Mike McCready Wins GOP Primary for 40th District in State House

There were several anxious moments while waiting for results to trickle in, but was cool-headed and focused on being the next Republican to represent voters in the 40th District in the Michigan House of Representatives.

McCready, was rewarded early this morning when unofficial results from the Oakland County Clerk's Office showed he won the Republican nomination in the district, which encompasses Bloomfield, West Bloomfield and Birmingham, with 32 percent of the vote over three formidable opponents.

County Commissioner and Birmingham-based attorney David Potts and West Bloomfield attorney finished in a virtual tie for second with 29.8 percent while Birmingham Board of Education Trustee Robert Lawrence rounded out the field with 8 percent.

"This was such a close race, and we had four very close candidates that worked it very hard," said McCready as a small gathering of campaign supporters broke up at the just before midnight.

McCready, the mayor pro-tem in Bloomfield Hills, easily swept both precincts in the city and padded his lead by taking Bloomfield Township as well. With all precincts reporting, the clerk's unofficial results show he won Bloomfield Township with 34 percent of the vote, compared to Potts (30 percent), Wolkinson (29 percent), and Lawrence (7 percent).

And he needed every bit of that cushion to help offset and Wolkinson in West Bloomfield.

McCready said it was hard to pin down one or two reasons why he won, but it was evident he worked hard. McCready spent weeks meeting with community leaders and groups, discussing his fiscally conservative outlook for job growth. He was also savvy with social media as well, posting a series of no-frills infomercials on YouTube.

"No doubt it was a key part of our strategy and it proved to be a valuable resource," he said.

Campaign cash was one resource that may not have mattered much in this race, according to pre-primary finance data.

Potts accrued more than $114,000, compared to McCready's $62,000, And Wolkinson, a first-time candidate that garnered endorsements from Right to Life of Michigan and the Michigan Farm Bureau Agri-PAC, lent his campaign $199,000.

McCready now faces West Bloomfield Democrat , who ran unopposed Tuesday, in the November election to fill the open seat left by term-limited Rep. Chuck Moss (R-Birmingham).

For more elections results, as well profiles of the winners, visit Michigan August Primary 2012.