Carmella Sabaugh
Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds
In office
January 1, 1993 – December 31, 2016
Preceded byEdna Miller
Succeeded byKaren Spranger
Personal details
BornDetroit, Michigan, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Alma materWayne State University
Western Michigan University

Carmella Sabaugh (née Visconti) is an American politician. She served as County Clerk/Register of Deeds for Macomb County, Michigan from 1993 to 2017. Sabaugh was the 2006 Democratic candidate for Michigan Secretary of State.

Early life

She was born of Italian-American Catholic parents as Carmella Visconti in Detroit. She was orphaned at age eight and raised by an aunt and uncle. She graduated in 1956 from Denby High School, and attended Wayne State University and Western Michigan University.

She lives in Warren and has five grown children.

Sabaugh served on the Warren city council in 1975-79. She was elected Warren city clerk in 1979 and served 11 years. In 1992, she was elected Macomb County Clerk, and was re-elected in 1996, 2000, and 2004, 2008 and 2012.

2006 Secretary of State Election

Sabaugh secured the Democratic nomination for Michigan Secretary of State on August 27, 2006, defeating state Rep. Mary Waters at the Michigan Democratic Party convention.[1] Sabaugh was easily defeated by Republican incumbent Terri Lynn Land, losing by a margin of 56 percent to 42 percent.

2016 Macomb County Clerk Election

In March 2016, Sabaugh filed to seek a seventh term as County Clerk.[2] Speculation began to arise that Sabaugh may drop out of the race after Macomb County Commissioner and former state Rep. Fred Miller announced on April 15 that he would challenge Sabaugh for the Democratic nomination for County Clerk.[3] On April 19, the filing deadline to qualify for Michigan's August primary ballot,[4] Sabaugh called speculation that she would drop out of the race "wishful thinking," while Miller officially filed for the Clerk's race just minutes before the 4 p.m. deadline.[3] On April 22, just 15 minutes before Michigan's 4 p.m. deadline to withdraw from the ballot, Sabaugh announced she would not seek re-election and immediately endorsed Miller, citing a desire to spend more time with her family.[3]

On May 2, 2016, Mt. Clemens political activist Greg Murray filed ethics complaints with the Macomb County Ethics Board against Miller and Sabaugh, saying the pair colluded with former Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer, who filed to run for Miller's seat on the Macomb County Board of Commissioners, saying that Miller personally filed Brewer's paperwork just minutes before the April 19th 4 p.m. filing deadline,[5] an accusation that Miller refused to deny directly. County Executive Mark Hackel said the accusations were "extremely questionable” and that the situation "...doesn’t come across well for voters."[6]

The "plan" backfired for Sabaugh, Miller and Brewer on all fronts. First, Brewer was defeated in the August 2016 primary for the Democratic nomination for Miller's old seat on the Macomb County Board of Commissioners by Elizabeth Lucido.[7] Miller was upset by political novice Karen Spranger, by a margin of 635 votes out of the approximately 376,000 cast.[8] Miller's stunning loss was attributed to the political coattails of Republican Presidential nominee Donald Trump. Trump garnered 54 percent of the vote in Macomb County, which also saw Republicans Candice Miller (no relation to Fred) and Larry Rocca win countywide races as Public Works Commissioner and County Treasurer respectively[9] and Trump became the first Republican to carry Michigan in a presidential election since 1988.

