A long-time business owner and title agent who describes himself as a “passionate zealot who hides out as a normal businessman” has tossed his hat into the race to be Michigan’s next governor.
Bill Gelineau, CEO and title examiner at Abacus Title & Escrow Group, LLC, in Grand Rapids, Mich., will be vying for the Libertarian Party nomination during the state’s August 7 primary. His platform includes reducing the state’s spending limit by 10 percent, ending taxpayer subsidies for businesses, and legalizing marijuana.
Michigan already has a former real estate attorney and former title company owner, U.S. Rep. Dave Trott, serving in Congress. Trott, a Republican in the midst of his second term, previously served as chairman and CEO of Trott & Trott PC and owner of Attorneys Title Agency LLC.
Gelineau, who garnered nearly 22,000 signatures to have his name placed on the primary ballot, is expected to be opposed by at least one other Libertarian candidate. He has had a wide variety of business and political experiences, according to his bio.
“In some ways, it seems to folks like this [my candidacy] is the beginning of something – and it is. But, it’s also the culmination of a long process,” Gelineau told The Title Report. “Many people see a lot of uselessness in both the D’s and R’s. I got there a long time ago.”
“The Libertarian Party represents to me the last best hope for the kind of world I believe in. Simply put – where everyone has a chance to become their best version,” Gelineau added. “Without getting too deep into the philosophy, that combination of free enterprise and social tolerance represents best my own view of how the world should be. Like most Americans, neither of the old parties satisfies those ideals.”
After selling his restaurant in 1997, Gelineau said he began devoting more of his time to building the Libertarian Party.
“While working for First American Title in several capacities…and now as an agent…I find time to work on building that team. I served as chairman of our party in 2003 – elected 12 days after the start of the war in Iraq,” Gelineau recalled.
“One of my side chores for FATCO then was building manager for a large facility in Grand Rapids. Rather than delegate it, I personally lowered the flag literally dozens of times when Michigan service personnel were lost. As a genealogist, I made it a point to read the news stories about each person lost. And I put a lot of thought to the why and lack of justification in my mind.”
Between 2003 to 2016, he worked tirelessly to get Libertarians on the ballot. Gelineau served as the party’s political director in 2012. “I decided to help former New Mexico governor in his presidential bid by again serving as state chairman during 2016-17 and assisted his team in their great showing here.”
The Libertarian Party in Michigan was the first to obtain major party status in the nation. “It’s not easy to qualify for a primary as a major party candidate….but, we were successful. You’ll come to understand that I’m pretty much a passionate zealot who hides out as a normal businessman.”
Gelineau believes his experience working in the title industry would serve him well in Lansing.
“Although my primary role now is as examiner, both as business manager of our partnership and prior experiences in the industry, I get to see the pantheon of people. Seeing folks buying their first home….their dream home…..selling after their parents have died…..foreclosures, short sales. The good and the sad,” Gelineau said. “Each title order tells a story……and it helps me appreciate and understand the struggles of folks. Rich, poor, black, white, rural, urban.”
Gelineau said the industry has sharpened his interpersonal skills beyond hearing to actually listening. “I don’t talk in aspirational language,” he said. “I focus on problem solving and practical thinking. Our biz requires that.”
If elected, one of the things Gelineau promises to focus on is creating a plan to protect Michigan’s environment.
“I developed this plan around something I learned existed because of being a title examiner—that being a little-known tax we have here called the Industrial Facilities Tax. I’ve re-imagined this as a tool to ensure the resources exist to clean up environmental disasters,” Gelineau said.
“This is a balanced approach that ensures companies are not taxed out of existence….but, can be held liable (long-term) for managing toxic substances in a best-practices manner,” he said. “This is the kind of planning that we needed before the BP disaster.”