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County Race Heats Up
Steve Kaplan and David Gorcyca take aim at the prosecutor's office.
Mickey and Myrna Shanker
JENNIFER FINER STAFF WRITER
S
teve Kaplan is waging an
all-out campaign to be-
come Oakland County's
first Jewish prosecuting
attorney in more than 20 years.
The problem is he has to get
past Richard Thompson, or Mr.
Thompson's Republican chal-
lenger David G. Gorcyca.
Mr. Gorcyca, a Bingham
Farms attorney and member of
the Royal Oak City Commission,
is running against his former
boss in the Aug. 6 primary. The
winner faces Mr. Kaplan in No-
vember.
"This could be a very inter-
esting race," said Bill Ballenger,
editor and publisher of the
newsletter Inside Michigan Pol-
itics.
"We could be looking at two
races: a primary fight and gen-
eral election fight. Among the
county-wide elected offices in
southeastern Michigan and in
Oakland County this is the only
game in town."
Some pundits say Mr. Kaplan
could win. Mr. Thompson, how-
ever, is not predicting a close
race.
"I think the record of the of-
fice speaks for itself," Mr.
Thompson said. "Ultimately, the
voters will see that the prosecu-
tor's office is the reason Oakland
County is as safe as it
is."
Mr. Kaplan waged a
hard-fought campaign
when he tried to oust
Mr. Thompson from his
job four years ago. Then,
Mr. Thompson received
40,000 more votes than
his Democratic chal-
lenger.
Mr. Kaplan is quick to
point out that his oppo-
nent outspent him 3-1 in
1992.
So far, Mr. Kaplan
has raised more money
than the prosecutor and
hopes to generate
$200,000 for the cam-
paign. Mr. Gorcyca
plans to spend about
$100,000. Mr. Thomp-
son said he is unsure
how much he will spend,
but it will be more than
last time, when the race Richard Thompson plans to keep his job.
cost the prosecutor
about $140,000.
get knocked off in the primary.
"If any Republican is going to Then the question would be what
get a run for his money in Oak- will happen in November?"
land County, this could be the
Some observers of the race say
year, based on the pent-up frus- Mr. Thompson's lack of success
tration with Dick Thompson," in handling Jack Kevorkian's as-
Mr. Ballenger said. "If the frus- sisted suicide trials continues to
tration with him is as great as hurt him.
people think it may be, he could
"Obviously, it's a controversial
issue," Mr. Thompson said.
"My job is to enforce the
law regardless of the in-
timidation factor thrown
into the debate."
Mr. Thompson went on
to compare the assisted
suicide issue to the perse-
cution of millions during
the Holocaust.
"A lot of what happened
in Nazi Germany started
out with the same philo-
sophical justification that
there are such things as
lives unworthy to live," Mr.
Thompson said. "Once you
accept that philosophical
debate, then the most vul-
nerable are targeted. This
issue should be important
to the Jewish community."
Mr. Ballenger said the
perceived frustration with
Mr. Thompson goes be-
yond his persistent at-
tempts to prosecute Dr.
Kevorkian.
"The problem is with
(Oakland County Execu-
tive) L. Brooks Patterson,
his original political pa-
tron," Mr. Ballenger said.
"Patterson anointed Dick
Thompson as his succes-
Steve Kaplan tries again for the prosecutor's office.
COUNTY RACE page 12
Wednesday, May 15th 6:30 p.m.
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