COME BACK. FILL THE SEATS. RECLAIM YOUR PARTY.
Thursday, August 13, 2026 · 7:00 PM
Jefferson Township Hall
2837 S. Bird Lake Rd. · Osseo, Michigan 49266
Hillsdale County is one of the reddest counties in Michigan.
For decades, Democrats have presented virtually no meaningful electoral opposition here. Republicans dominate our elections and hold nearly every meaningful level of local government.
Yet something has gone terribly wrong inside the Republican Party itself.
For years, Republicans who believe in limited government, constitutional rights, lower taxes, individual responsibility, fiscal restraint, honest elections, local control, and accountability have watched people carrying the Republican name govern contrary to those principles.
At the same time, grassroots Republican representation in Hillsdale County has been artificially and unlawfully contracted.
133 → 100 → 50 → 43
When Hillsdale County had 133 precinct-delegate positions, Republicans participated.
When that number was reduced to 100, Republicans participated.
When it was cut again to 50, Republicans were still competing against one another for the limited seats available.
Now the structure has been reduced again to only 43 precinct-delegate positions.
Meanwhile, the organization that fought to maintain control of the Hillsdale Republican Party continued artificially and unlawfully shrinking its grassroots representation, pushing away even many of its own former supporters.
After years of internal warfare, exclusion, delegate manipulation, lawfare, and conduct inside both the party and local government that drove principled Republicans away, the people who fought so hard to control that shrinking structure could not even manage to fill much of it.
Hillsdale County did not stop being Republican.
Republicans stopped recognizing themselves in the organization claiming to represent them.
THE REPUBLICANS DID NOT DISAPPEAR
When the Hillsdale Conservatives separated from the existing county organization, Hillsdale County’s conservative Republican movement did not collapse.
It grew.
The Republicans who walked away did not suddenly abandon limited government, constitutional rights, lower taxes, honest elections, local control, or accountability.
They continued working with local groups, as well as Republicans throughout District 5 and at the state level.
They continued attending government meetings.
They continued investigating records.
They continued organizing citizens.
They continued challenging government overreach.
They continued recruiting Republicans.
They continued demanding accountability.
The relationships developed within District 5 remained. Hillsdale Conservatives continued working within that broader Republican structure, while District 5 and the state party continued drawing representation from those grassroots relationships.
The political energy survived.
The local Republican organization withered.
The people did not become apathetic.
They became organized.
And the vacuum created by the local party and local government did not remain empty.
Hillsdale Conservatives. Families for Hillsdale. Citizens for Hillsdale County.
Different organizations. Different people. Different battles.
Alongside them grew an independent citizen information network including Hillsdale Press, Hillsdale County Review, The Hillsdalian, and The Adams Times.
The Republican Party shrank while Republican civic participation grew outside it.
The people controlling the local Republican organization and governments are the ones who abandoned the principles the Republican name was supposed to represent.
The Republicans who refused to abandon those principles simply found other places to continue the work.
Now it is time to bring that work back into their Republican Party.
READ THEIR OWN PRINCIPLES
The Hillsdale Republican Party itself identifies its values as:
Bill of Rights · Sanctity of Life · Limited Government · Individual Responsibility · Lower Taxes · Limited Subsidies · Balanced Budgets
Those words should mean something.
They should be more than decoration underneath an elephant.
They should be the standard by which Republican government is judged.
So judge the record.
Brent Leininger, Abe Dane, and Marney Kast have been at the center of the years-long fight over control of the Hillsdale Republican Party and the contraction of grassroots delegate representation from the former 133-seat benchmark to 100, then 50, and now 43.
While Republicans were being pushed out of their own party, many Republican officials within the same political structure were governing in ways increasingly difficult to reconcile with the principles printed above.
Mark Wiley, Brent Leininger, and Republican county leadership have been battling the reddest county in Michigan pushing for the LifeWays bond, more taxation, more spending, overreaching government authority forcefully blocking accountability called for by Republicans.
Scott Sessions presided over a Hillsdale City government pushing special assessments, a road diet, and other policies that generated substantial public opposition, including from Republicans.
Abe Dane, while serving as Hillsdale County Clerk, has been at the center of repeated election controversies. The public court record contains his own sworn testimony concerning the taking of township election materials, destroying them, and his inability in that testimony to identify statutory authority for doing so.
Marney Kast was directly involved in the Adams Township election-record controversy that produced that public court record.
And Mark Wiley, Scott Hodshire, Brent Leininger, Scott Sessions, and others within the same political structure have repeatedly stood with the officials involved or resisted the accountability demanded by Hillsdale Republicans.
