Republicans pick write-in replacement for McCotter

Michigan Republican leaders have decided to back former state Sen. Nancy Cassis (R) to run as a replacement write-in candidate for Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.), a GOP source confirmed to The Hill.

A number of Republicans were considering write-in bids for the GOP nomination after McCotter's campaign failed to secure enough signatures to get his name on the ballot and the five-term lawmaker decided to retire. A group of local GOP officials unanimously decided, however, to back Cassis.

Cassis has a tough road ahead — it's never easy to run a write-in campaign, and Michigan has fairly strict laws for what counts as a write-in vote. On top of that, Tea Party candidate and reindeer rancher Kerry Bentivolio (R) is also contesting the race.

If Cassis wins the primary, the district will likely stay in Republican hands — it's one of the more conservative in the state and gave Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) 50 percent of the vote even after he stopped spending there during his 2008 bid for the presidency. 

Democrats, however, are hopeful they can make the race competitive if Bentivolio is the GOP nominee.

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