The GAD Top Three | May 20th, 2024

Like it or not, election season is now in full swing. That means it is time for our association to get to work interviewing candidates and to throw our support behind the ones who will be champions for private property rights and the real estate industry. In this week’s GAD Top 3, I will answer three questions that come up related to the Aspire North REALTORS® candidate interview and selection process. If you have more questions or would like to get involved, reach out to me at connor@aspirenorthREALTORS®.com or 231-944-8315.

1. How is it Determined What Elections or Ballot Issues Aspire North REALTORS® Will Get Involved In? 

For Local (county or municipality) Candidate Races and Ballot Issues

The Aspire North REALTORS® Public Policy Committee discusses local candidate races and ballot issues in upcoming elections in our region. If the Public Policy Committee believes Aspire North REALTORS® should be involved in any local candidate race or ballot issue then they provide a recommendation to the Aspire North REALTORS® Board of Directors for approval. The criteria used by the Aspire North REALTORS® Public Policy Committee are Aspire North REALTORS® Advocacy Priorities determined by surveying Aspire North REALTOR members (add a link to survey results). You can view Aspire North REALTORS® Advocacy Priorities for 2024 on the Aspire North Advocacy webpage

For State Candidate Races and Ballot Issues

All State House and State Senate candidates are considered for endorsement and financial campaign contributions.      

For National Candidate Races and Ballot Issues

All U.S. Congressional or U.S. Senate candidates are considered for endorsement and financial campaign contributions. The National Association of REALTORS® has a long-standing history of not endorsing presidential candidates, only U.S. House and U.S. Senate candidates.  

2. Who Selects the Candidates Endorsed and Supported by Aspire North REALTORS®?

The short answer is members like you do! Below is a breakdown of how candidate interviews, endorsements, and potential financial campaign contributions operate each election cycle; detailing how members like you lead this decision-making process! 

For Local (county or municipality) Candidate Races and Ballot Issues

If involvement in a candidate race is approved by the Aspire North REALTORS® Board of Directors, then a candidate interview process is conducted. In all candidate interview processes, all candidates running for a position are provided with a candidate questionnaire (like this one) and provided with equal time to complete the candidate questionnaire. All candidates who complete the candidate questionnaire are then provided with the opportunity to interview with a Candidate Interview Panel of Aspire North REALTORS® members who live in the district or locality in which they serve and are RPAC investors, along with a member of the Aspire North REALTORS® Public Policy Committee and the Aspire North REALTORS® RPAC Committee. The questions utilized for the interview are the same used for the questionnaire with the opportunity for candidates to expand on their answers and for Aspire North REALTORS® members to ask follow-up questions. If approved by each of the candidates, questionnaire responses are made available on the Aspire North REALTORS® website to allow Aspire North REALTORS® members to view candidate responses to the real estate-related questions in the candidate questionnaire.

After candidate interviews are conducted, the Candidate Interview Panel has the opportunity to determine if they would like to endorse any candidates they interviewed, or not. If the Candidate Interview Panel decides to endorse any candidates, then they can also decide to recommend any financial campaign contribution (up to the candidate contribution limits and based on the total funding Aspire North REALTORS® has available) to any endorsed candidates’ campaigns. Any candidate endorsements and/or financial campaign contributions recommended by the Candidate Interview Panel is then provided to the Aspire North REALTORS® Board of Directors for approval. If any financial campaign contribution is approved by the Aspire North REALTORS® Board of Directors then a Request for Political Contribution is submitted to the Michigan REALTORS® RPAC Board of Trustees for approval. If approved by the Michigan REALTORS® RPAC Board of Trustees then the financial campaign contribution will be mailed or delivered to the candidate’s campaign approved to receive those funds.  