These are not isolated disagreements over one bond, one assessment, one election, one development project, or one public meeting.
IT IS A GOVERNING PATTERN.
The same political network that has fought to control the Republican organization has repeatedly defended government actions that conflict with the principles printed beneath the Republican name.
A party that says Lower Taxes, while Republican officials push taxes, debt, and special assessments.
A party that says Limited Government, while Republican officials repeatedly seek broader governmental power.
A party that says Individual Responsibility, while political allies protect one another from accountability.
A party that says Bill of Rights, while Republican governments restrict the citizens attempting to address them.
A party that speaks constantly about election integrity, while conduct admitted in sworn court testimony by our own County Clerk remains part of the public record and those demanding accountability are treated as the problem.
At some point, a political label has to mean something.
BEING ELECTED AS A REPUBLICAN DOES NOT MAKE EVERY ACTION REPUBLICAN.
SO WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE REPUBLICANS?
That may be the most important question facing the Hillsdale Republican Party.
Hillsdale did not turn Democrat.
Its conservative population did not disappear.
The people who believe in constitutional government did not suddenly stop caring.
They organized somewhere else.
They fought somewhere else.
They built organizations.
They investigated.
They recruited.
They challenged taxes and special assessments.
They challenged government overreach.
They fought for election integrity.
They attended meetings.
They grew.
What declined was their willingness to participate in a county Republican organization they no longer trusted.
They did not abandon Republican principles.
They left an organization whose conduct they no longer recognized as Republican.
And while Brent Leininger and his allies fought year after year to retain control of that organization, its grassroots representation fell:
133 → 100 → 50 → 43
Eventually, even control of the machinery could not conceal the result.
They fought to control a Republican Party that became smaller every time they won.
NOW THERE IS AN OPPORTUNITY
On August 13, Hillsdale County Republicans will gather for their county convention.
If you are an elected precinct delegate, come and exercise the responsibility Republican voters gave you.
If you are a Republican who lives in a precinct with an eligible vacant delegate position, come prepared to serve, be nominated, and fill that vacancy when vacancy business is properly before the convention.
If you once served as a delegate but walked away, come back.
If you were pushed away, come back.
If you became disgusted and stopped participating, come see for yourself.
If you have never attended a Republican convention before, come learn how your party works.
And if your precinct does not have an available position, come as a guest. Witness the process. Meet the delegates. Meet the people who have been fighting these battles. Learn what comes next.
Because this is not the County Commissioners’ Republican Party.
It is not the County Clerk’s Republican Party.
It is not the Sheriff’s Republican Party.
It is not the Mayor’s Republican Party.
It does not belong to Brent Leininger, State Representative Jennifer Wortz, Scott Sessions, Scott Hodshire, an Executive Committee, a county officeholder, a political family, or any collection of insiders.
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BELONGS TO REPUBLICANS.
And if the people presently controlling it truly represent Hillsdale Republicans, they should have absolutely nothing to fear from more Hillsdale Republicans walking through that door.
More delegates.
More precincts represented.
More citizens involved.
More accountability.
More Republicans in the room.
43 IS NOT OUR FUTURE
Forty-three is not the proper measure of Republican strength in Hillsdale County.
It is the low-water mark from which we begin rebuilding.
The immediate task is to fill every lawful vacancy available to us, rebuild participation, restore principled representation, and prepare for the next organization of the county party.
Then we restore and expand Hillsdale County’s lawful delegate structure beyond the old 133-delegate benchmark, so representation reflects the real growth, participation, and Republican strength of the reddest county in Michigan.
We are not trying to return Hillsdale County to what it once was.
WE INTEND TO BUILD SOMETHING STRONGER.
A Republican Party large enough to represent its people.
A Republican Party accountable to its delegates.
A Republican Party whose elected officials are measured against the principles they claim to represent.
A Republican Party where disagreement is answered with debate rather than exclusion.
A Republican Party where government officials understand that the law applies to them too.
A Republican Party where ordinary citizens can enter the process, become delegates, hold leadership accountable, and eventually become leaders themselves.
And a Republican Party that never again becomes so small that a handful of people can mistake control of the machinery for ownership of the party.
BUILD SOMETHING STRONGER
This is not simply about replacing one chairman, filling a few vacant seats, or settling an old political dispute.
It is an invitation to every principled Republican in Hillsdale County to band together and build a Republican Party worthy of the people it represents.
Bring back the Republicans who walked away.
