The Michigan Republican Party Credentials Committee has once again removed the delegation submitted under Brent Leininger’s authority from State Convention.

This time, the decision was unanimous.

Hillsdale has seen versions of this fight before. District 5 has consistently rejected Leininger’s organization as the lawful representation of Hillsdale Republicans. Previous Credentials Committees have acted against his delegations, and the Michigan Republican State Convention itself has acted on Hillsdale.

But the unanimous 2026 decision has pushed the dispute beyond another convention-floor credentials fight.

It has opened a much larger discussion inside the Fifth District and State Party about what comes next.

Hillsdale County’s Republican precinct-delegate allotment has been unlawfully manipulated for years by County Commissioner Brent Leininger the acting County Party Chair and County Clerk Abe Dane a County Party officer.

The Tabulator That Was Never Missing

2020 — 133
2022 — 100
2024 — 50
2026 — 43

Michigan Election Law, MCL 168.623a, requires the county chair to certify precinct-delegate allotments and requires those allotments across Michigan to be made, as nearly as practicable, on an equal-apportionment basis using the applicable Republican vote.

The Michigan Republican State Committee bylaws impose the same basic requirement in Article XIII(I).

Hillsdale’s own bylaws require the county organization to perform duties imposed by law and operate under Michigan Party bylaws.

Yet the number dropped from 133 to 43.

That restricted the number of Republicans who could become precinct delegates before the county convention ever began and reduced the electorate that ultimately selected Hillsdale’s State Convention delegation.

The State Party Had Already Warned Where This Was Going

The delegate fight was already tied to broader concerns inside the State Party.

The 2026 Policy Committee found the Hillsdale County organization had acted “in bad faith towards its members and delegates” and proposed corrective terms dealing with the delegate allotment and the continuing litigation being used in the fight over control of the county organization.

The corrective process contemplated credentials consequences if those conditions were not satisfied.

They were not.

The litigation continued.

The allotment fell again.

And the credentials issue returned.

This time the Credentials Committee unanimously rejected the delegation produced under Leininger’s leadership.

Now the Discussion Has Changed

The question inside the Party is no longer simply whether another Leininger delegation should be allowed into State Convention.

That question has now been answered again.

The conversations taking place within District and State Party circles are moving toward the structure that keeps producing these disputes.

Among the issues now being discussed are:

• removing the existing leadership of Leininger’s county organization;
• recalculating and restoring Hillsdale’s precinct-delegate allotment under the lawful statewide standard;
• and holding a special Hillsdale County convention under that corrected representation.

That would address the problem at its source instead of waiting for another credentials fight.

A special convention held after the lawful delegate allotment is restored would put the decision back where it belongs: with a properly constituted Hillsdale Republican delegate body.

From 43 Back to Representation

The next step is not simply finding another temporary way around 43 seats.

It is determining what Hillsdale’s lawful allotment actually is.

Michigan law and Party bylaws already provide the standard.

Apply it.

Restore the delegate positions.

Then allow Hillsdale Republicans to reorganize through a special convention conducted under that lawful structure.

This time, the unanimous removal of Leininger’s delegation may have pushed the Party toward something different:

Accountability.

in liberty,
Precinct delegate,
Lance Lashaway