NPR: "Doctor Death" to Run For Congress in Michigan

"Doctor Death" to Run For Congress in Michigan

Assisted suicide advocate Jack Kevorkian says he's running for Congress in Michigan.

The Oakland (MI) Press reports that Kevorkian (who will be 80 in May) picked up petitions from the Oakland County Clerk's Office on Tuesday to run as a candidate with no party affiliation.

"I plan to," Kevorkian said Tuesday afternoon. "I wouldn't do this otherwise. We need some honesty and sincerity instead of corrupt government in Washington."

Kevorkian, who spent eight years in prison on second-degree murder charges because of his work with assisted suicides, said he would have more news on his candidacy next week.

Oakland County Prosecutor Dave Gorcyca, whose office was responsible for sending Kevorkian to prison, dismissed Kevorkian decision to run.

"I would place Jack Kevorkian's candidacy in the same ranking with (Texas U.S. Rep.) Ron Paul's (presidential run)," Gorcyca said. "It's probably more of a publicity stunt. To call attention to himself is standard protocol for Jack when he doesn't have the limelight focused on him. I would not consider his candidacy to be a legitimate one."

Michigan law does not prevent Kevorkian from either voting or running for office once he is released from prison. He lives in the 9th Congressional District. The seat is held by eight-term Republican incumbent Rep. Joe Knollenberg.

A clerk in the Oakland County's election office said that no one was quite sure exactly which office Kevorkian was running for (he said most of the time the office doesn't know until the papers are actually filed) but most people assume it's for Congress. If so, Kevorkian will need a minimum of 3000 and a maximum of 6000 registered voters to sign his petition.

In 1998, Kevorkian's attorney, Geoffrey Fieger, was the Democratic candidate for governor of Michigan and (to put it politely) got clobbered.

5:00 PM ET | 03-12-2008 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

To refer to Ron Paul's candidacy as a publicity stunt is sick and short minded...The man and his candidacy are offering the only REAL answers to our countrys issues....NPR just lost me

Sent by Darryl | 2:42 PM ET | 03-30-2008

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