Bring together the people who have worked through Hillsdale Conservatives, Families for Hillsdale, Citizens for Hillsdale County, the citizen press, precinct delegates, former delegates, activists, principled elected officials, and ordinary Republicans who have never before had a reason to become involved.
Different organizations have fought different battles.
Now there is an opportunity to bring that strength together.
To build a county Republican Party capable of reshaping our local governments around limited government, constitutional liberty, lower taxes, fiscal responsibility, honest elections, individual responsibility, local control, and accountability under the law.
To continue strengthening and supporting the grassroots Republican movement of District 5 that remained connected with Hillsdale’s principled Republicans through years of local conflict.
And to send an increasingly strong Hillsdale delegation outward into the Michigan Republican Party, helping move our state back toward the Republican principles and constitutional roots it was meant to represent.
Hillsdale County should not merely be called the reddest county in Michigan on Election Day.
IT SHOULD LEAD LIKE IT.
Our local governments should reflect it.
Our county party should embody it.
Our congressional district should be stronger because of it.
And the Michigan Republican Party should know that when Hillsdale County arrives, it brings a large, organized, principled grassroots delegation with it.
That begins by filling the seats available today.
Then rebuilding the organization.
Then restoring and expanding grassroots representation beyond 133 delegates.
Then recruiting and supporting candidates and public officials who understand that a Republican endorsement is not simply a letter beside their name.
It is a commitment to govern according to Republican principles.
The organizations that arose during these years proved something important:
THE GRASSROOTS NEVER DIED.
They separated.
They organized.
They grew.
Now it is time to bring that strength together.
COME BACK.
FILL THE SEATS.
RECLAIM YOUR PARTY.
Thursday, August 13, 2026 · 7:00 PM
Jefferson Township Hall
2837 S. Bird Lake Rd. · Osseo, Michigan 49266
in liberty,
Maximus Decimus Meridius
PUBLIC RECORD, EVIDENCE & SOURCE TIMELINE
The issues described in this article did not develop overnight. What follows is a chronological collection of public records, official election results, court transcripts, government documents, recorded meetings, news reports, party correspondence, complaints, litigation records, and prior reporting concerning the events that have shaped Hillsdale County over the last several years.
Readers are encouraged to review the original materials and reach their own conclusions.
2021 — ADAMS TOWNSHIP: THE ELECTION DISPUTE BEGINS
Michigan Bureau of Elections removes Stephanie Scott from election administration
The Michigan Department of State publicly announced on October 25, 2021 that the Bureau of Elections was directing that Adams Township Clerk Stephanie Scott cease administering elections and that the county/Bureau would assume supervisory functions. This became the foundation of the election dispute that ultimately generated years of litigation and sworn testimony.
Michigan Secretary of State — Adams Township Clerk Removed from Election Responsibilities
https://www.michigan.gov/sos/resources/news/2021/10/25/adams-township-clerk-removed-from-election-responsibilities
2022 — THE REPUBLICAN DELEGATE WAR
Official 2022 Republican precinct-delegate results
The county’s own certified delegate report shows the much larger delegate structure that existed in 2022, including six seats in Adams, six in Cambria, six in Jefferson, six in Somerset Precinct 2, four in Hillsdale City Ward III, and numerous other multi-seat precincts.
Hillsdale County — Official 2022 GOP Delegate Results
https://www.hillsdalecounty.gov/images/elections/archive/2022AugPrimary/Delegate_Results_-_GOP.pdf
Hillsdale County Election Archive
https://www.hillsdalecounty.gov/index.php/hm-electionarchive
Delegates barred and competing conventions held
The 2022 dispute became statewide when dozens of elected delegates were barred from one county convention and an alternate convention was held. MIGOP’s credentials process ultimately selected the alternate slate for the state convention.
Hillsdale Collegian — State, county GOP clash over delegates
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/?p=9004111222114154
FOX47 — Michigan GOP makes decision with Hillsdale County delegates after infighting leads to separate candidate lists
https://www.fox47news.com/neighborhoods/jackson-hillsdale/michigan-gop-makes-decision-with-hillsdale-county-delegates-after-infighting-leads-to-separate-candidate-lists
Longer history of the Hillsdale GOP split
This retrospective chronology includes the 2022 conventions, subsequent litigation, state-party recognition disputes, censure actions, and competing county organizations.
