Pam Byrnes
{{Short description|American politician}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2014}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name= Pam Byrnes
|image name=
|state_house=Michigan
|state=Michigan
|district=52nd
|term_start=January 1, 2005
|term_end=December 31, 2010
|preceded=Gene DeRossett
|succeeded=Mark Ouimet
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1947|06|25}}
|birth_place=
|death_date=
|death_place=
|spouse=Kent Brown
|nationality=American
|occupation=
|profession=Attorney
|religion=
|party =Democratic
|residence = Chelsea, Michigan
}}
Pam Byrnes (born June 25, 1947) is a former Democratic State Representative in the Michigan State House of Representatives, representing the 52nd District, which covers parts of Washtenaw County.{{cite web|url=http://052.housedems.com/ |title=State Representative Pam Byrnes |publisher=Michigan House Democrats |date= |access-date=July 30, 2010}} On July 18, 2013, Pam Byrnes announced that she will run as a Democratic candidate to challenge Republican Representative Tim Walberg in Michigan's 7th congressional district.{{cite web|url=http://www.annarbor.com/news/pam-byrnes-announces-she-will-run-against-tim-walberg-for-congress/ |title=Pam Byrnes announces she will run against Tim Walberg for Congress |publisher=AnnArbor.com |date= |access-date=July 18, 2013}}
Career
Byrnes is a lawyer and small business owner, and lives on a small farm outside of Chelsea, Michigan with her husband, Kent Brown. She is the former director of Washtenaw County Friend of the Court. She served as the Executive Director of the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute, a program that provides University of Michigan students and faculty a platform to engage in engineering education and research in an international setting, often collaborating with Michigan businesses, such as General Motors and TRW Automotive.{{cite web |url=http://www.pambyrnesforcongress.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130905193303/http://pambyrnesforcongress.com/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=September 5, 2013 |title=Pam Byrnes for Congress |access-date=July 18, 2013 |df=mdy-all }}
State legislative career
Byrnes was elected to the State House in 2004, beating Republican Joe Yekulis by over 5000 votes.{{cite web|url=http://electionresults.ewashtenaw.org/nov2004/Canvass-Cst3012.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090109071128/http://electionresults.ewashtenaw.org/nov2004/Canvass-Cst3012.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=January 9, 2009 |title=Official Election Results |publisher=Washtenaw County |date=November 16, 2004 |access-date=July 30, 2010}} She competed with Yekulis for the section of western Washtenaw County that he had represented on the County Commission for the past decade. In 2006, Byrnes was the lone Democrat running for State Representative in the district. She faced Republican Shannon Brown in the general election, and she was reelected by over 11000 votes.{{cite web |url=http://electionresults.ewashtenaw.org/nov2006/canvassreport11.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081204183036/http://electionresults.ewashtenaw.org/nov2006/canvassreport11.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2008-12-04 |title=Official Election Results |publisher=Washtenaw County}} Byrnes ran for re-election to the State House for the final time in November 2008, due to Michigan term limits. Byrnes' Republican opponent was Eric Lielbriedis, of Saline. She was reelected with over 62% of the vote, and a margin of over 16000 votes.{{cite web |url=http://electionresults.ewashtenaw.org/nov2008/canvassreport7.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110726042933/http://electionresults.ewashtenaw.org/nov2008/canvassreport7.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=2011-07-26 |title=Official Election Results |publisher=Washtenaw County}} While in the House, Byrnes served as House Speaker Pro Tempore.{{cite web|url=http://www.eclectablog.com/2013/07/breaking-former-house-speaker-pro-tempore-pam-byrnes-announces-candidacy-for-the-7th-congressional-district.html |title=BREAKING: Former House Speaker Pro Tempore Pam Byrnes announces candidacy for the 7th Congressional District |publisher=Eclectablog |date=July 18, 2013}}
On December 13, 2009, Pam Byrnes announced her candidacy for State Senate in Michigan's 18th district at the Ypsilanti Freighthouse in Ypsilanti's Depot Town.{{cite web|author=|url=http://www.annarbor.com/news/state-rep-pam-byrnes-to-run-for-state-senate/ |title=State Rep. Pam Byrnes to run for state senate |publisher=AnnArbor.com |date=December 10, 2009 |access-date=July 30, 2010}} Five days before the election, an article in a Michigan newspaper revealed that the Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP), a Political Action Committee funded in part by Republicans Dick & Betsy DeVos, made two independent expenditures promoting Pam Byrnes and one independent expenditure criticizing her opponent. GLEP lobbies for choice, accountability and quality in education and assists candidates that support education reform.{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.annarbor.com/news/group-questions-why-right-wing-republican-group-is-behind-ads-supporting-democrat-pam-byrnes/ |title=Stanton, Ryan J. "Group questions why right-wing Republican group is behind ads supporting Democrat Pam Byrnes" annarbor.com July 27, 2010 |publisher=AnnArbor.com LLC |date=July 15, 2010 |access-date=July 30, 2010}} Byrnes lost the Democratic primary to Rebekah Warren, 55-41%. Warren would go on to win the general election.
