Judge Candidate Tracie Tomak Pleads Her Case to the Voters
Tracie Tomak was on the 95.3 WBCK Morning Show with Tim Collins to talk about her qualifications for 10th District Judge. Read on or watch the video.
Tomak, 51, is a Harper Creek High School grad with long standing ties to the community. Her opponent, Calhoun County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Dan Buscher, is using the campaign slogan “experience matters.” Tomak’s billboards in the area say “the RIGHT experience.” Asked to explain what that means, Tomak said she brings a balance of experience, and cited the fact that she did not start out as an attorney. “I was a business analyst before I went to law school, including a business process improvement analyst, which means you look at a process, you analyze it and you streamline it---find a better way. “ Tomak said “Our court in in desperate need of finding a better way.” Tomak said a judge must uphold the law, but how they process the cases and move them through the system and the disposition of cases are the areas that could use improvement.
Tomak also cited working in hundreds of trials over eleven years, most of which were in family court. She admitted that criminal trials are the majority of cases that come before the District Court. While trying only three to ten misdemeanor cases, Tomak says she was able to resolve hundreds of cases without going to trial, saving the taxpayers time and money.
Tomak says a critical difference between her and Dan Buscher is that she has never run for office before, while he has. “I think he is looking for a position in the community to be with his friends who are a lot of very high ranking political people. I’m looking to serve the people,” said Tomak.
Tomak said she has been endorsed by the Deputy Sheriff’s Association of Michigan, many law enforcement officers, and retiring 10th district court judge Norlander.
Buscher has been endorsed by District Court Judge Paul Beardslee, Chief District Court Judge Franklin Line, Jr., Circuit Court Judge Tina Yost Johnson, District Court Judge Samuel Durham, Chief Judge Pro Tem John Hallacy, Chief Judge Michael Jaconette, Probate Court Judge Gary Reed (ret.) and Chief Circuit Court Judge Conrad Sindt (ret.) Tomak says because of their long term friendships with Dan Buscher, she can certainly respect them “needing to endorse a friend”.
Buscher has tried over 200 criminal cases, vastly more than Tomak. But she says “were not going for a top litigator award……Mr. Buscher has zero, zero experience as a judge. I have zero experience as a judge.” She said, “You need to look at the entire person, not just their courtroom experience. We are talking about a person who will make serious decisions about other people’s lives. Is that person fair? Do they have integrity? Are they honest? Are they a person that can remove their political ties and their special interests when you are in front of them?”
For more info about Tracie Tomak, check out her website.