Michigan holds primaries on August 7. In the U.S. House race in the Eleventh District, the two names on the Democratic primary ballot are Dr. Syed Taj, and William Roberts. Taj is a physician, born in India; Roberts is a supporter of Lyndon LaRouche. Here is a story about that primary race.

Although the Eleventh district generally supports Republicans, this year Democrats feel they have a chance in the district, because the Republican incumbent, Thad McCotter, dropped out of the primary after it was too late for anyone else to get on the Republican primary ballot. The lone Republican who had filed against McCotter does not have the credentials or support that McCotter would have had. There are also some Republicans hoping to win the Republican primary by write-ins.

Voters often are not fully-informed about their choices in major party primaries for Congress. LaRouche supporters have won many Democratic primaries during the last 32 years. Most notably, in 1986, LaRouche supporter Mark J. Fairchild won the Illinois Democratic primary for Lieutenant Governor against mainstream Democrat George Sangmeister; and in that same primary, LaRouche supporter Janice A. Hart won for Secretary of State against mainstream Democrat Aurelia Pucinski.

Michigan has open primaries. Any voter is free to choose any party’s primary ballot. Michigan’s ballot-qualified minor parties nominate by convention, not by primary, so only the Democrats and Republicans have primaries this year and most years.