This is it – the homestretch. Next week, our GOP primary is the first opportunity you, the people, will have to start taking back their government. MI-01 has long been represented by a career politician, Bart Stupak, who ultimately betrayed you. On Tuesday, August 3rd, a choice is to be made.

Let me speak briefly about the past several months that I have been out campaigning among you. My decision to run against then-incumbent Stupak was a result of the legislation being passed in Washington. Many of us had begun to see that this administration and Congress were enacting an agenda without fiscal responsibility, and when the people began to speak up, DC refused to listen. At that point, I had decided personally that Enough is Enough! Then came the HC bill, and again Congress turned a deaf ear. MI-01’s own career politician, Bart Stupak, betrayed the people of this district. He is now retiring, leaving the people with another choice – to continue with a career, establishment-supported candidate, Jason Allen, or to support me, a grassroots activist–who believes in listening to the people and not forgetting why representatives are sent to Washington.

Everywhere I went on the campaign trail, I heard the people express their anger and frustration with business as usual. They’ve realized the politicians do not care what they believe or want for legislation. They have seen the results of having entrenched representatives.

Jason Allen, a career politician long supported by special interests in Lansing, and supported by the SEIU, represents more of the same type of establishment candidate that has been the norm in Washington, not the exception. I think you, the people, do not want this type of representative anymore. Across the nation, grassroots activists want to take back their party and government from the ground up. Enough is Enough!

America has awakened; Michigan has awakened. I’m asking for this final effort, this last push to nominate me as the GOP candidate, because most importantly, I am the grassroots candidate who will go to Washington with the peoples’ message.

Your support is appreciated, and needed. I can’t do it without you, but we can do it together. In whatever way you can help, you can help restore MI-01 to the people: phone calls, monetary donations to support my ads, and aiding others to get out and vote next Tuesday. This is vital to our cause. No more career politicians going to Washington; let the citizens be represented by one of our own!

Recall my 4 R’s: Read It (read the bill), Reduce It (reduce the debt), Repeal It (repeal the HC bill), and Reform It (reform DC); and now let me add one more….Restore Michigan’s 1st District to her people. Nominate me to be the GOP candidate, and support me through the election in November, so that MI-01 will have someone who truly represents them, a grassroots, activist Congressman.

Thank you to all of the great people of MI-01, the state of Michigan, and our supporters from across the country. We cannot do this without you.

Update: While I was writing this up this morning I received some great news. TargetPoint Consulting’s new poll shows my campaign with a 16 point lead over my closest rival Jason Allen.

Benishek received 36% of the vote, versus 20% for Allen, according to a survey by TargetPoint Consulting of Alexandria, VA. The other four candidates in the race split 8% of the vote, while 37% remain undecided.

“Dr. Benishek has tremendous momentum in this race,” said Michael Meyers of TargetPoint Consulting. “Benishek’s message is definitely resonating. When we asked whether what they were hearing about Benishek made them more likely or less likely to vote for him, likely Republican primary voters said by a three to one margin that they were more likely to support Dan. When asked the same question about Senator Allen, it was nearly an even split,” he said.