Betsy DeVos-created Great Lakes Education Project is endorsing Michigan candidates in the upcoming November election, all committed to adopting a privatized education system using public money

After the DeVos-led School Voucher ballot initiative was defeated in 2000, Dick & Betsy DeVos didn’t let that defeat stop their plans to undermine public education.

On the heels of the School Voucher defeat, Betsy DeVos created the Great Lakes Education Project (GLEP), identified as a non-partisan, non-profit entity, “supporting quality choices in public education for all Michigan students,” according to the GLEP webpage. 

However, GLEP has been very partisan, by consistently backing mostly GOP candidates, especially those that push for charter schools and using public funding for private education.

Here is a list of the candidates they are endorsing for the 2020 election cycle. We include a link to the candidates’ largest funders and how many of them received funding from the DeVos family.

17th District:        Joe Bellino 

30th District:       Diana Farrington  $13,000 DeVos family

36th District:       Douglas Wozniak 

39th District:        Ryan Berman  $5,000 DeVos family

42nd District:       Ann Bollin 

43rd District:        Andrea Schroeder  $6,000 DeVos family

44th District:        Matthew Maddock 

51st District:        Michael Mueller  $6,000 DeVos family

57th District:        Bronna Kahle  $14,000 DeVos family

63rd District:        Matt Hall  $5,000 DeVos family

64th District:        Julie Alexander  $5,000 DeVos family

65th District:        Sarah Lightner $5,000 DeVos family

66th District:        Beth Griffin  $14,000 DeVos family

77th District:        Tommy Brann $15,000 DeVos family

78th District:        Brad Paquette  $6,000 DeVos family

84th District:       Philip Green 

86th District:        Thomas Albert 

87th District:        Julie Calley 

88th District:        Luke Meerman 

89th District:        James Lilly  $15,000 DeVos family

91st District:        Greg VanWoerkom $5,000 DeVos family

93rd District:        Graham Filler 

94th District:        Rodney Wakeman 

97th District:        Jason Wentworth  $9,000 DeVos family

98th District:        Annette Glenn $6,000 DeVos family

99th District:        Roger Hauck  $12,000 DeVos family

102nd District:     Michele Hoitenga  $6,000 DeVos

106th District:     Sue Allor  $14,000 DeVos family

108th District:     Beau Lafave $9,000 DeVos family

110th District:     Gregory Markkanen 

Of the 30 incumbents that GLEP is endorsing, all 30 are Republicans and 19 of them received funding from the DeVos family. However, for those that also received funding from the Michigan House Republican Campaign Committee, most of the money also comes from the DeVos family. 

GLEP has also endorsed 9 non-incumbent candidates for the Michigan House.

19th District:        Martha Ptashnik

45th District:       Mark Tisdel

47th District:        Meghan Reckling

56th District:        T.C. Clements

61st District:        Bronwyn Haltom

70th District:        Patrick Outman

73rd District:        Bryan Posthumus

83rd District:        Andrew Beeler

104th District:     John Roth

Make no mistake about it, the Betsy DeVos-created Great Lakes Education Project is deeply committed to pushing their education agenda, which pushes more charter schools, more private schools and seeks to redirect public funding away from public education.