Latest news with #MarkTotten
CBS News
6 days ago
- Politics
- CBS News
Doug Lloyd announces his candidacy for Michigan Attorney General
Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd, a Republican, has announced his candidacy for Michigan Attorney General in the 2026 election cycle. Lloyd made his announcement Tuesday on the podcast "The Right Side with Deb Drick" and the launch of his campaign website. "Michigan deserves an Attorney General who understands what it means to prosecute cases, lead with integrity, and make communities safer," his website states. Dana Nessel is finishing her second term as state attorney general and is unable to run for re-election due to term limits. A growing list of candidates is running for the seat, to include former U.S. Prosecutor Mark Totten, Washtenaw County Prosecutor Eli Savit, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald and attorney Kevin Kijewski. Lloyd cited his 26 years of prosecutorial experience leading up to his current role as county prosecutor where he manages a staff of 25 working on a criminal case load of over 6,000 cases a year. Under his efforts, the Economic Crimes Unit in Eaton County recovered over $9 million for area businesses through diversion programs. His success in that area led to his appointment as special prosecutor for Ingham and Clinton counties on some of their financial and criminal diversion cases. "While others chase headlines or spend their days playing politics, I've been putting bad guys behind bars and working to make my community safer," said Lloyd, "Leading a prosecutor's office. Standing up for victims. Charging serious cases. Training young attorneys. And critically, working side by side with law enforcement to keep communities safe." Lloyd was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to the Organized Retail Fraud Advisory Board, selected by Secretary of State Ruth Johnson for the Insurance Fraud Task Force, and confirmed by the Michigan Legislature to serve on the State Drug Treatment Court Advisory Committee. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the Prosecuting Attorneys Association as a Past President of the association and was a longtime board member of the Child Abuse Prevention Council of Eaton County. His community involvement includes Boy Scouts of America, National Eagle Scout Association, the Knights of Columbus and coaching in local youth sports leagues. He is a graduate of University of Nevada, Las Vegas; and earned his law degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Lansing. Lloyd and his wife Mina, who is a recently retired assistant prosecuting attorney, live in Delta Township. They have two sons.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former U.S. Attorney Mark Totten launches bid for attorney general as Nessel faces term limits
U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten at a March for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples in Grand Rapids, Michigan on May 3, 2024. (Photo: Anna Liz Nichols) Mark Totten, a former U.S. attorney, has declared his candidacy to be Michigan's next attorney general, becoming the first Democrat to declare for the position. Totten was nominated by former President Joe Biden to be the U.S. attorney for the Western District of Michigan, a post he served in from May 2022 through January 2025. Totten previously served as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's chief legal counsel from 2019 to 2022. He taught criminal law at Michigan State University from 2009 to 2018. With sitting Attorney General Dana Nessel unable to run again in 2026 due to term limits, the race for Michigan's top legal office will likely be hotly contested. Totten led Whitmer's legal fight to protect reproductive freedom after Roe v. Wade was overturned by the U.S. Supreme Court. In his role as U.S. Attorney, Totten prosecuted two men from Nigeria in an international sextortion scheme that led to the suicide of 17-year-old Jordan DeMay, as well as Rashad Trice, who was convicted in August for the murdering 2-year-old Wynter Cole-Smith and sexually assaulting her mother. 'On January 20th, my term of service as U.S. attorney came to an end. And since then I have watched in horror as a president has stoked division, trampled civil rights and undermined the very rule of law. I refuse to stand by and watch and that's why I'm running for attorney general: to fight for you and to fight for everything we hold dear,' Totten said in a video announcing his candidacy. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former US Attorney Totten running for Michigan attorney general
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Former U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten on Wednesday announced his bid for Michigan attorney general. Michigan's current attorney general, Democrat Dana Nessel, is serving her second term, which means she cannot run again in 2026. In announcing his campaign, Totten, who is a Democrat, said Michigan needed a 'fearless' attorney general and promised to 'fight for justice, fairness and the rule of law.' 'Here in Michigan, I've served at the highest levels of state and federal government,' Totten said in a . To The Point: Mark Totten on his time as US attorney Totten, who was born and raised in Kalamazoo, served as chief legal counsel for Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's office from 2019 to 2022. Then-President Joe Biden nominated Totten for U.S. attorney in 2021, and Totten was confirmed in 2022. 'What did (the role of U.S. attorney) mean? It meant protecting the public from violent crime, prosecuting gun traffickers, domestic abusers, child predators,' Totten said. 'It meant protecting civil rights, taking on white supremacists, standing up for the victims of hate crimes and holding corrupt politicians accountable. And it meant spending a lot of time with a lot of people. I drove thousands of miles around Michigan. I sat down with victims. I listened to their stories.' He served as U.S. attorney until January, before President Donald Trump took office. It's common for U.S. attorneys to leave their posts when there is a shift in power in the White House. In 2014, Totten was the Democratic candidate for Michigan attorney general. He lost to Republican incumbent Bill Schuette. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Democrat Mark Totten launches campaign for Michigan attorney general
LANSING — Democrat Mark Totten, a former U.S. attorney, announced April 16 he running to succeed Dana Nessel as Michigan attorney general. 'Michigan needs a fearless attorney general who will fight for justice, fairness, and the rule of law, and that's exactly what I will do,' Totten said in a news release. 'We are in turbulent times and need leaders determined to protect our state, our rights, and our safety.' Nessel, a Democrat first elected in 2018, can't run again in 2026 due to constitutional term limits. Totten, of Kalamazoo, is the first candidate from either major party to announce his candidacy. He said his priorities will include fighting violent crime, protecting children from online predators, protecting seniors from fraud, and protecting civil rights and democracy more broadly. Totten served as U.S. attorney for the western district of Michigan from May 2022 to January 2025. Before that, he was chief legal counsel to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer from 2019 to 2022 and taught criminal law at Michigan State University School of Law from 2009 to 2018. A 2006 graduate of Yale Law School, Totten began his career at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C., where he served as a staff attorney in the appellate division. Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Democrat Mark Totten launches campaign for Michigan attorney general
CBS News
16-04-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Mark Totten enters race for Michigan attorney general
A former federal prosecutor assigned to Western Michigan has entered the 2026 race for Michigan Attorney General. Mark Totten made his announcement Wednesday, with a website , video and press release. He is the first major candidate to step into that race. He had previously run in 2014 as a Democrat for state attorney general, losing to Republican Bill Schuette. Michigan's current state attorney general Dana Nessel, a Democrat, is facing term limits and is unable to run for re-election. "Michigan needs a fearless Attorney General who will fight for justice, fairness, and the rule of law, and that's exactly what I will do," Totten said in the press release. "We are in turbulent times and need leaders determined to protect our state, our rights, and our safety." Totten was most recently U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, leaving that role in January after having started in May 2022 as an appointee of President Joe Biden/ In that assignment, he was the chief federal law enforcement officer for 49 counties in Michigan, including the western half of the Lower Peninsula. Cases and projects handled by his office included addressing criminal organizations, seeking justice against crime rings, prosecuting public corruption and protecting civil rights. "Right now, it feels like everything is on the line – our safety, our rights, our future," he said in his campaign video, pointing to his record in that office and the current political environment. Previous to his federal appointment, Totten was chief legal counsel for the Michigan Governor's office from 2019 to 2022. He also taught criminal law at Michigan State University from 2009-2018. He began his legal career at the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington D.C. Totten received his B.A. from Cedarville College and his law degree and a Ph.D. in ethics from Yale University. Totten and his family live in Kalamazoo.
