ELECTION '90
POLITICAL CONNECTIONS
Lawyer Al Holtz For
Years Has Been
Campaigning Behind
The Scenes For
Countless Judicial
Candidates
.
KIMBERLY LIFTON
Staff Writer
lbert Holtz's real
entry into behind-
the-scenes politick-
ing was easy.
It was 1974. He and his
wife, Judy Holtz, both young
attorneys, were talking
when he suggested she run
for a new 47th District Court
position open in Farmington
Hills.
Judy Holtz played the role
of candidate. Albert Holtz
ran the campaign. With a
low budget, he took care of
mailings, phone calls, fund-
raising and other Campaign
essentials.
Twelve candidates faced
each other in the primary.
And Ms. Holtz, then 29 and a
political unknown, captured
more votes than all but one
— Margaret Schaeffer, who
won the seat she still holds.
(Today Ms. Holtz is a West
Bloomfield Township
trustee.)
"We came out of nowhere
and beat 11 people," Mr.
Holtz recalls.
Ever since, Mr. Holtz has
devoted countless hours to
judicial campaigns, helping
with fundraising and field
work for candidates who
share his values.
"I work for people who I
believe will contribute
significantly to the political
and legal system," Mr. Holtz
says. "Some people play golf,
some play tennis. I do
politics."
Most of the time, Mr.
Holtz, 46, is a real estate and
A
domestic relations attorney.
Yet for 16 months every two
years, his work weeks
average 80 hours as he
becomes lawyer and vol-
unteer political consultant.
He has worked on more than
100 campaigns — mostly
judicial — and never sets a
limit to the numbers he will
help. Never, however, at any
one time, has Mr. Holtz
helped more than 10 can-
didates on a part-time basis.
"It's a part of my life," he
says. "I am used to it."
In this election, Mr. Holtz
is working full time for two
judges —46th District Court
Judge Bryan Levy and 47th
District Court Judge
Frederick Harris.
"Albert has the know-how
to get things done in capital
letters," Mr. Levy says. "He
knows who to contact, where
to get what you need,
anything. He never gets
people mad at him and
leaves you with a good feel-
ing."
For two hours each day,
which he begins anywhere
between 6:30 and 7:30 a.m.,
Mr. Holtz puts his legal
practice aside for the two
judicial campaigns and any
other of his chosen political
duties.
A former entertainment
writer for the Detroit Free
Press, he designed and wrote
their brochures. He handles
their mailings, finances,
fund-raisers, menu selection,
and he makes sure signs are
posted.
"There is a feeling you get
when you walk into a room
filled with hundreds of peo-
ple. You know that you put
the pieces of the puzzle
together and it worked."
Sometimes he works late
at night catching up on law
work. Other times, he stays
up late doing fundraising of
sorts for Gov. James Blan-
chard as well. In fact, he also
serves as the finance direc-
tor for the Oakland County
Democratic Party.
Every now and then, Mr.
Holtz finds time to wind
down and read spy stories.
But there's not much time
for that during campaign
season.
He started working for
judges on a whim. But he
continues because it is a way
for a lawyer to make a dif-
ference, he says. Now he,
too, is eyeing the bench.
"This is the one way I can
affect the state of the law,"
Mr. Holtz says. "In my mind,
the judges today are superior
to the ones on the bench
when I got out of law school.
"I like to think that I have
something to do with the
changes," Mr. Holtz says.
"This is a way to get some-
one good, who will treat
everybody fairly and
honorably."
As the campaign trails are
winding down, Mr. Holtz has
mostly been fine-tuning his
work. Last week, he was
writing and placing full page
ads and delivering them to
newspapers. This week, he
wrote his last brochure for
the campaign for Judge
Harris.
After Nov. 6, he plans to
catch up on some law and
some exercise.
Lawyer Al Holtz has been working behind-the-scenes for many judges.
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
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