Cassis Pledges To Stay in Sept. 5 Special Election

lost last week’s primary election, but is still in the running to be a member of U.S. Congress — for a few months at least.

Cassis, who lost her , confirmed that she intends to fulfill her requirement as a candidate on the ballot for the Sept. 5 election, according to the National Journal.

"My name's on the ballot, yes," she said, noting "it's important to have a presence."

The affirmation didn’t sit well with Bentiviolo, of Milford, who has since and other key members of the Michigan’s Republican Party. He noted that losing the primary election could prevent him from earning some seniority in Congress, should he win the November contest against Democrat Dr. Syed Taj of Canton.

“It's unfortunate, yet not surprising, that she has decided to do this,” he said in a statement. “Today, I call on Nancy Cassis to re-consider her decision to run so we can focus on taking the fight to the democrats and I ask our supporters to do the same."

Bentiviolo also took Cassis to task for insisting with continuing her efforts, despite statements to the otherwise on the July 13 WKAR-TV's broadcast of the "Off the Record" show. 

“Absolutely, I’m a fiscal conservative," she said in response to a question about dropping out of the special election if the Aug. 7 write-in campaign failed. "To put through the taxpayers of the state, to have a bill come out that would be $650,000. It’s ridiculous on the face of it.”

Gov. Snyder called for the special election last month to fulfill the remaining few months  of Thaddeus McCotter’s, term following the 11th District incumbent’s . The implosion of McCotter’s re-election bid continued to unfold last week as Attorney General Bill Scheuette announced . 

Both Cassis and Bentiviolo filed by the July 20 deadline for the special election, when they were still campaigning for the newly drawn 11th District. Beginning in January, the district will stretch from Wayne County and include Birmingham.

Birmingham residents, , will not vote in the special election, though several other community will voting in September that is expected cost around $650,000.

Running in the special election alongside Cassis and Bentivolio are fellow Republicans Steve King, Kenneth Crider and Carolyn Cavanagh, and Democrat David Curson.

Her campaign did not immediately respond to request for comment Tuesday, but Casis told the National Journal she intended to stay engaged in the race.

She also addressed the matter of her previous statements with the Journal, including one that she wouldn’t endorse Bentiviolo, who still faces Taj in the November election.

“At this point in time, I think my statement that I made in my concession speech says it all," Cassis said (She congratulated Bentivolio and wished him well). "As for an endorsement as such, no."