because there's something in it for me.' That's inherently anti-conservative," Trejo said.
Four other Republicans voted with Johnsen, but Trejo said the GNP doesn't take issue with them because they campaigned as moderates, whereas Johnsen campaigned as a strong conservative and champion of the grassroots.
"That makes the betrayal especially bad for her. It's time to make an example and hold her accountable and remove her from office," Trejo said.
Johnsen said the group looks desperate considering she's had "nothing but conservative votes on everything that was policy."
In 2022 and 2024, Johnsen received endorsements from Right to Life, Michigan Freedom Network, Michigan Family Forum, Great Lakes Education Project and Citizens for Traditional Values.
Johnsen earned a "Q" rating from the NRA and an "A" rating from the Michigan Coalition for Responsible Gun Owners in 2022, and sources have indicated that the same ratings are coming in 2024.
"It's not because I sold out, it's because I have intelligent negotiation skills, which is what it's going to take," Johnsen said. "We had better be working together and do the very best we can given the circumstances, and that's what we did."
The GNP has not formally endorsed Rocha for the 78th House district, but Johnsen said the GNP doesn't have traction in the state anyway.
"They hold up a standard that's heavenly, but inconceivable. We're not in heaven, we're on earth," Johnsen said. "I would love to say that all of their goals will be achieved, but they won't be achieved by them because they're not even at the table discussing it."
Johnsen said this hasn't caused her to re-work her campaign strategy, and she will continue to campaign as a strong conservative that is pro-life and pro-family that can work in reality by negotiating.
Johnsen said she thinks Rocha feels like he never got a full run at the seat when he was kicked off the ballot for not paying a campaign fine in 2022 when the seat was open, and now she feels sorry for him having to run against a "strong incumbent."
Johnsen said obeying campaign rules like paying fines or producing an affidavit is part of the experience, and holding public office requires steeper and tougher than that.