AOL/Hillsdale Daily News — The rise of America First Republicans in Hillsdale’s politics
https://www.aol.com/rise-america-first-republicans-hillsdales-090236312.html
2024 — DELEGATE REPRESENTATION FALLS AGAIN
132 → 100 → 50 dispute reaches federal court
FOX47 reported Jon Rutan’s allegation that then-County Clerk Marney Kast reduced the county delegate allocation from 132 to 100 in 2022 and that the 2024 allotment was being reduced to approximately 50. Deputy Clerk Abraham Dane responded that the allocation process was a statutory Election Commission function. The report also covers the federal civil action involving Kast, Dane, and Commissioner Brent Leininger.
FOX47 — Hillsdale Republican Rift Moves to Federal Court
https://www.fox47news.com/neighborhoods/jackson-hillsdale/hillsdale-republican-rift-moves-to-federal-court
Official 2024 Republican delegate results
The county’s official 2024 report establishes the reduced precinct allocations while also showing substantial competition for many of the available seats. Adams had six candidates competing for three seats; Cambria had ten candidates for three; Hillsdale Township had numerous candidates for three; Jefferson had numerous candidates for three; and other precincts were similarly contested.
Hillsdale County — Official 2024 GOP Delegate Results
https://www.hillsdalecounty.gov/images/elections/resultuploads/GOP_Delegates_2024.pdf
Both Hillsdale factions appear at state convention
State Sen. Jonathan Lindsey helped broker a temporary arrangement under which representatives of both Hillsdale Republican factions shared the county’s state-convention delegation.
Hillsdale Collegian — Hillsdale GOP factions share seats at convention
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2024/03/hillsdale-gop-factions-share-seats-at-convention/
2024–2026 — THE PROSECUTION OF STEPHANIE SCOTT
Michigan Attorney General announces charges
Michigan Attorney General — May 8, 2024 announcement
https://www.michigan.gov/ag/news/press-releases/2024/05/08/ag-nessel-charges-attorney-stefanie-lambert-and-former-adams-township-clerk-scott
AUGUST 2025 — THE COURT TESTIMONY
These two transcripts are among the most important primary records in the entire Hillsdale story.
August 11, 2025 certified preliminary-examination transcript
Includes sworn testimony from Michigan Bureau of Elections Director Jonathan Brater and Hillsdale County Clerk Abraham Dane concerning election administration, EPB directives, equipment, township authority, government correspondence, and the 2021 Adams Township events.
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
https://hillsdale.press/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2025.08.11-P-v.-Scott-Lambert-Transcript1-1.pdf
August 12, 2025 certified preliminary-examination transcript
This transcript contains Dane’s testimony that he personally deleted EPB flash-drive data “many times,” that he took Adams Township’s November 2020 ballots, that the township clerk had custody of those ballots, and that he could not identify a Michigan law authorizing him to take those prior-election ballots.
FULL TRANSCRIPT:
https://hillsdale.press/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2025.08.12-P.-v.-Scott-Lambert-Transcript-1.pdf
Initial Hillsdale Press reporting on the testimony
Deleted from History: Inside the Hillsdale County Election Case That Could Shake Michigan
https://hillsdale.press/2025/08/13/deleted-from-history-inside-the-hillsdale-county-election-case-that-could-shake-michigan/
Transcripts of a Broken Republic: Michigan on the Brink
https://hillsdale.press/2025/09/18/__trashed-2/
FALL 2025 — HILLSDALE COUNTY FAIR / SHERIFF’S OFFICE
These reports contain the correspondence, membership documents, photographs, video, legal citations, and complaints underlying the Fair controversy. They should be read as reports and complaints concerning alleged misconduct, not as criminal judgments.
October 2025 — Fair governance dispute
The Fair That Turned Its Back on Its Community’s Roots
https://hillsdale.press/2025/10/05/the-fair-that-turned-its-back-on-its-communities-roots/
October 28 — Sheriff/Fair meeting and trespass controversy
Sheriff’s Threats and the Fair Board’s Lawless Acts
https://hillsdale.press/2025/10/28/sheriffs-threats-and-the-fair-boards-lawless-acts-a-civic-report-on-hillsdale-countys-abuse-of-authority/
November 1 — Membership decision reversed after consultation with counsel
The published email from Fair Manager Sabine Young stated that, after consulting an attorney, residents previously denied membership would be permitted to apply by paying the $10 fee and completing the membership card.