2014 Congressional election
On July 18, 2013, Pam Byrnes announced her candidacy for Congress in Michigan's 7th congressional district. In announcing her candidacy, Byrnes stated, "Washington is broken and Rep. Tim Walberg is part of the problem. Michigan's middle-class is paying the price for his partisan politics that put special interests and corporation before working families."{{cite web|url=http://atr.rollcall.com/embargo-630am-house-democrats-land-michigan-recruit/ |title=House Democrats Land Michigan Recruit #MI07 |publisher=RollCall.com |date= |access-date=July 18, 2013}} Byrnes was endorsed by EMILY's List.{{cite news|last=Jaffe|first=Alexandra|title=EMILY's List designates six female candidates as top recruits|url=https://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/house-races/156989-emilys-list-designates-six-female-candidates-as-top-recruits/|access-date=August 7, 2013|newspaper=The Hill|date=July 22, 2013}} She would go to lose by 53% to 41%.
Electoral history
{{Election box begin no change | title=Michigan's 52nd district House District, 2004}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Pam Byrnes
|votes = 29,740
|percentage = 54.49
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Joe Yekulis
|votes = 24,669
|percentage = 45.20
}}
{{Election box candidate no change
|party = Write-in
|candidate = Various
|votes = 166
|percentage = 0.30
}}
{{Election box majority no change
| votes = 5,071
| percentage = 9.29
}}
{{Election box turnout no change
| votes = 54,575
| percentage =
}}
{{Election box gain with party link without swing
|winner = Democratic Party (United States)
|loser = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change| title=Michigan's 52nd district House District, 2006}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Pam Byrnes (Incumbent)
|votes = 28,046
|percentage = 62.61
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Shannon Brown
|votes = 16,747
|percentage = 37.39
}}
{{Election box majority no change
| votes = 11,299
| percentage = 25.22
}}
{{Election box turnout no change
| votes = 57,185
| percentage =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=Michigan's 52nd district House District, 2008}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Pam Byrnes (Incumbent)
|votes = 35,957
|percentage = 62.88
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Eric Lielbriedis
|votes = 19,180
|percentage = 33.54
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Libertarian Party (United States)
|candidate = John Boyle
|votes = 1,981
|percentage = 3.46
}}
{{Election box candidate no change
|party = Write-in
|candidate = Various
|votes = 67
|percentage = 0.12
}}
{{Election box majority no change
| votes = 16,777
| percentage = 29.29
}}
{{Election box turnout no change
| votes = 57,284
| percentage =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Democratic Party (United States)
| swing =
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Michigan's 18th Senate District, 2010 Democratic primary results
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| candidate = Rebekah Warren
| votes = 13,113
| percentage = 55.66
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Pam Byrnes
|votes = 9,539
|percentage = 40.49
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Thomas Partridge
|votes = 909
|percentage = 3.86
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change
| title = Michigan's 7th Congressional District, 2014 Democratic primary results
}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
| candidate = Pam Byrnes
| party = Democratic Party (United States)
| votes = 25,048
| percentage = 100
}}
{{Election box end}}
{{Election box begin no change | title=Michigan's 7th Congressional District, 2014}}
{{Election box winning candidate with party link no change
|party = Republican Party (United States)
|candidate = Tim Walberg (Incumbent)
|votes = 119,564
|percentage = 53.45
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Democratic Party (United States)
|candidate = Pam Byrnes
|votes = 92,083
|percentage = 41.17
}}
{{Election box candidate with party link no change
|party = Libertarian Party (United States)
|candidate = Ken Proctor
|votes = 4,531
|percentage = 2.03
}}
{{Election box candidate no change
|party = No Party Affiliation
|candidate = David Swartout
|votes = 4,369
|percentage = 1.95
}}
{{Election box candidate no change
|party = U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan
|candidate = Rick Strawcutter
|votes = 3,138
|percentage = 1.40
}}
{{Election box majority no change
| votes = 12.28
| percentage =
}}
{{Election box turnout no change
| votes = 223,685
| percentage =
}}
{{Election box hold with party link no change
| winner = Republican Party (United States)
}}
{{Election box end}}
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20130905193303/http://pambyrnesforcongress.com/ Pam Byrnes for Congress campaign site]
- [http://www.housedems.com/ Michigan House Democrats], Michigan House Democratic Site
- [http://www.michigandems.com/ Michigan Democratic Party]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Byrnes, Pam}}
Category:Democratic Party members of the Michigan House of Representatives
Category:Women state legislators in Michigan
Category:University of Michigan staff
Category:21st-century members of the Michigan Legislature