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From left: State House candidates Nicole Wells Stallworth, Kathy Crawford, Erika Geiss and Fred Durhal.

(Campaign photos)

LANSING, MI — The faces may change, but the last names could stay the same.

At least four Michigan state House candidates are running for seats currently held by family members, including three women running to replace their husbands and one man seeking his father's job.

A similar succession could happen in Congress, where Democratic National Committeewoman Debbie Dingell is running to replace her retiring husband, U.S. Rep. John Dingell of Dearborn, who replaced his father in 1955.

"It's nothing new, that's for sure," said TJ Bucholz, a political consultant for Vanguard Public Affairs in Lansing. "We've had political dynasties in this state for decades. Father-son, brother-to-brother, cousin-to-cousin. We shouldn't be shocked by it."

While husband-wife successions may be a newer phenomenon because of term limits approved by voters in 1992, "what's important, and sometimes I think we lose sight of this, is whether the spouse is qualified. In some cases the answer is yes, and in some cases the answer is no," Bucholz said.

Oakland County Commissioner Kathy Crawford, a Republican who will face retired pastor and professor Dan Lauffer next week in the 38th District primary, is running for the seat currently held by her term-limited husband, state Rep. Hugh Crawford.

"I never really thought it was that unique," said Crawford, who was elected to the Novi City Council in 2007 and the Oakland County Commission in 2010. "I don't think of it as following in his footsteps. I think about my doing this because I have the most experience and it's the right thing to do."

While candidates strive to prove their own mettle, a family name can amount to political currency, especially in an era of term limits, according to Lansing consultant Tom Shields of the Marketing Resource Group, but a familiar last name can also turn off some voters who may be wary of powerful families.

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There would certainly be some groans if a Clinton and Bush squared off for the presidency in 2016.

"Primaries are about organization and name ID, and if you can transfer an incumbent's campaign organization and name recognition to their spouse or other family member, you've got an edge up," said Shields. "Some people are always a little bit cautious about crafting a family dynasty, but many of these spouses probably campaigned together while they were in office."

Name recognition can play an especially important role in a crowded primary. In the 7th District state House seat in Detroit, child and family advocate Nicole Wells Stallworth is one of six Democrats running to replace her husband, Rep. Thomas Stallworth III, who is seeking an open seat in the Michigan Senate.

If both Stallworths won their primary and general elections, they would become the second couple in recent history to serve in the Michigan Legislature at the same time. Republican state Sen. Mike Kowall and Rep. Eileen Kowall of White Lake are doing so now.

The Kowalls are used to being called a "power couple" but don't actively promote the description.

"We hear that and we just kind of smile," said Sen. Kowall. " I guess we are a bit of a force to be reckoned with, but you try to treat everybody fairly. I think it's like Superman, you have to use your powers for good, not evil."

Eileen found time to focus on her political career a bit later in life after the couple's children left home, winning election to the Oakland County Commission in 2002. But she didn't necessarily feel like a political novice at the time.

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She ran her husband's first state House campaign and, once he began commuting to Lansing, remembers discussing politics with him "into the wee hours" of the morning.

"If I had to offer advice, I would say from my own experience, try to develop your own identity," said Rep. Kowall, who has done just that in the state Legislature. "Obviously it's great to have the spouse's experience and to know the lay of the land. Mike and I pretty much see eye-to-eye on things, but we just have different approaches."

Policy disagreements can make for awkward family moments, as can shared districts. Eileen Kowall will be forced out of the House due to term limits, but if she wanted to run for the Senate, she would have had to challenge her own husband. Instead, she's looking to return to the Oakland County Commission.

Educator Erika Geiss of Taylor is the only Democrat running for the 12th District seat currently held by her husband, state Rep. Doug Geiss, and is expected to face Republican Kelly Thompson in the general election.

Parent-child lineages are more common in the Michigan Legislature, where the likes of current state Sen. Virgil Smith and Tory Rocca, along with Reps. Jeff Irwin and Lisa Posthumus Lyons, are each the progeny of former lawmakers.

Democrat Fred Durhal III of Detroit is currently competing in a six-way primary for the 5th District state House seat now held by his father, Rep. Fred Durhal Jr., who is unable to run again due to term limits.

The younger Durhal didn't catch the political bug right away but eventually came around and has a unique perspective among first-time candidates: He's actually sat beside his father on the House floor for the past five years as a volunteer staffer.

Ingham County Register of Deeds Curtis Hertel Jr., a Democrat who is considered a frontrunner to win the 23rd District state Senate primary and eventually replace Sen. Gretchen Whitmer, is the son of former state House Speaker Curtis Hertel.

Not all children are interested in following in the footsteps of their political parents, however.

"Our youngest has a degree in political science and communication, but she doesn't like all the ugliness that goes along with" running for office, said Sen. Kowall. "She saw both Eileen and I go through some pretty tenacious elections."

Jonathan Oosting is a Capitol reporter for MLive Media Group. Email him, find him on Facebook or follow him on Twitter.