I appreciate the opportunity to introduce myself to those of you I may not have met. I’m Scott Greenlee, a lifelong Michigander who lives the Lansing area but spent most of my life in Grand Rapids. After graduating East Kentwood High School I attended Grand Rapids Junior (now Community) College and was the founder and first President of their College Republican Club. That really got me going in politics, and I quickly got active with my local GOP and became a Precinct Delegate. From there I got more active and became a County Party Finance Chair, Co-Chair, and eventually was elected to serve the Michigan Republicans as Coalitions Vice Chair in 2009-10. As to campaigns, I have worked on over 100 winning campaigns ranging from Library Board to Presidential races, and I have raised millions of dollars for conservative causes over the last 35 years.
I am an entrepreneur and political/business consultant with a strong background in leadership. If I am not successful in this bid for Chair I will remain involved in the Party. Several people have asked me about my business, and I clearly will not have any political consulting clients as Chair. I will be focused only on the Party and will ensure everyone with the Party stays out of Primary races. Those races are for the delegates, and the voters to decide without the Party and Party officials trying to pick winners and losers. I will be a Chair that is guided by the Platform, the Constitution, and the ideals of a President who inspired me to get involved when I was young, President Ronald Reagan.
Speaking of Reagan, one of the biggest challenges our Party faces today is division. Reagan famously said “The person who agrees with you 80% of the time is a friends and an ally – not a 20% traitor.” Now more than ever we must remember that – and manage the Party through inclusion vs. exclusion. We are blessed to have a lot of different people with a lot of differing views and goals. It’s understandable, and the growth the Party has seen is fantastic. But we need to get everyone on the same page – that all of our top goal is beating Democrats…period. Family fights (primaries) can and will happen, but it is imperative that once they are done we come together as a team. I have managed large organizations made up of people with differing views before, and can do it again. The key is always respectful communication – sharing those views and goals so everyone can understand, and then disagree in an agreeable fashion where we must, but work together the rest (majority) of the time.
Finally, with regard to communication, please reach out anytime. I can be reached at scottwgreenlee@yahoo.com – my personal email which will not change. I think any Delegate should be able to contact the Chair directly at anytime with ideas and solutions. Oh…and you are also free to complain or suggest a new direction at any point. All of that will be received directly by me, and acted on. I understand, given how I started in the Party, that the Chair works for the Delegates and not visa-versa. I will always remember that and will always keep the lines of communication open. I will be focused on three things – the first two leading to the third – uniting the organization, raising the necessary funds, and winning in November of 2024.
Thanks so much for being a part of the process, as noted reach out anytime, and God Bless!
Scott Greenlee
Candidate, Michigan Republican Party Chair