Electoral history

Macomb County Clerk

1992 Macomb County Clerk Democratic Primary[10]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh 26,925 53.8
Democratic Edna Miller (incumbent) 23,516 46.2
1992 Macomb County Clerk election[11]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh 158,544 54.4 -45.5
Republican Diane A. Patroske 133,138 45.6 +45.6
Majority 25,406 8.8 -91.2
Turnout 291,688 +75.4
Democratic hold
1996 Macomb County Clerk Democratic Primary[12]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh (incumbent) 20,504 53.9
Democratic Constance Miller 17,543 46.1
1996 Macomb County Clerk election[13]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh (incumbent) 158,544 54.4 -45.5
Republican Diane A. Patroske 133,138 45.6 +45.6
Majority 25,406 8.8 -91.2
Turnout 291,688 +75.4
Democratic hold
2000 Macomb County Clerk Democratic Primary[14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh (incumbent) 27,177 59.7 +5.8
Democratic Constance Miller 18,331 40.3 -5.8
2000 Macomb County Clerk election[15]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh (incumbent) 195,723 62.7 +8.3
Republican Alvin Kukuk 116,467 37.3 -8.3
Majority 79,256 25.4 +16.6
Turnout 312,190 +7.0
Democratic hold
2004 Macomb County Clerk election[16]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh (incumbent) 235,664 64.4 +1.7
Republican Charles Pierce 130,291 35.6 -1.7
Majority 105,373 28.8 +3.4
Turnout 365,855 +17.2
Democratic hold
2008 Macomb County Clerk election[17]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh (incumbent) 262,017 68.5 +4.1
Republican Michael J. Arsenault 120,263 31.5 -4.1
Majority 141,754 37.0 +8.2
Turnout 382,280 +4.5
Democratic hold
2012 Macomb County Clerk Democratic Primary[18]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh (incumbent) 42,712 79.6
Democratic Darcy Jakubowski 10,934 20.4
2012 Macomb County Clerk election[19]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh (incumbent) 242,037 65.3 -3.2
Republican Debera Guenther 128,477 31.5 +3.2
Majority 113,560 33.8 -3.2
Turnout 370,514 -3.1
Democratic hold

Michigan Secretary of State

2006 Michigan Secretary of State election[20]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Terri Lynn Land (I) 2,089,864 56.2 +1.2
Democratic Carmella Sabaugh 1,561,828 42.0 -1.0
Green Lynn Meadows 70,218 1.9 +0.7
Republican hold

References

  1. ↑ "Sabaugh to run for secretary of state". Macomb Daily. August 28, 2006. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  2. ↑ Mitch Hotts (March 2, 2016). "Sabaugh files for her seventh term as Macomb County clerk". Macomb Daily. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  3. 1 2 3 Norb Franz (April 25, 2016). "Was fix in for Fred Miller's candidacy for Macomb County clerk?". Macomb Daily. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  4. ↑ "2016 Michigan Election Filing Deadlines for state and federal office" (PDF). Michigan Secretary of State, Elections Division. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  5. ↑ Christina Hall (May 2, 2016). "Activist charges Macomb Democrats with collusion". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
  6. ↑ Mitch Hotts (May 12, 2016). "Activist accuses Fred Miller, Sabaugh of collusion in election scheme". Macomb Daily. Retrieved June 28, 2016.
  7. ↑ "2016 Michigan Primary Election: Macomb County results". Detroit Free Press. August 3, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Election Results Clerk/Register of Deeds". Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds. November 22, 2016. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  9. ↑ Christina Hall (November 10, 2016). "Is Macomb County taking a turn to the right politically?". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved July 20, 2019.
  10. ↑ "STATEMENT OF VOTES, GENERAL PRIMARY ELECTION" (PDF). Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds. August 4, 1992. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Statement of Votes General Election November 3, 1992" (PDF). Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office. November 3, 1992. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  12. ↑ "STATEMENT OF VOTES, PRIMARY ELECTION" (PDF). Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds. August 6, 1996. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  13. ↑ "Statement of Votes General Election November 5, 1996" (PDF). Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office. November 5, 1996. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  14. ↑ "The 2000 Vote" (PDF). Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds. August 8, 2000. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  15. ↑ "The 2000 Vote" (PDF). Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office. November 7, 2000. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  16. ↑ "The 2004 Vote" (PDF). Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office. November 2, 2004. Retrieved July 25, 2019.
  17. ↑ "Election Results" (PDF). Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office. November 19, 2008. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  18. ↑ "Election Results" (PDF). Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds. August 21, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  19. ↑ "Election Results" (PDF). Macomb County Clerk/Register of Deeds Office. November 26, 2012. Retrieved July 27, 2019.
  20. ↑ "2006 Michigan Election Results Secretary of State 4 Year Term (1) Position". Michigan Secretary of State. February 22, 2016. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
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