An archive of the writings, campaigns, and curmudgeonly wisdom of Mark Grebner, Michigan’s most persistent provocateur.
Mark Grebner: Michigan’s Quirky Political Data Guru
Mark Grebner defies easy labels – after all, as The New York Times quipped, “Calling Mr. Grebner eccentric would be too obvious.”
en.wikipedia.org For over four decades, Grebner has been a sharp-witted fixture in Michigan politics – a political consultant, voter data expert, activist, and all-around iconoclast with a flair for the unconventional. Based in East Lansing since his college days, he’s an ardent liberal known for savvy election instincts and “irreverent, often provocative commentary.”
en.wikipedia.org In other words, Mark Grebner is the kind of political guru who can crunch your voter turnout numbers one minute and crack a sly joke about them the next.
From Campus Agitator to Consulting Maverick
Grebner’s political journey kicked off in the early 1970s at Michigan State University, where he spearheaded student voter registration drives after the voting age dropped to 18
en.wikipedia.org. As a student, he even ruffled feathers by publishing “Grading the Profs,” a cheeky booklet ranking MSU professors, which sold for 95¢ and promptly made him both feared and famous on campus
cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com. This mix of intellectual mischief and activism set the tone for his career. After a stint working on a state legislative campaign, Grebner discovered he had little patience for the slow, committee-driven style of traditional campaigns. “I hated meetings… that’s why I became a political consultant. I could tell candidates, ‘Do it or don’t,’ and then walk away,” he later said of his decision to strike out on his own
cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com. And strike out he did – founding Practical Political Consulting (PPC) in 1976 while still a young upstart, determined to change how campaigns use data.
Pioneering the Voter Data Revolution
Long before “big data” was a buzzword, Grebner was obsessing over voter lists and electoral stats. In the 1970s, computers were rare and clunky, but that didn’t stop him. He painstakingly compiled voter information for Michigan campaigns by hand, township by township. In fact, a Wall Street Journal profile marveled at how “Mr. Grebner painstakingly gathers lists of local voters from hundreds of Michigan township and municipal clerks… enters the names in his battery of desktop computers, then matches them to addresses and other data.”
en.wikipedia.org In the early days, he’d haul boxes of punch cards in a little red wagon to the MSU computer center at odd hours, just to process his precious voter data
cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com. This tireless work paid off. Grebner’s voter files quickly became the gold standard for Michigan campaigns, prized for their accuracy and detail. By 2000, The New York Times dubbed his lists “the hottest of hot commodities in hot races”
cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com. PPC went on to supply thousands of campaigns – from local school board races to presidential bids – with voter lists and strategy advice
linkedin.com. (One souvenir in Grebner’s office speaks to that reach: a framed $3,000 bounced check from Gary Hart’s 1988 presidential campaign, which bounced the day Hart dropped out amid scandal – Grebner hung it on the wall as a reminder that in politics, timing is everything
cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com!)
Always ahead of the curve, Grebner was among the first to see the power of technology in politics. He offered candidates flexible services (even extending credit to cash-strapped campaigns, trusting they’d pay after they raised money) and continuously refined his data operation. “He was among the first to keep exploring and exploiting the possibilities of technology,” recalls former state legislator Lynn Jondahl, who worked with Grebner in the ’70s. “He became the go-to person for all of us in regard to effective use of campaign data.”
cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com Indeed, Grebner’s data obsession helped modernize how campaigns target voters. His firm even expanded beyond Michigan, bringing its voter-list magic to Wisconsin and other areas by the late 1990s
Unconventional Tactics and Notable Achievements
Mark Grebner’s innovative streak isn’t limited to data crunching – he’s famous (sometimes infamous) for out-of-the-box tactics that get results. Perhaps the most famous is his experiment in “voter shaming” as a way to boost turnout. In 2004, Grebner’s firm teamed up with Yale researchers on an edgy direct-mail strategy: they mailed voters a printout of their own voting history along with their neighbors’ voting records, with a not-so-subtle note that an updated chart might be sent after the next election. The social pressure was huge – and it worked. Voter turnout jumped dramatically among those who got the mailing, “increasing turnout by 20 percent.”
cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com The approach, spotlighted in Sasha Issenberg’s book The Victory Lab, has since influenced countless get-out-the-vote efforts. In true Grebner fashion, he had intuitively grasped that a bit of creative shaming and transparency could jolt apathetic voters into doing their civic duty. That kind of bold thinking cemented Grebner’s reputation as not just a data guru, but an idea guy unafraid to challenge political norms.
Grebner has also lent his wonky talents to some high-profile political capers. He collaborated with a young data whiz named Nate Silver to expose a fraudulent polling firm that was feeding bogus numbers to media outlets
cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com. (Yes, before Nate Silver was a household name, Grebner was there in the trenches of nerdy data sleuthing.) Over the years, there are few corners of Michigan politics untouched by his influence. From helping refine Democratic campaign strategies behind the scenes to publishing contrarian essays on how to raise voter turnout (he once suggested focusing on getting jail inmates who are awaiting trial to vote, just to spike those abysmal turnout numbers
en.wikipedia.org), Grebner has never been afraid to test a crazy idea if there’s a chance it might work.
