Dunnings retains prosecutor spot

Incumbent Ingham County Prosecutor Stuart Dunnings won his fourth election since 1996 Tuesday evening. With about 68 percent of votes in, Dunnings had about 67 percent to Republican challenger Nicholas Bostic’s 33 percent as of press time.

Dunnings credited his endorsements from United Auto Workers, Fraternal Order of Police, Greater Lansing Labor Council and Michigan Education Association in aiding his campaign.

“They were all important, especially the Fraternal Order of Police, with Bostic being a former police officer,” Dunnings said. “It’s telling when they pick against a former officer.”

Bostic, who waited for the election results from Champps Americana in Lansing’s Eastwood Towne Center with friends and family, said he had been hearing positive things for about a month before the election, although he didn’t put much stock in it.

“Human nature is that people aren’t going to walk up to you and deliver bad news,” he said.

Bostic had seven years of police experience as well as 17 years of prosecution experience — including four and a half years as assistant prosecutor under Dunnings — before running for Ingham County Prosecutor.

He left the Prosecutor’s Office in December 2007 to start a private law practice and investigations business, and said his exit was under “professional terms.”

Bostic said he decided to run against Dunnings because of several controversial cases in the past couple years, including the wrongful murder conviction of Claude McCollum last year.

“I based my campaign on a phrase, ‘We need protection by the government, from the government,’” he said. “Allowing (the McCollum case) to happen the way it happened showed a lack of management and oversight, and the reaction to it kind of bothered me as well.”

Dunnings defended his handling of the case. He said the media made that into an issue – not the citizens.

“All I had to do was tell the truth like I always do. The voters know what happened and made informed decisions,” he said.

In his next term as prosecutor Dunnings said he’ll continue the success he’s had in current programs.

“We really want to cut down on handguns, sexual and violent abusers and drugs, which are always associated with drugs,” Dunnings said.