A Clinton Township trustee who lost the treasurer’s race in last week’s election says there were a number of factors behind her defeat, including racism and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s coattails.

Tammy Patton, a first-term Democratic trustee who was seeking the treasurer’s seat, lost to Republican Mike Aiello by a 52.18%-to-47.32% margin, or by about 2,600 votes.

According to her township biography, the disabled Army veteran was the first African American to be elected to the Board of Trustees in Clinton Township’s 200-year history. She was also endorsed by numerous elected officials and political organizations, including Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel.

But come next week, when the township’s new elected officials are sworn in, Patton will no longer have a seat at the board table.

She acknowledges Trump’s coattails played a role in her election outcome along with other factors. More Republicans went straight-party voting and, more importantly she says, they came out in huge numbers to vote.

“We just didn’t have the numbers like (Republicans) did,” Patton said.

Patton was elected in 2020 to the township board and is completing her first term as a trustee. During her time in office, she has gained a reputation as a pro-union, pro-law enforcement board member, voting with Democrats and Republicans to various issues, according to a news release.

As a trustee, Patton was outspoken at the board table, where she frequently found herself voting along with Republicans Supervisor Bob Cannon and Clerk Kim Meltzer.

Patton, 53, says she was left “extremely disappointed” in the general election’s result, adding she was “proud and humbled” of how her campaign team worked.

One thing she says she learned on the campaign trail was “not everyone in your party is rooting for you.”

“The Clinton Township Democratic Club, that I pay yearly dues to, refused to endorse me or offer any financial support,” Patton said. “My character was attacked by the Macomb County Dems, who sent out hit pieces on my character before the primary.”

Nancy Duemling, chair of the Clinton Township Democratic Club, said Monday the group “did not endorse any local candidates this year.”

With current Democratic Treasurer Paul Gieleghem opting to run for township supervisor, Patton and fellow Democratic Trustee Mike Keys squared off in the primary election. Patton handily emerged victorious in that contest. But she fell short while facing Aiello, a chiropractor, running as a Republican.

The mother of six children went on to say the unions, one of which her husband worked for, were told not endorse or make any financial contributions to her campaign.

The Detroit native says she felt there was a strong backlash from a largely White electorate that wasn’t ready for a Black woman to watch over their money.

“It wasn’t my qualifications or experience that were in question, it was if the community was ready for a Black woman to be their treasurer. In the end, the hate that was displayed during the campaign won,” Patton said.

While canvassing Clinton Township neighborhoods to drum up support for her candidacy in the treasurer’s race, Patton said several people stated what while they liked her as a person and her contributions to the township board, “they could never have a Black woman over their money.”

She said her campaign signs were stolen, tossed in dumpsters, vandalized and defaced with racial slurs. The problem of racism mixed in with a volatile political climate has become so widespread, fears for the safety of her campaign volunteers and poll workers prompted her to file a police report.

“We could no longer knock on doors after a team member was threatened based on his (skin) color,” Patton said.

She added: “So many factors. I’m saddened that this is where we are as people.”