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WASHTENAW COUNTY, MI A Democratic candidate for Washtenaw County office is under fire for his past political contributions to Republican candidates, including a donation to former President Donald Trumps campaign.

Super PAC-funded mailers tucked into mailboxes of voters in his district paint Ann Arbor banker Stephen Lange Ranzini as a true Trump Republican, while his Democratic primary opponent has also seized upon them as a wedge issue.

Ranzini is competing with Crystal Lyte, a career adviser at Michigan Works Southeast, in the Aug. 2 Democratic primary election for Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners District 2, covering a piece of northern Ann Arbor and townships to the north and east.

Read more: 2 first-time primary candidates vie for northeastern Washtenaw County board seat

Since 2000, Ranzini has given almost $17,000 to state and federal GOP candidates and party causes, according to an analysis of public campaign finance records, which did not include local races.

During that same time, his Democratic cash contributions outpaced that sum, reaching at least close to $28,000 and dominating the records after 2010.

Theres one prominent exception, though: what appears to be a single $1,000 contribution to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. in late 2016 after Trumps presidential election victory, according to Federal Election Commission records, where the donation is reported under Stephen L. Razini, a misspelling of the candidates last name, but with an Ann Arbor address matching his other donation.

The FEC records, reported by the Trump campaign, show three transactions involving Razini, though memos included with the documents indicate two of them reflect a redesignation of the initial contribution for use in subsequent elections, rather than multiple, separate donations.

In a statement to MLive/The Ann Arbor News, Ranzini did not address the Republican contributions, but pointed to a his record as a lifelong supporter of Democratic candidates and Democratic parties.

His campaign website states that includes campaigning for figures like state Sen. Jeff Irwin, D-Ann Arbor, and U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Dearborn, among others.

Ranzini also referenced his service as a delegate at the 2016 Democratic National Convention, where he said he cast a historic vote to support the nomination of Hillary Clinton, who he also supported in 2016 with a $2,700 contribution, FEC records show.

Ranzini, president and CEO of University Bank in Ann Arbor, also took aim at Lyte, his opponent, who issued a news release that drew a contrast between Ranzinis contributions to Republican causes and what it said were Lytes years of Democratic Party activism.

The statement violated a commitment the candidates made to avoid negative campaigning, Ranzini said in his statement, calling it a broken promise and a pitch in the dirt.

Im not playing a game. Im running to represent over 30,000 people in District 2, Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. Providing high quality services is party-blind, he said.

In an interview, Lyte said there was nothing that could justify donations to Republican candidates, which records show includes contributions from Ranzini more than 20 years ago to George W. Bushs presidential campaign and 2010 donations to Rick Snyders Michigan gubernatorial campaign, among others.

I just want individuals and citizens to know that this is who wants to represent them, but hes not true to the Democratic Party, she said. Im afraid that he is not transparent and that he is not fighting to get all of the seats blue.

The Washtenaw County board has been all-Democrat since a blue wave swept candidates into office in 2018, flipping GOP seats. District 2 has been filled since then by Sue Shink, now the boards chair who is running for state Senate.

In the face of criticism, Ranzini has underscored his dedication to the Democratic political cause in campaign materials.

In one video, he recounts pulling an all-nighter distributing campaign materials door-to-door for Irwin, alongside a photo of the banker shaking hands with now-President Joe Biden.

Still, Ranzini did not respond to questions from MLive/The Ann Arbor News about why he gave to the Trump campaign in the aftermath of the 2016 election, or address his prior contributions to Republicans.

Mailer from super PAC with union ties attempts to link Ranzini with Trump

A Lansing-based political action committee wielding tens of thousands of dollars and tied to a labor organization that has endorsed Lyte has taken notice of Ranzinis political past.

Some residents within the district covering Ann Arbor, Northfield, Salem, Webster, most of Superior and part of Dexter townships have received a mailer from the super PAC, called Make Michigan Great, featuring the county board candidate.

The mailer urges residents to support Ranzini as the pro-Trump MAGA choice, featuring a photo of the former president and claims about GOP priorities it says Ranzini will support if elected.

A mailer from a Michigan super PAC called "Make Michigan Great" uses U.S. Federal Election Commission records of political donations from Stephen Lange Ranzini, a 2022 Democratic candidate for Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners District 2, to Republican candidates and campaigns in order to paint the candidate as a "true Trump Republican." Ranzini says the Michigan District Laborers Council, an affiliation of local unions that has endorsed his opponent, Crystal Lyte, is behind the mailer using "dark money" from a Democratic political action committee.MLive/The Ann Arbor News

But the group behind the leaflet shares an address and a treasurer with the Michigan Laborers District Council, according to campaign finance records. The group is an affiliation of Laborers International Union of North America local unions representing construction, energy and public workers in Michigan.

Michigan LiUNA has endorsed Lyte, according to her campaign website.

The organization and Make Michigan Great PAC Treasurer Alex Zurek did not return voicemails and an email from the MLive/The Ann Arbor News on Friday, July 1, asking about the mailer.

In a text to a reporter, Ranzini said the mailer came on behalf of Lyte through dark money from a Democratic Superfund PAC.

The term dark money usually refers to political spending meant to influence voters where donors and the true origins of the funds arent disclosed a practice that has affected even Ann Arbor-area local elections and ballot question drives in recent years.

The super PAC behind the mailers most recently reported roughly $68,000 in contributions from the MI Laborers Vacation Fund, a 501(c)(9) nonprofit that lists its purpose as paying vacation benefits, according to tax forms, but provides no more specifics on campaign finance reports.

I have heard from quite a few angry voters who have said the mailer is garbage and theyre voting for me, Ranzini said.

Meanwhile, Lyte said she was surprised to learn of the mailer from residents who had received it and wasnt aware any group that had endorsed her planned to send it out.

Lyte said she is focused on raising money to distribute her own campaign literature describing who she is and her platform to voters.

My campaign cannot afford to send out mailers that are concerning (Ranzinis) doings, she said, I need to get the information out for people to know who I am.

Both candidates have less than a month to do so, with early voting already underway ahead of the Aug. 2 primary. The winner will face a Republican, Salem Township Trustee David Trent, in the November general election.

Read more Washtenaw County election coverage here.

More from The Ann Arbor News:

How to watch Washtenaw County candidate forums ahead of Aug. 2 primary

3 Democrats vie for Ypsilanti, Augusta township seat on Washtenaw County board

Washtenaw County board race pits incumbent against Ypsilanti City Council member

Heres whos running for Washtenaw County board, township and city offices in 2022

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Democrat running for Washtenaw County board faces questions over Trump, GOP donations - MLive.com