For State Candidate Races and Ballot Issues

If there are sitting/incumbent State House or State Senate representatives then the Aspire North REALTORS® RPAC Committee is provided with information on the incumbent candidate’s voting record on issues supported or opposed by Michigan REALTORS®. Issues supported or opposed by Michigan REALTORS® are determined by the Michigan REALTORS® Public Policy Committee, outlined here in their Legislative Initiatives. Michigan REALTORS® also provides the Aspire North REALTORS® RPAC Committee with a recommendation (based on the following criteria) to endorse or interview a candidate. The Aspire North REALTORS® RPAC Committee by a majority vote then determines whether to endorse an incumbent candidate, based on their previous support of REALTOR issues, or conduct a candidate interview process of the State House or State Senate seat the incumbent is running for. This recommendation is then provided to Michigan REALTORS® staff to begin a candidate interview process (candidate questionnaire and candidate interviews offered to all candidates) or local REALTOR associations are then offered the opportunity to recommend any financial campaign contributions with guidance provided by Michigan REALTORS®. Just like in local races, Candidate Interview Panelists are selected from among Aspire North REALTOR members who live in the districts in which a candidate will be running and are RPAC investors. Aspire North REALTORS® RPAC Committee members living in the district of the candidates that will be interviewed are offered the first opportunity to participate to interview candidates before the invitation is extended to other Aspire North REALTORS® members living in the district and who are RPAC investors. Statewide ballot issues are reviewed and action is determined by the Michigan REALTORS® Public Policy Committee, funding requests for statewide ballot issues are recommended by the Michigan REALTORS® Public Policy Committee to the RPAC Board of Trustees for approval. For statewide seats like governor, a candidate interview process is conducted by the Michigan REALTORS® RPAC Board of Trustees to determine any endorsements and potential financial campaign contributions.

For National Candidate Races and Ballot Issues

If there are sitting/incumbent U.S. House or U.S. Senate representatives then the Michigan REALTORS® RPAC Board of Trustees is provided with information on the incumbent candidate’s voting record on issues supported or opposed by the National Association of REALTORS® (NAR). Issues supported or opposed by NAR are determined by polling local and state associations from across the country, outlined here in their Legislative Initiatives. Check out this video, Advancing Advocacy: Shaping NAR’s 2024 Policy Priorities to learn how input at the local and state association level determines NAR’s Legislative Priorities. Michigan REALTORS® RPAC Board of Trustees then decides whether to endorse an incumbent candidate, based on their previous support of REALTOR issues or conduct a candidate interview process of the U.S. House or U.S. Senate seat the incumbent is running for.

If there is an open seat (no incumbent) or the Michigan REALTORS® RPAC Board of Trustees determines they would like to conduct a candidate interview process, then for any U.S. Senate seats the Michigan REALTORS® RPAC Board of Trustees conducts a candidate interview process. If there is an open seat or the Michigan REALTORS® RPAC Board of Trustees determines they would like to conduct a candidate interview process for the U.S. House then a candidate interview process is conducted with local association members representing all local associations in the U.S. House district participating in the candidate interview process with a majority vote of local association members determining any endorsements and any potential recommendations for financial campaign contributions which are then reviewed for approval by the Michigan REALTORS® RPAC Board of Trustees. 

A broad representation of Michigan REALTORS® members from across the state of Michigan are represented on the Michigan REALTORS® Public Policy Committee and the RPAC Board of Trustees to ensure that all candidate endorsements are decided by members of Michigan REALTORS®. Currently, our own Jamie Grace and Deirdre Carroll serve on the Michigan REALTORS® Public Policy Committee and the Michigan REALTORS® RPAC Board of Trustees, respectively. 

3. How is Candidate and Ballot Information Communicated to Aspire North REALTORS® Members?

Any candidate endorsements as well as supported or opposed ballot issues made for local, state, or national candidates are communicated to Aspire North REALTORS® members through an announcement in the Aspire North Weekly newsletter and listed on the Aspire North REALTORS® website in the lead-up to any relevant primary or general election. Also, all Aspire North REALTORS® members receive an email reminder on the day of an election reminding them of their polling location and information on all endorsed candidates and supported or opposed ballot issues they are eligible to vote on. For local elections approved for Aspire North REALTORS® involvement by the Aspire North REALTORS® Board of Directors, candidate questionnaire requests are made available on the Aspire North REALTORS® website, if permitted to do so by each candidate.


Connor Miller photo
Connor Miller
Government Affairs Director

As the Government Affairs Director, I work to advocate for the real estate industry through programming that promotes the election of pro-REALTOR® candidates; engage, inform, and activate membership and local government officials on key local and state real estate policies; provide staff support to the REALTOR® Political Action Committee that invests members' voluntary contributions to protect and promote the real estate industry; and support the Aspire North memberships’ involvement in community projects to further grow and strengthen our region.