Hillsdale Fair Board Abruptly Reverses Membership Decision
https://hillsdale.press/2025/11/01/hillsdale-fair-board-abruptly-reverses-membership-decision/
November 14 — Membership surge and subsequent meeting controversy
Hillsdale Fair Board’s Membership Flip Spurs December Showdown
https://hillsdale.press/2025/11/14/hillsdale-fair-boards-membership-flip-spurs-december-showdown-another-secret-meeting/
December 11 — Formal criminal complaint
The published complaint identifies the allegations concerning membership denials, Fair-related meetings at the Sheriff’s Department, Nathan Lambright’s dual Fair Board/Undersheriff roles, Sheriff Scott Hodshire’s involvement, records, and the annual meeting.
Formal Criminal Complaint Against Officials Connected to the Hillsdale County Fair and Sheriff’s Office
https://hillsdale.press/2025/12/11/formal-criminal-complaint-against-officials-connected-to-the-hillsdale-county-fair-and-sheriffs-office/
December 14 — Fair annual meeting
Corruption Thrives in Silence: Why Hillsdale County Must Show Up for Its Fair
https://hillsdale.press/2025/12/14/corruption-thrives-in-silence-why-hillsdale-county-must-show-up-for-its-fair/
DECEMBER 2025 — THE TABULATOR CASE
Court findings
December 1, 2025 Court Findings — People v. Scott/Lambert
https://hillsdale.press/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2025.12.01-Court-Findings-P-v-Scott-Lambert-1.pdf
Full investigation and documentary chronology
The Tabulator That Was Never Missing
https://hillsdale.press/2025/12/04/the-tabulator-that-was-never-missing/
The article contains links to the search warrant, court findings, briefing documents, transcripts, communications, and other materials associated with the Adams Township prosecution.
JANUARY–FEBRUARY 2026 — COUNTY COMMISSION PUT ON NOTICE
January 9 — Court testimony formally brought into county-governance discussion
Sworn Admissions and the County Commissioners’ Duty: Oaths on the Record, Silence in Office
https://hillsdale.press/2026/01/09/sworn-admissions-and-the-county-commissioners-duty-oaths-on-the-record-silence-in-office/
January 15 — Rule 5.13 agenda-placement dispute
At the time, the cited Board rule said a qualifying resident requesting extended presentation time “shall be placed” on the agenda.
Agenda Control vs. Public Duty: The Hillsdale County Election Dispute
https://hillsdale.press/2026/01/15/agenda-control-vs-public-duty-the-hillsdale-county-election-dispute/
January 29 — Complete notice/evidence package
This page contains downloadable agenda requests, court findings, both August 2025 transcripts, briefing materials, and supporting documents.
Notice Given, Record Made: Why Hillsdale County Commissioners Are Now Accountable
https://hillsdale.press/2026/01/29/notice-given-record-made-why-hillsdale-county-commissioners-are-now-accountable/
February 8 — transcript passages compared with local media claims
When WCSR Claims the Court Record “Refutes” You, and the Court Video Says Otherwise
https://hillsdale.press/2026/02/08/when-wcsr-claims-the-court-record-refutes-you-and-the-court-video-says-otherwise/
2025–2026 — LIFEWAYS AND THE $15.5 MILLION BOND
Citizens for Hillsdale County
Citizens for Hillsdale County formed around the LifeWays bond controversy and documents the petition drive and public objections.
https://www.citizensforhillsdalecounty.com/current-issues
July 2025 — board sends issue toward voters
FOX47 — No $15.5M bond for LifeWays in Hillsdale until voters decide on it next year
https://www.fox47news.com/neighborhoods/jackson-hillsdale/no-15-5m-bond-for-lifeways-in-hillsdale-until-voters-decide-on-it-next-year
Independent report on the petition drive and July 2025 reversal:
https://bluewaterhealthyliving.com/news/local-news/michigan/great-concern-officials-decide-lifeways-bond-should-head-to-the-ballot-after-all/
February 10, 2026 — commissioners reverse course on the ballot
Commissioners Brent Leininger, Kevin Collins and Mark Wiley voted against keeping the LifeWays question on the August ballot; Brad Benzing and Doug Ingles voted to send it to voters.
Radio Hillsdale
https://www.radiohillsdale.com/2026/02/13/commissioners-vote-against-placing-lifeways-bond-on-ballot/
Hillsdale Collegian
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2026/02/lifeways-bond-will-not-appear-on-august-ballot/
February 24 — public backlash
Radio Hillsdale — Commissioners Table LifeWays Issue After Public Backlash
https://www.radiohillsdale.com/2026/02/25/commissioners-table-lifeways-issue-after-public-backlash/
Hillsdale Press — County Circus and the $15.5M Elephant
https://hillsdale.press/2026/02/23/county-circus-and-the-15-5m-elephant-commissioners-fiduciary-failure/
March 10 — crowd overwhelms commission room
The meeting was adjourned because the room could not accommodate the crowd that arrived over the LifeWays issue.