A Career in Public Office (with a Sense of Humor)
Not content to remain behind the scenes, Grebner also served in public office for decades – bringing his unique style directly into the halls of local government. He was an Ingham County Commissioner for 35 years (1977–2012, with a few years off in the early ’80s) representing the East Lansing area
en.wikipedia.org. During that tenure he earned respect for substantive work – drafting one of the county’s first comprehensive ethics policies and championing improvements in public transit
en.wikipedia.org – all while keeping things interesting. He was elected by his peers as Board Chair multiple times, proving that even those who groaned at his wisecracks recognized his leadership. In 2016, after a brief hiatus, Grebner couldn’t resist jumping back into county politics. He mounted a comeback campaign for his old seat with tongue firmly in cheek, plastering lawn signs around town that declared, “We can’t get rid of him!”
wkar.org. Voters apparently agreed – he won that race by nearly a 7-to-3 margin, adding to an already storied career
Through all his campaigns, Grebner has displayed a self-deprecating wit rarely seen in politics. In fact, he’s practically a legend for his campaign slogans. Over the years he’s told voters to re-elect him because “No Worse Than The Rest,” assured them “He May Be a Fool, But He’s Our Fool,” and even ran a coupon in a local coupon book advertising “Buy One Politician, Get One Free.”
en.wikipedia.org Not many politicians would dare to call themselves a “fool” in public – but Grebner did it with a wink, and it only made constituents love him more for his honesty. One of his hilarious constituent letters from the 1980s (announcing his re-election plans in mock-heroic style) was so entertaining it was reprinted in Harper’s Magazine as a classic of political humor
en.wikipedia.org. That irreverent streak – equal parts Don Quixote and Mark Twain – has become a trademark of Grebner’s public persona.
Activism, Advocacy, and the Grebner Persona
Beyond elections and data, Mark Grebner has never shied away from a good fight for a cause he believes in. He has been a vocal advocate for voting rights and government transparency throughout his career. In 2007, he led a charge to overturn Michigan’s controversial presidential primary law, arguing it violated voters’ rights; a circuit court agreed with him and struck down the law (though the victory was later reversed on appeal)
en.wikipedia.org. He’s also not above using the courts to force transparency – his firm has been a plaintiff in numerous Freedom of Information Act lawsuits to pry loose public records in Michigan and Wisconsin
en.wikipedia.org. Grebner’s fearless in taking on institutions: whether it was battling a county sheriff’s practices in his early days, or locking horns with bureaucracy over open records, he’s earned a reputation as a principled troublemaker. Even when his stance proved unpopular – like when he once defended a county policy of selling unclaimed shelter animals for research, bluntly dismissing protesting animal rights activists as “fanatics”
en.wikipedia.org – Grebner has always said exactly what he thinks, decorum be damned. Love him or hate him, you always know where he stands.
It helps that Grebner delivers his barbs with a dose of humor and old-fashioned charm. Colleagues have compared him to Ben Franklin – not just for a certain physical resemblance as he’s gotten older, but for his inventive mind and fondness for practical solutions
cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com. He’s an avid bicyclist (often pedaling to work in the afternoon and working past midnight), a policy wonk who can cite voter turnout stats off the top of his head, and a raconteur who’ll regale you with tales of obscure election quirks if you let him. Small wonder Detroit’s political press once dubbed him a “super wonk”
en.wikipedia.org. Grebner wears that badge proudly.
Over the years, Mark Grebner has become a go-to political sage for the media. He’s the guy reporters call for a colorful quote on the latest election snafu or legislative drama. Public radio programs and local news regularly seek out his insights on voter behavior, election law, and the mood of the electorate
en.wikipedia.org. And he obliges with candor and sly humor, delivering razor-sharp analysis that often cuts through the usual talking points. When he’s not being interviewed, Grebner has been known to pen wonky essays (he once wrote a blog series on “Technical Politics” that delved into the nitty-gritty of election data
en.wikipedia.org), further solidifying his status as Michigan’s resident political nerd – albeit a nerd with a mischievous grin.
In sum, Mark Grebner is a true original in Michigan politics. He’s the data-cruncher who revolutionized how campaigns target voters
cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com, the political consultant whose advice has quietly shaped races up and down the ballot, and the outspoken activist who isn’t afraid to poke the bear if it means making government a little better (or at least more interesting). All the while, he’s kept his sense of humor firmly intact. In the often too-serious world of politics, Grebner’s career is a refreshing reminder that brains, passion, and a bit of irreverence can go a long way. Whether he’s parsing voter files, plotting an unconventional campaign stunt, or tossing off a one-liner about the latest news, Mark Grebner has made a habit of leaving his mark – and having some fun in the process. No worse than the rest, indeed… maybe even a whole lot better.
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