Bailey Ends Bid For Congress, Looks Toward Lansing

By Peter Payette

The chairman of the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians will end his run for the U.S. Congress. Instead Derek Bailey will set his sights on the Michigan House of Representatives.

Bailey says he would need to raise more than a million dollars to run for Congress. And in the primary he would face Gary McDowell, who has much better name recognition after three terms in Lansing and a prior run for Michigan's 1st Congressional District in 2010.

Bailey says he'll seek the Democratic nomination to challenge Representative Ray Franz for the 101st state house seat. The 101st district stretches from Leelanau to Mason County. Allan O'Shea, a former Manistee County commissioner is the only candidate who has officially filed for the Democratic primary in that race.