Two years ago David Knezek, then an incumbent state senator, was at a restaurant in Detroit when he saw the first precinct in his district report primary results. He knew his district, and the numbers were off.
“I was at a table of Jim Ananich and Curtis Hertel and Brandon Dillon and a few others and I looked at them and said ‘Guys, I’m going to lose,’” he said.
“And they kind of laughed it off like ‘oh come on, quit messing around.’ And I said, ‘I’m telling you right now, I’m going to lose tonight.’ And sure enough, that’s what happened.”
He lost the primary to Betty Jean Alexander, who went on to win the seat. And a few days later, when the results were certified by the county, he put out a concession video thanking his supporters, congratulating Alexander and committing to a smooth transition.
It was something he and generations of politicians considered an important part of an election. But in Michigan this year at least three Republican candidates – President Donald Trump, U.S. Senate candidate John James and 11th Congressional Candidate Eric Esshaki – have yet to concede their races as the Republican Party alleges election “irregularities.”
Mathematically, according to unofficial results from the Michigan Secretary of State, all three have lost by big margins: Trump by 146,990 votes, James by 85,222 and Esshaki by 10,714 votes in the smaller 11th Congressional District.
The state and national Republican parties have called attention to “irregularities” in Michigan’s election results, and conspiracy theories have abounded. So far, none of these have stood up to factual scrutiny.
Related: There are lots of conspiracy theories about Michigan election fraud. So far, they’ve been debunked.
Further down the ticket, many candidates from both sides of the aisle have conceded.
Tonya Schuitmaker, a Republican who served in the state legislature, was on the statewide ticket running for the MSU Board of Trustees. The final results were still trickling in on Thursday morning, when she conceded and thanked supporters. A few hours later, she publicly praised the election of Pat O’Keefe, a fellow Republican who ran in the same race and won a spot.
For her, there’s a purpose behind everything, even in loss. She’s a glass-half-full person, and it seemed like choosing between getting bitter or getting better. She chose better.
“I always think you learn more in life from your losses and your setbacks, and it’s all how you approach those losses and setbacks that will define you for the future,” Schuitmaker said.
But that was for her, in her race.
“Everyone has the right, though, to ask for a recount. So, far be it from me to second-guess reasons why or why not to concede. I think it’s a personal thing,” Schuitmaker said.
Republican Rick Jones, a former term-limited state senator, ran this year for his old position as Eaton County Sheriff. Before all the precincts were in, he saw incumbent Democrat Tom Reich would win and conceded early Wednesday morning, thanking his supporters in a statement.
Part of what he wanted to accomplish, he did.
“I’m happy that I ran, because I wanted to bring out issues and problems at the sheriff’s department, and we did so successfully,” Jones said.
He conceded because he trusts the electoral process locally, but doesn’t blame statewide or national candidates who are requesting further investigation of possible “corruption” in some areas.
“That’s all everybody wants. In my opinion, win or lose, you want everybody to vote and everything to be fair,” Jones said.
Marty Knollenberg, a former Republican Senator from Troy, lost his race for reelection in 2018 to Sen. Mallory McMorrow, D-Royal Oak. He accepted the legitimacy of the result, and he conceded.
“It stinks to lose. I mean you try really hard to win, and when you come up short it’s a tough thing to swallow. And to me it’s the right thing to do, ultimately,” he said.
Partisan politics have come a long way from when his father, Joe Knollenberg, a Republican, enjoyed a productive working relationship with Democratic U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick on issues that impacted Michigan, he said.
Now, he sees the rhetoric amped up on social media and people on both sides of the aisle questioning results. After Trump’s win in 2016 some Democrats viewed his presidency as illegitimate, Knollenberg said. And everybody is broadcasting their feelings on social media.
“It’s just gotten, in my opinion, it’s way too negative... I choose not to be angry all the time, and it just seems like people just want to be mad. And it’s just, it’s really unfortunate,” Knollenberg said.
Without speaking for those who haven’t conceded yet, he recognized they were still investigating some election irregularities.
“I would assume that once they see that the numbers are what they are, somebody will concede, however they fall,” Knollenberg said.
To Knezek, it’s time candidates in key races concede.
“For me it’s really disappointing. And if I could be even more direct about it, I think it’s really classless,” he said of the lack of concessions so far.
“Our system of democracy commands that people win with class and lose with class and commit themselves to supporting the system of democracy that we all claim to love and uphold. And when you have people who refuse to accept the results of a free and fair election, I think that does incalculable damage to our system of democracy and it threatens to undermine it far into the future,” Knezek said.
He was on the ballot this time, too. He won a Wanye County Commission seat he’d previously been appointed to. Win or lose, he’s accepted the results. But winning, he said, certainly feels better.
More on MLive:
John James creates legal fund with RNC, Trump campaign treasurer after losing Michigan Senate race
Election recount, legal challenges unlikely to overturn Biden’s win in Michigan
Michigan Trump supporters dispute Biden’s presidential victory at protest
Gary Peters rebukes ‘sad’ and ‘pathetic’ call for election investigation from John James
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How to lose an election gracefully, according to Michigan politicians who have done it - MLive.com
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