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GOP leasing space in White Lake for 'victory center'
May 14, 2008
by Andrew Sawmiller
White Lake Township is poised to be a hot bed for the Grand Old Party (GOP) during this year's election cycle, as local members will soon create an official Republican Headquarters along the M-59 corridor.
The North Oakland Republican Club, along with the Michigan Republican Party, has leased office space just west of Pontiac Lake Road along the busy M-59 thoroughfare, across from the popular Ripples Restaurant.
Township Supervisor Mike Kowall, a Republican, said the space will likely act as a phone bank, sign depot, and welcome center for national, state, county and local Republicans as they campaign around the area.
With the Oakland County International Airport just down the road, the center will see some heavy political hitters come through, according to Kowall.
"Actually, they're calling it a victory center," he said. "It's going to be a place for people where they can pick up signs, and its centrally located in the northern part of the county so it's accessible to all the groups that need to pick up information and literature. It'll be a place where all the precinct delegates can come by and pick up all their stuff.
"It's going to be the (Republican) center for this area," he said.
North Oakland Republican Club President Jim Runestad, who is also running a campaign for the Oakland County Board of Commissioners 6th District seat, said while exact uses haven't been determined, the space will be used for a number of functions.
"It obviously has a lot of additional space for bring in and storing lawn signs and literature," he said. "So it certainly has that ability.
"Victory centers are designed to help Republican candidates get elected," he said. "This year we have been able to get a victory center that has a wonderful location and utility in terms of space."
Both Kowall and Runestad said it's possible Republican presidential candidate U.S. Sen. John McCain could make stops at the location.
"We're hoping that because of the proximity to the airport that we're going to get visited by some pretty high profile people, not excluding McCain," Kowall said.
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