Hillsdale Collegian
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2026/03/commissioners-meeting-postponed-after-public-turnout/
March 23 — LifeWays retreat begins
THE BLUFF GOT CALLED
https://hillsdale.press/2026/03/23/the-bluff-got-called/
LifeWays’ own public transparency page
LifeWays now states that the Hillsdale bond request was withdrawn and discusses alternative facility planning.
https://www.lifewaysmi.org/transparency
2026 — CITY ROADS, SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS & THE ROAD DIET
Official City special-assessment program
The City’s own page describes a maximum resident share of $5,000 per parcel and the City’s financing terms.
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/citycouncil/page/special-assessment-districts
Road Diet / M-99 traffic calming
Official City January 2025 forum:
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/planning/page/upcoming-public-forum-m-99-traffic-calming-plan-road-diet
Official City June 2025 forum:
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/planning/page/june-12-2025-public-forum-m-99-traffic-calming-plan-road-diet
Official September 2025 special meeting:
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/citycouncil/page/council-special-meeting
Independent reporting on the $135,000 City commitment and public debate:
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2025/09/residents-weigh-in-on-road-diet-at-forum/
January–February 2026 — residents organize against SADs
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2026/01/residents-oppose-proposed-road-repair-plans
Residents in three proposed districts successfully petitioned against the assessments.
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2026/02/residents-reject-road-repair-plans-at-public-hearing/
March 2026 — effort to suspend SADs
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2026/03/council-rejects-motion-to-suspend-sads-for-road-repairs
March 16 — mandatory SAD policy repealed
After sustained opposition, Council voted 8-0 to repeal the policy requiring SAD financing and left SADs as one optional financing method.
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2026/03/city-mulls-new-ways-to-fund-road-repairs
KEEFER HOUSE
The Keefer House controversy predates much of the current political conflict and documents years of extensions tied to an OPRA tax incentive.
January 2025
The project, originally expected to be completed years earlier, received another extension.
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2025/01/keefer-hotel-to-finish-in-september-after-delays
October 2025 — fifth extension
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2025/10/keefer-house-hotel-granted-fifth-extension
December 2025 / January 2026 — sixth extension
Mayor Scott Sessions, Jacob Bruns and Matt Bentley voted against this particular extension.
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2026/01/keefer-house-hotel-granted-sixth-extension-to-june
DAWN THEATER
Official City history and public investment
The City states that TIFA purchased the Dawn Theater in 2016 and that rehabilitation was aided by a $1.4 million MEDC grant before the theater reopened in 2022.
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/econdev/page/dawn-theater
2025 — City/TIFA seeks new operator and lessee
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/cityclerk/page/request-proposals-rfp-operation-dawn-theater
January 2026 — management letters under review
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/bc-tifa/page/tifa-targeted-development-committee-10
April–May 2026 — management proposals still under consideration
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/bc-tifa/page/tifa-targeted-development-28
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/bc-tifa/page/tifa-targeted-development-29
FEBRUARY–APRIL 2026 — FAYETTE TOWNSHIP / HEARTWOOD II SOLAR
No Solar Fayette — public-document repository
The organization maintains applications, maps, plans, environmental information, decommissioning materials, studies and other records relating to Heartwood II.
https://nosolarfayette.com/resources
February 19 — PA 233 / Heartwood correspondence
The Price of Speaking
https://hillsdale.press/2026/02/19/the-price-of-speaking/
March 30 — official hearing notice summarized
The public notice described a proposed up-to-140 MW project covering approximately 1,388 acres.
April — Fayette adopts renewable-energy ordinance
https://hillsdalecollegian.com/2026/04/fayette-township-adopts-new-rules-to-stop-solar-panels
April 16 hearing
Radio Hillsdale reported substantial public turnout and that the township’s consultant identified deficiencies in the Heartwood II submission and recommended denial based on incomplete information.
https://www.radiohillsdale.com/2026/04/17/public-hearing-on-ranger-solar-project-suspended-for-time
MARCH–APRIL 2026 — HILLSDALE REPUBLICAN PARTY / DISTRICT 5
Delegate protection history
The Delegates’ Bill of Rights — November 18, 2025
https://hillsdale.press/2025/11/18/the-delegates-bill-of-rights-support-of-the-delegate-protection-oversight-amendments/
March 28, 2026 — Fifth District Chairman Benjamin Myers’ letter
This is a direct primary source from Michigan Fifth Congressional District Chairman Benjamin Myers. It describes the Hillsdale standing/recognition litigation, the $48,000 judgment involving MIGOP, the February 2026 State Committee resolution, and Myers’ proposed motion to declare the identified Hillsdale delegation ineligible.
