GOP's Karamo to Newsmax: 'Running on Following the Law' Kristina Karamo (Getty Images)
By Jay Clemons | Monday, 07 November 2022 03:58 PM EST
Kristina Karamo, the Republican candidate for Michigan secretary of state, didn't require much time to answer the question of how she plans to shake things up on her first day in January — if she prevails in Tuesday's midterm elections.
"By following the law," Karamo succinctly told Newsmax on Monday while appearing on "American Agenda."
From Karamo's perspective, in previous election cycles, Michigan voters were fooled by Democratic Party candidates characterizing themselves as moderates.
"But then they tend to take a left turn once getting into office," says Karamo, a community college professor who has also secured the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. "But that won't happen to me as [Michigan's] secretary of state."
Jocelyn Benson, Michigan's current secretary of state and Karamo's main opponent, has garnered criticism from residents over the last few years — with issues ranging from election integrity and election security to the Democrat leaders' actions in handling the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020-21.
This strikes Karamo as odd, since the secretary of state position is "really not a partisan role."
Also, Karamo alluded to allegations of Benson's office committing election-related violations in the past month.
"I'm running on following the law" and making sure Michigan residents are properly served, regardless of political affiliation, Karamo said.
When the Newsmax interview turned to reports of minority groups, such as Hispanics and Latino, supporting the Republicans in droves this election cycle, Karamo expressed no surprise.
"The Democratic Party is no longer liberal," said Karamo, adding that the progressive wing has taken over.
As part of that, Karamo says Benson's office previously proposed "doing away" with photo identification needed for voting.
Also, Karamo said Democrat leaders supported the promotion of pornographic materials in schools, which angered a large faction of conservative Arab or Muslim families living in Metro Detroit.
"The parents were demonized for making reasonable requests" of school leaders, said Karamo.
And that experience — along with Michigan's questionable handling of the COVID-19 response, in terms of getting kids back in schools in a timely manner — has prompted these same families to get behind the Republicans' general platform, said Karamo.
"And [the parents] are not going to stand for [being ignored] any longer," said Karamo.