Members of the National Socialist Movement arrive at the "Rally Against Black Gang Terrorism" held Aug. 4, 2007 in Kalamazoo. The members were coming to hear, among other speakers, Randy Gray, a newly elected Midland Republican precinct delegate. (Photo: Todd A. Heywood)

National Socialist Movement arriving in Kalamazoo, Aug. 2007

A self-avowed member of the Klu Klux Klan, Randy Gray of Midland, is the second newly elected Republican precinct delegate in Michigan who has ties to white supremacist organizations.

Gray was elected by Midland County Republican voters to serve the party in Midland County. The other newly elected Republican official is Kyle Bristow. He is the newly minted Clinton Township (Macomb County) Republican precinct delegate and is the former chair of the Michigan state chapter of Young Americans for Freedom (YAF), which the Southern Poverty Law Center lists as a hate group.

Both won party positions during the primary vote Aug. 5.

As delegates, both Bristow and Gray will serve two-year terms and be expected to attend all state Republican conventions. In addition, they will be expected to run campaign activities for their precinct for Republican candidates.

In a report from Media Mouse (a West Michigan news blog), Gray said that all he had to do was put his name on the ballot and that he did not campaign for the position. The Media Mouse report includes a screen shot of Gray bragging about his victory on the message board of a white nationalist Web site, Stormfront.org. There is no evidence available whether Bristow campaigned for the position, either, or, similar to Gray, merely applied successfully to get his name on the ballot.

Bristow was one of just two candidates running for three open delegate seats in the 29th precinct of Clinton Township. (Results of that election are found on page 17 of this pdf). Similarly, Gray was one of three candidates who ran unopposed for three open delegate seats in Midland.

In his new position with the Republican Party, Gray reports to Midland County Republican Chair Diane Bristol. When called for comment, Bristol told Michigan Messenger, “If, in fact, he’s associated with the KKK, [then] yes, it troubles me.”

When asked if the local party knew about Gray’s candidacy, she said, “He completed the valid application. Neither I nor any one in the Republican Party can control who runs or who gets voted for.” She added, “He has the right to run. We have no control over the election process.”

Garnet Lewis is the Democratic candidate for the 98th district state representative seat that includes  Midland. When asked her opinion about Gray’s election she said, “This is a wake-up call for those of us who are sitting on the sidelines. If we choose to sit on the couch, then we can’t complain when others run for office. We have to step up and participate and run, or be satisfied with those who choose to.”

In August of last year, Gray participated in a “Rally Against Black Gang Terrorism.” The rally was organized by white supremacist radio host Hal Turner, who was later identified as an FBI informant.

In a story prior to the event, I reported that the speakers confirmed for the Kalamazoo rally where Gray addressed the crowd were considered “the worst of the worst” by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

During his speech that day in Kalamazoo, Gray attacked Jews and blacks.

During his tenure leading MSU YAF, Bristow and his group have been involved in a series of controversial programs at MSU, including hosting a speech by Nick Griffin, the chair of the British National Party, which has a platform of removing all nonwhite immigrants from England. Griffin himself has stated that the Holocaust was a made-up event. Under Bristow’s leadership MSU YAF also proposed a “Catch an Illegal Immigrant Day,” a proposal which met a harsh outcry from MSU students and administrators and was ultimately canceled. Bristow, a Clinton Township native, was also involved in bringing Canadian neo-Nazi Paul Fromm to Lansing for a speech.

Bristow failed to return email inquiries for this story. Michigan Republican Party Chair Saul Anuzis also did not return email inquiries seeking comment.

Photo above: Members of the National Socialist Movement arrive at the “Rally Against Black Gang Terrorism” held Aug. 4, 2007 in Kalamazoo. The members were coming to hear, among other speakers, Randy Gray, a newly elected Midland Republican precinct delegate.