FULL LETTER:
https://hillsdale.press/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/Benjamin_R_Myers_Letter_2026-03-28-1.pdf
Related Hillsdale Press article:
https://hillsdale.press/2026/03/30/april-outlook-the-crowd-keeps-growing-and-the-mask-keeps-slipping/
APRIL 2026 — MARK WILEY, LIFEWAYS & COUNTY CLERK RECORD
April 7 accountability packet
This article contains downloadable:
- Statement of Charges concerning Commissioner Mark Wiley’s LifeWays appointment
- Resolution to censure Wiley
- Resolution to remove Wiley from the LifeWays Board
- Resolution concerning Abraham Dane’s sworn court testimony
- Supporting submission records
April 11 — Rule 5.13 / public access / LifeWays / election record
No Kings?
https://hillsdale.press/2026/04/11/no-kings/
This article compares the earlier Board language saying qualifying speakers “shall be placed” on an agenda with the February 10, 2026 rules changing the provision to “may be placed” at the chair’s discretion.
APRIL–JUNE 2026 — THE SCOTT/LAMBERT CASE COLLAPSES
April 9 — Motion to Quash hearing preview and supporting filings
April 30 — Circuit Court grants Motion to Quash Bindover
The April 30 order vacated the felony bindover in the Circuit Court case.
COURT ORDER:
https://drive.google.com/file/u/0/d/1x_mCIR6af_wShrTFIcFuYbtt47XHfRX0/view?usp=drivesdk
May 1 — full Hillsdale Press report and source list
Not Guilty: The Witch Hunt Collapsed. Now Hillsdale Must Answer.
https://hillsdale.press/2026/05/01/the-witch-hunt-collapsed-now-hillsdale-must-answer/
That article also links the court order, briefing, transcripts, prior reporting, HB 5717, and outside election-analysis material.
June 16 — State’s reconsideration denied
Reconsideration Denied: The Clerk Was Charged for the Crimes the County Clerk Admitted To
https://hillsdale.press/2026/06/17/reconsideration-denied-the-clerk-was-charged-for-the-crimes-the-county-clerk-admitted-to/
MARCH–MAY 2026 — HB 5717 AND FAYETTE TOWNSHIP ELECTION ADMINISTRATION
Michigan Election Law — MCL 168.373
https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-168-373
House Bill 5717
Official Michigan Legislature bill page:
https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Bills/Bill?ObjectName=2026-HB-5717
March 17 House Election Integrity Committee proceedings
Michigan House Video Archive:
https://www.house.mi.gov/VideoArchive
May 22 — They Knew
This is the principal Fayette Township evidence hub. It links township documents, the statutory dispute, complaints, canvasser memoranda, HB 5717, public-meeting material, and video.
Video evidence linked in the article
County Commissioners informed concerning Fayette / MCL 168.373:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/QgzXlKUm7pM
Abe Dane before the Board of Canvassers:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iPG6woBnZuI
Canvasser Lawrence Peter discussing certification under threat of misdemeanor liability:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/iErLdYmn_Zw
Board of Canvassers meeting:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DJA_Fw8X5k&t=415s
JUNE 2026 — HILLSDALE CITY PUBLIC COMMENT
Written City rule in effect before the controversy
2019 Hillsdale City Council Rules of Procedure:
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/sites/default/files/fileattachments/mayor_and_city_council/page/7945/council_rules_of_procedure_final_2019.pdf
City Council Rules page:
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/citycouncil/page/council-rules-procedure
City Council meeting archive
The City archive contains the agendas, packets and minutes for the May, June and July meetings involved in the dispute.
https://www.cityofhillsdale.org/meetings?field_microsite_tid_1=27
June 2 — “requested” becomes “required”
Violating Rules/Laws? Just Change Them.
https://hillsdale.press/2026/06/02/violating-rules-laws-just-change-them/
June 10 — verified complaint filed
The lawsuit is identified as Lashaway v. City of Hillsdale, Case No. 2026-329-CZ. The article includes the downloadable court filing.
