Mackinac Island — U.S. Rep. Fred Upton said Saturday he is continuing to inch toward a decision on running for the U.S. Senate but is not planning making the call this week or next.
Upton was among possible, likely or declared Senate candidates jockeying for position – and donor support – at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference.
Grosse Pointe businessman Sandy Pensler is also considering a run and said he is prepared to spend millions of his own dollars as Republicans gear up for the chance to take on Democrat incumbent Debbie Stabenow of Lansing in 2018.
Pensler, who runs a private equity firm and has an economics degree from Yale University, criticized Stabenow and said he couldn’t “sit on the sidelines” while she runs for re-election. He currently owns four manufacturing plants that had faced potential closure, including a facility in Wixom that makes detergent products.
Michigan Supreme Court Justice Bob Young and Farmington Hills businessman John James are the only declared Republicans, and both had significant presences at the biennial GOP confab. They are also both African-Americans in a party that has not been as racially diverse as the Democratic Party.
Young supporters peppered the island wearing sticker bow ties mimicking his signature neckwear. James backers wore T-shirts with images of Apache helicopters he flew in the U.S. Army.
But Upton, a St. Joseph Republican who would likely seek re-election to the U.S. House if he doesn’t run for Senate, made the biggest splash with “Upton 2018!” stickers, Facebook ads and a Saturday reception that featured free champagne and high-profile guests, including Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder and congressional colleagues.
Young, who has the backing of former Michigan Gov. John Engler, said Friday his Senate campaign is going “very well” and is not concerned by a potential Upton run.
He called himself a strong supporter of the U,S. Constitution and an “authentic conservative” whose message is resonating with Republican voters.
James, an Iraq War veteran and political newcomer, called it an honor to meet Republican officials and activists who have accepted him with “open arms” because of their shared values.
James was joined on the island by his family, including his father, prominent Detroit businessman John A. James, who donated to Stabenow during the 2012 election cycle but is now proudly supporting his son.
He too downplayed a potential Upton run.
Former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis said the GOP has already fielded “very strong” candidates for the U.S. Senate but said Upton would enter the race as the favorite, should he jump in.