Nakagiri Says Most County Delegates Will Vote For HimNakagiri Says Most County Delegates Will Vote For Him

8/15/14 - A local tea party activist says his campaign to replace the Lt. Governor on the GOP ticket in November received a big boost following Livingston County’s Republican convention Thursday. Wes Nakagiri is the treasurer of the Hartland Township-based group RetakeOurGov. Last year he announced his candidacy to replace current Lt. Governor Brian Calley following his support of efforts to set up a state-run health care exchange under the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare. Despite being widely outspent by Calley, Nakagiri says he is very hopeful that he will triumph on August 23rd at the state GOP convention in Novi. He tells WHMI that after Thursday's Livingston County convention, he believes that approximately two-thirds of the 57 local delegates will vote for him and that several other counties are showing similar support. Nakagiri says his candidacy is not about personalities, or a mock show of dissent designed to simply send a message. He also disputes concerns that his candidacy will create a fracture in the party, but instead is steadfast in his belief that it will help to unite Republicans heading into the November general election. He says many conservatives are upset that proposals such as a state-run health care exchange or Medicaid expansion are being put forward in spite of the fact that Republicans control all three branches of state government. Next weekend’s convention will feature more than 2,100 delegates, most of them chosen Thursday night from the approximately 6,500 precinct delegates elected in the primary. While Lt. Governor Calley hasn’t commented on the county conventions, the Detroit Free Press reports he did very well across the state. You can hear Nakagiri’s full interview this Sunday morning at 8:30 on WHMI’s Viewpoint. (JK)