Saul Anuzis

Saulius "Saul" Anuzis (born March 6, 1959) is a Republican Party politician from the U.S. State of Michigan. He was chairman of the Michigan Republican Party from 2005–2009 and was also a candidate for national chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2009 and 2011.

Early life

Anuzis was born in Detroit, Michigan, to Lithuanian immigrants, Ceslovas and Elena Anuzis. He attended Bishop Borgess High School and studied economics at the University of Michigan–Dearborn campus. His senior year he was elected president of the student government and also was one of the founders and first chairman of the College Republican club on campus.

Personal life

Anuzis is married to Lina (née Alksninis) and they have four sons, Matas, Tadas, Vytis, and Marius.

Anuzis is a former member of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. He was also a gubernatorial appointee to the Michigan Jobs Commission and the Michigan Export Development Authority. He was a scout master of local Boy Scout Troop 100 (comprising Lithuanian scouts), and is actively involved in several Lithuanian-American organizations and serves on several non-profit boards. He currently serves as the honorary consul to Michigan for the Republic of Lithuania. Anuzis and his family reside in Eaton County.

Anuzis's parents and paternal grandparents, Ignas and Elena Anuzis, received the Righteous Among the Nations award from Israel's national Holocaust memorial, Yad Vashem, for helping three young girls escape from a Jewish ghetto and make their way from Lithuania to Estonia during World War II. One of those girls, now grown, nominated them for the award.

Politics

In 1980, Anuzis was elected as the second youngest delegate to the Republican National Convention, held that year in Detroit. After attending President Reagan's first inaugural he was elected third vice chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. Anuzis also served six years as a member of the Michigan Republican Party's state committee and two terms as a chairman of a congressional district party.

Anuzis managed Dick Posthumus' first state Senate race in 1982 and then worked closely with Posthumus throughout his career in Michigan politics, including running his unsuccessful bid for governor in 2002. During that time, Anuzis worked for the House Republican Campaign Committee, the Senate Republican Campaign Committee and as chief of staff to then-Senate Majority Leader Posthumus.

In 1990, Anuzis took a break from politics to focus on his family and business interests. He and partner Bruce Yuille founded Coast to Coast Telecommunications that year. They later sold that business in 2000-2001 when Anuzis and Yuille then co-founded Quick Connect USA.

Anuzis was mentioned as a potential candidate in the 2012 U.S. Senate race.

Republican state chairman

On February 5, 2005, Anuzis was elected chairman of the Michigan Republican Party. Anuzis was a frequent guest on regional talk radio, and was notable for raising funds for a new state Republican party headquarters and for being the only Republican Party state chairman to operate a blog. He was re-elected to a second term February 10, 2007.

RNC chairman race

Anuzis ran unsuccessfully for chairman of the Republican National Committee in 2009 and 2011.

Republican National Committee Member from Michigan

Anuzis was soundly defeated for re-election to the Republican National Committee in 2012 by Dave Agema, a former member of the Michigan House of Representatives who was largely backed by tea party activists in the Michigan Republican Party.