As Vice Chair of America First, now the Hillsdale Conservatives. I concur with much of the Hillsdalians analysis and thank you for elevating this important discussion. I’d like to add a perspective that often goes unspoken in Hillsdale. Civil discourse is essential, yes — but behind the rhetoric, it is the actions and inactions of our leaders that brought us to this moment. If we are to move forward as a community, we must look at the full history, not just the soundbites.
The Myth of “The Most Conservative County”
For years, Hillsdale has been called “the most conservative county in the nation.” That phrase has been repeated in newspapers, on talk radio, and in campaign speeches. But the truth is more complicated. In practice, before America First emerged, Hillsdale County’s politics were controlled by a small circle of insiders — the old guard establishment.
This group was small in number but wide in influence. They held the county commission seats, city councils, township boards, and the Republican Party itself. Meetings of the Republican Party consisted of only a few dozen people at most, usually the same faces, recycling leadership roles among themselves. They called themselves conservatives, but their record told a different story: tax increases, rubber-stamp governance, backroom appointments, and open hostility toward grassroots conservatives who dared to ask questions.
For ordinary Republicans — farmers, small business owners, factory workers, and homesteaders — there was little room to participate. The meetings felt closed off, and decisions were made before the doors even opened. That was Hillsdale politics for decades.
The Grassroots Organizes
Before America First even had a name, we were simply neighbors who had had enough. We wanted the Republican Party to be the party of the people again, not the possession of a handful of insiders. So we began to study the system.
We discovered the power of precinct delegates — the men and women who form the backbone of the party. By organizing, knocking on doors, and talking to our neighbors, we grew the Republican Party in Hillsdale from “tens” to “hundreds.” In 2020, we successfully elected a new slate of delegates and replaced the old guard on the county party board.
The energy in those meetings was unlike anything seen in decades. For the first time in years, ordinary people felt like their voices mattered. The old guard responded not with collaboration, but with contempt. They never came back. They abandoned the very party they claimed to represent.
Enemies Within
From that moment, the old guard made it their mission to destroy America First. They did not try to beat us honestly, with ideas and debates. They knew they could not. Instead, they turned to secret meetings, procedural manipulation, lawfare and even arrests over facebook posts speaking out against them. In 2022, they interfered in delegate elections and leveraged connections in Lansing to try to claw back control.
It became clear: the old guard’s greatest fear was not losing to Democrats, but losing power to conservatives. Their priority was not defending Republican principles, but defending their own influence.
A Statewide Battle: Mike Shirkey
At the same time, America First was winning battles beyond Hillsdale. In 2022, we exposed and removed Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey from his leadership role in the state Republican Party. Shirkey, a Hillsdale figure himself, had built a reputation as a conservative while quietly cutting deals with Democrats in Lansing. He told voters one thing and did another behind closed doors.
America First stopped him from using that duplicity as a springboard to run for governor and removed him from the State/District/Local Republican Parties. Those victories shocked the establishment — not just in Lansing, but here at home. If we could hold Shirkey accountable, what would stop us from holding his allies in Hillsdale accountable, too?
The answer from the old guard was clear: nothing but an all-out fight.
The Library Debate and City Council Elections
The library issue that erupted in 2022 did not happen in isolation. It coincided with the Hillsdale City Council race between Josh and Penny — both, at the time, members of America First.
Josh was relatively new, but he had proven himself faithful to Republican principles, values, and the platform, a true fighter for Conservatives. Penny had been with us from the beginning. Both were endorsed by America First, because one of our core goals was to support Republicans who represented conservative values — something the old guard had always refused to do.
But during the library debate, Penny broke away. She began to argue that curating the library was equivalent to “banning books.” Meanwhile, Josh, serving on the library board, was working to remove inappropriate books from the children’s section.
It was no coincidence that Penny’s campaign took money from JJ Hodshire, the old guard’s chief financial backer and brother of the old guard’s sheriff. By aligning with local leftists and the establishment, Penny hoped to win over both camps. But the people of Hillsdale saw through it. They may still be learning who and what the old guard truly is, but they know the Left when they see it. Josh won.
The Rise of the PhD Boys
This period also marked the rise of the so-called “PhD Boys” — Councilmen Paladino, Bruns, and Bentley. They were not polished career politicians. They were citizens stepping into leadership, determined to hold city government accountable.
They questioned city staff. They demanded transparency. They refused to act as rubber stamps. And for this, they were labeled “negative” and “toxic.” Staff resignations — many of which were planned retirements or career changes — were blamed on them. Left-wing activists hurled slurs like “Nazis,” “fascists,” and “incels.” Anonymous social media accounts and AI-generated images depicted them as villains.
But what was their crime? Asking questions. Representing the people. Refusing to nod along with business-as-usual.
The PhD Boys’ fight in city hall paralleled America First’s fight in the party, County and State. Different arenas, same mission: reform, accountability, and representation. That is why America First applauds their courage and considers them allies.
Old Guard + Left: An Unholy Alliance
One of the strangest developments in Hillsdale politics has been the growing alliance between the old guard establishment and the local Left. They no longer even seem to be enemies, they openly support each other now, they use the same tactics and push the same narratives.
During the library debate, both groups accused reformers of “book banning.” Both repeated the claim that reformers created a “toxic culture” and “negativity.” Both used personal attacks and slander instead of debate.
Why? Because both fear reform. Both thrive on control. And both would rather see conservatives silenced than see conservatives succeed in the most Conservative County/City in the Nation no less.
Not Just Hillsdale
This battle is bigger than Hillsdale. Across Michigan, other counties are beginning to follow Hillsdale’s lead. They are recruiting delegates, reforming party leadership, and challenging establishment control. Hillsdale is simply the first, the loudest, and the most effective. That is why the opposition is fiercest here.
What happens in Hillsdale does not stay in Hillsdale. It sends a signal to the rest of the state — and even the nation — about what is possible when citizens reclaim their government.
Civility and the Legacy of Charlie Kirk
This brings us back to Charlie Kirk. His assassination was a national tragedy, but it was felt especially deeply in Hillsdale. Many here admired his Christian witness, his boldness, and his ability to debate tough issues without hating his opponents.
Kirk modeled true civility. He did not avoid confrontation — he embraced it. He asked hard questions. He challenged ideas. He was firm, even sharp at times. But he did it without dehumanizing his opponents.
That is the model Hillsdale needs. Real civility is not smiling while you sell out your voters. It is not polished dishonesty or backroom deals. Real civility is honesty. It is accountability. It is telling the truth, even when it makes people uncomfortable.
Where We Go From Here
The assassination of Charlie Kirk should be a wake-up call — not just nationally, but here at home. The toxic culture of smears, caricatures, and hate has consequences. It breeds mistrust, division, and even violence.
The time for placating those who refuse civil debate is over. It is up to us to reject the negativity that has overshadowed Hillsdale for too long. We must finish the work we have begun:
- Good governance.
- Lower taxes.
- Listening to the people, not just insiders.
- Truly representing those who elect us, using the Constitution to bind government, not Americans.
- And above all, holding our representatives accountable.
Benjamin Franklin, when asked what form of government had been created at the Constitutional Convention, replied: “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
That challenge falls to every generation. In Hillsdale, in Michigan, and in America, it falls to us now. Will those reading allow our Republic to fall to the toxic culture of the left and old guard who strive on conflict, mistrust and lies. Or will you stand up, get involved and be heard before our next generation will no longer be able to? The choice is yours, it always has been, don’t let apathy and fear silence you.
in Liberty,
Vice Chair: Lance Lashaway
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