Jaye wins special election to replace Carl

Arch-conservative Jaye takes 53 percent of the vote in Macomb County

Jaye won 53 percent of the vote to 45 percent for Democrat Becky Higbie, a former Utica School Board member from Shelby Township. Jaye had 14,040 votes to 11,899 for Higbie, according to Roger Cardamone, chief election clerk.

Libertarian Paul Soyk of Sterling Heights had 479 votes or 2 percent.

Polls before the election had Jaye with the edge. But some political watchers had predicted that his arch-conservative views could keep some moderate Republicans home, setting the stage for a possible upset.

Jaye was one of four state legislators who played a key role in spearheading the recent lawsuit against the University's admissions policies. During this past summer, he publicly decried the University's affirmative action policies and solicited students to serve as plaintiffs in a potential lawsuit.

That lawsuit was filed against the University in October by the Washington, D.C.-based firm Center for Individual Rights.

In Tuesday's election, the staunchly Republican district proved that Jaye had strong support there for his opposition to taxes, government spending and affirmative action.

He also favors capital punishment, gun ownership and chemical castration of sex offenders.

On Friday, he put out a news release blasting a University class that lets students travel to state prisons to involve inmates in the performing arts.

"We should harness our violent prisoners' creative skills ... on making license plates and busting rocks to make gravel for road repairs," Jaye said in the release.

University officials said the undergraduate English class, "Theater and Social Change," is aimed at helping students use theater in new ways while performing community service.

Although Jaye has made disparaging remarks about his Democratic opponent, Higbie shunned criticizing Jaye.

"I am working on the issues residents are telling me are important to them," she said recently, mentioning education, roads and crime as top voter interests.

"My campaign is about bringing people together. I will not lower myself to divisive politics."

Campaign finance reports filed last week with the state showed Jaye with a wide monetary lead. As of dec. 9, he had raised $58,848 in the campaign, and had $13,005 left unspent; she reported raising just more than $38,000 in the campaign, leaving $14,329 on hand.

Jaye spent much of his money fighting off several tough candidates in the GOP primary, while Higbie rolled over her Democratic opposition.

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