Hillsdale City Council v. The English Language
https://hillsdale.press/2026/06/10/hillsdale-city-council-v-the-english-language/
Michigan Open Meetings Act — public participation
MCL 15.263
https://www.legislature.mi.gov/Laws/MCL?objectName=mcl-15-263
JUNE 23, 2026 — COUNTY COMMISSION PUBLIC-COMMENT REMOVAL
The June 23 matter generated a preservation demand, litigation hold, requests for reports, and notices to county, city, state and law-enforcement officials. The article contains the downloadable preservation packet and describes the recorded incident.
Document Everything: A Letter to Hillsdale Conservatives
https://hillsdale.press/2026/06/24/another-lawsuit/
JULY–AUGUST 2026 — MOSCOW TOWNSHIP ELECTION SERVICES
Hillsdale County official public-record portal
Board agendas, resolutions and meeting packets:
https://hillsdale.community.diligentoneplatform.com/portal/
July 28 Board of Commissioners meeting
Resolution 26-082 concerned an election-services agreement between Moscow Township and Hillsdale County. The five commissioners present approved the resolution. The public agreement identified Hillsdale County as the “Contractor.”
County meeting video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MWv5RkNhLzI
August 2 — full source and affidavit package
When Government Acts Without Authority
https://hillsdale.press/2026/08/02/when-government-acts-without-authority/
This page contains the chronology from Adams → Fayette → Moscow, the election-services agreement, statutory sources, public meeting material, sworn criminal referrals, and a source appendix.
Comparable 2026 Argentine Township arrangement
ABC12 — Argentine Township brings in election coordinator to run August primaries
https://www.abc12.com/news/politics/argentine-township-brings-in-election-coordinator-to-run-august-primaries/article_36e12879-4b2e-4498-abb2-0af78842cc2e.html
AUGUST 4, 2026 — THE CURRENT REPUBLICAN DELEGATE ELECTION
Official Hillsdale County 2026 primary results
The current county results show the precinct-by-precinct Republican delegate races from which the present 43-seat structure can be totaled.
Official Precinct Results — August 4, 2026
https://www.hillsdalecounty.gov/images/elections/resultuploads/Precinct_Results-8-4-2026.pdf
Hillsdale County Election Archive
https://www.hillsdalecounty.gov/index.php/hm-electionarchive
For comparison:
Official 2024 GOP Delegate Results — 50-seat election structure
https://www.hillsdalecounty.gov/images/elections/resultuploads/GOP_Delegates_2024.pdf
Official 2022 GOP Delegate Results — substantially larger delegate structure
https://www.hillsdalecounty.gov/images/elections/archive/2022AugPrimary/Delegate_Results_-_GOP.pdf
FOX47’s 2024 report concerning the historic 132 → 100 → 50 dispute
https://www.fox47news.com/neighborhoods/jackson-hillsdale/hillsdale-republican-rift-moves-to-federal-court
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS & PUBLIC ACCOUNTABILITY RESOURCES
Hillsdale Conservatives / Hillsdale Press
Citizens for Hillsdale County
https://www.citizensforhillsdalecounty.com
Current Issues / LifeWays documentation:
https://www.citizensforhillsdalecounty.com/current-issues
No Solar Fayette
Document repository:
https://nosolarfayette.com/resources
LifeWays official transparency materials
https://www.lifewaysmi.org/transparency
OVERVIEW ARTICLES CONNECTING THE RECORD
For readers who want the broader chronology before going through the individual records:
America First Abroad, Old Regime at Home
A broad overview of the election disputes, LifeWays, solar, roads, special assessments, Keefer, Dawn, Sheriff/Fair controversies and local-government accountability battles.
https://hillsdale.press/2026/03/15/america-first-abroad-old-regime-at-home/
Hillsdale County Is Waking Up
Documents the increasing public participation surrounding LifeWays, Fayette solar and county-government controversies.
https://hillsdale.press/2026/04/18/hillsdale-county-is-waking-up/
No Kings?
County rules, LifeWays, public access and election-accountability chronology.
https://hillsdale.press/2026/04/11/no-kings/
They Knew
Fayette Township election administration, MCL 168.373, HB 5717, complaints, canvass records and government notice.
https://hillsdale.press/2026/05/22/they-knew/
Violating Rules/Laws? Just Change Them.
County “shall → may,” City “requested → required,” and the broader rule-changing pattern.
https://hillsdale.press/2026/06/02/violating-rules-laws-just-change-them/
When Government Acts Without Authority
Adams, Fayette and Moscow election-administration chronology and sworn referrals.
https://hillsdale.press/2026/08/02/when-government-acts-without-authority/
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