Primary, Conventions To Set State Political Course

LANSING - It's campaign year in Michigan, but the Nov. 3 general election seems a long way off, this lazy July 4th holiday. Politicians, however, are trying to bestir the public because three important events will occur next month which largely determine who and what the voters have for choice in November. Those events are the Aug. 4 primary election, and the state party conventions: The Democrats Aug. 22 and 23 in Grand Rapids, the Republicans Aug. 28 and 29 in Detroit. The 1970 conventions and primary and general elections are especially important to Michigan for two reasons: -The trend of state government for coming years will b e mainly determined because the governor and entire state Senate will be chosen for four-year terms and the whole 110-member House for two-year terms; and, - State legislators chosen in November will decide the districts for electing Michigan's representatives to the U.S. House in 1972 and the four following general elections. With all the offices at stake, it's easy to be perplexed about the political procedures this year, so here's an outline of which positions will be filled by the primary or conventions: - Aug. 4 primary- Voters will piek nominees for the U.S. Senate (one) for a 6-year term; governor, for a 4-year term: U.S. House (19 seats) for 2-year terms; state Senage (all 38 seats) for 4-year terms; and state House (all 110 seats) for 2-year terms. Conventions - Delegates will select party nominees for lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general (all 4-year terms); two State Supreme Court justices (8-year terms); and two seats each on the State Board of Education, University o f Michigan Board of Regents, Michigan State University Board of Trustees and Wayne State University Board of Governors (all 8-year terms). In addition to those offices, primary voters also will nomínate three members of the State Court of Appeals (one in each of three districts) and fill a vacancy in the 2nd District. Local offices also will be filled in many places including all township posts and membership on the 83 county boards of commissioners (formerly called boards of supervisors). The two Supreme Court posts to be filled are 'chosen under a hybrid method. The justices are nominated by the partisan party conventions, but then run on the general election ballot under a nonpartisan label. Both expiring terms are now held by Republican - nominated justices- John R. Dethmers and Harry F. Kelly. An unusual twist in the Supreme Court situation is that an incumbent justice can go on the November ballot either by filing an affidavit of candidacy or by going through the nominating rigors at one of the conventions. Dethmers filed Dy affidavit for renomination although the GOP convention no doubt will also go through the motions of nominating him, too. Kelly is retiring, so the Republican delegates will have to piek someone to replace him on the ballot. Wayne County Circuit Judge Edward S. Piggins is the only announced candidate for that seat so far, but others may surface. Democrats a 1 r e a d y are faced with a nomination battle by three announced contenders for the two high court posts: Former Gov. G. Mennen Williams; John B. Swainson, former governor and now a Wayne County circuit judge; and T. John Lesinski, chief Appeals Court judge and former lieutenant governor. Republican primary voters will have their choice for governor between Gov. William G. Milliken, seeking his first elected term, and Howell magazine publisher James C. Turner. Democrats can choose in the primary between four candidates for the gubernatorial nomination: Zolton Ferency of East Lansing, former party chairman and nominee for governor in 1966; state Sen. Sander M. Levin of Berkley; state Rep. George F. Montgomery oí Detroit; and George N. Parris , Macomb County prosecutor. The other big statewide contest at the primaries will be between the two GOP candidates for the U.S. senatorial nomination, State Sen. Robert J. Huber of Troy is opposing Mrs. Lenore Romney, wife of George Romney, U.S. housing secretary and former governor. Incumbent U.S. Sen. Philip A. Hart is ünopposed for Democratie re-nomination to a third term, to oppose either Mrs. Romney or Huber. It's noteworthy that an incumbent of good record, popular with the public and able to get votes, usually has no significant opposition in either the primary or the convention. Two current examples in the Democratie party are Sen. Hart and Atty. Gen. Frank J. Kelley- both seeking re-election. Republicans e s p e c i ally could be in for an unpleasant convention, depending on the outcome (and type of campaigning) of the Aug. 4 primary in the U.S. Senate race. If Huber loses the primary and gets bitter, his conservatives could créate convention problems. If Huber should win, the regular Republicans will try to hold the conservatives in line at the convention. Again, the most fighting at the Republican convention will be for the secretary of state nomination b e t w e e n state Rep. Weldon O. Yeager of Detroit and state Sen. Emil Lockwood of Elm Hall. The reasons for GOP emphasis on the secretary of state post are clear. Incumbent Democrat James M. Hare, the party's top votegetter for more than a decade, is not seeking re-election. The GOP is drooling for this plum because it means patronage that has been denied them for the 16 years Hare has held the job, patronage "rebates" worth $100,000 to $300,000 a year to the party treasury. In addition, Milliken wants to leave the GOP delegates a convention contest for some major post. He already has tapped U.S. Dist. Atty. James H. Brickley as his personal choice for a lieutenant governor running mate and nobody wants to run against Frank Kelley, so that leaves the secretary of state slot. Democrats, of course, want to retain the secretary of state power and patronage base, and their biggest convention battle also will be for that job. In the contenders' picture so far are former U.S. Rep. Billie S. Farnum of Oakland County; William Blue of Flint, a former congressional candidate; and Charles F. Gray of Ypsilanti, now a secretary of state's license branch manager. Branch managers as a group also will play a more active role in the Democratie convention. The party already has been split over the defection of William N. Hettiger, deputy secretary of state, to the Milliken campaign committee and the incumbent branch managers have nightmares of losing their jobs no matter which party's nominee replaces Hare. They'll be trying hard, then, to elect delegates who will nomínate a secretary of state favorable to incumbent managers. Usually bringing up the political rear at the conventions is the selection of nominees for the elected statewide education boards. Most i delegates just haven't gotten very excited in previous years about those posts. Education has become a politically hot issue lately, though, and both parties will be making efforts to increase inter-l est in and upgrade the pres-l tige of the education 1 tipns. I