State Rep. Paul DeWeese has offered a pledge to state Rep. Virg Bernero hoping to change the tone of the 23rd District state Senate seat race.
On the heels of being accused of using state resources to send a pair of e-mails to MSU and state employees in September, DeWeese signed a pledge Friday requiring the candidates to run their campaigns in a positive manner, focusing on issues rather than character attacks.
Last week Bernero called DeWeese’s e-mails into question after state Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer called for an investigation into the e-mails. DeWeese said he used his own money and resources to send the messages.
But DeWeese, R-Williamston, said he’d like to see the race focused on issues rather than personal attacks. Bernero, D-Lansing, hasn’t signed the pledge.
“I don’t think I’ll do anything with it,” Bernero said. “I’m not looking for campaign advice from Paul DeWeese.”
Bernero said some employees asked him to write a rebuttal e-mail, but said he won’t do it because he doesn’t want to waste their time with “that nonsense.”
If the pledge was offered at the beginning of the race, Bernero said he’d think about signing it. But he believes the pledge was offered because DeWeese won’t take responsibility for his actions.
“I haven’t attacked him about it,” he said. “When I attack him, he’ll know it.”
Bernero said instead of signing a pledge that would require each candidate to track the other’s tactics and judge if they’re ethical, they should monitor their own. He said he hopes the race will focus on the records of the two and doesn’t get personal.
“The ultimate code is that which the voters will enforce,” he said. “Because I believe to judge what a person will do is to look at what they’ve done.”
DeWeese said he thinks the pledge is necessary because voters are frustrated with mudslinging.
“I think what it will do is publicly put both of us on record as people who are serious about conducting a campaign of ideas,” DeWeese said, adding he doesn’t know if Bernero will sign the pledge and said Bernero might accuse the move of being a political ploy.
“I’m concerned that the race is going to become more personal because of what’s already happened and the style of his primary race,” DeWeese said.
Bernero beat retired state Rep. Lingg Brewer of Holt to win the Democratic primary in August. Brewer was accused of living outside the district by his opponent.
“It was more defacing and personally degrading,” DeWeese said of Bernero’s primary victory.
