Gov. Snyder laughs with Lt. Gov. Brian Calley during his re-election kick-off speech Feb. 3, 2014, at Two Men And A Truck, 3400 Belle Chase Way, in Lansing. Two Men And A Truck is “a great success story about entrepreneurship in Michigan,” Snyder said during his speech. Erin Hampton/The State News
DETROIT — The party was over before it even began at the MGM Grand Detroit Casino Tuesday, where Democratic candidate for Governor and MSU alumnus Mark Schauer was announced the loser of the election by major news outlets well before he could take the stage.
After a race that was deemed too close to call in days prior, Democratic candidate for Governor and MSU alumnus Mark Schauer lost to incumbent Governor Rick Snyder, with 70 percent of precincts reporting.
Similarly, Mark Totten, a MSU law professor who ran in the democrat slot for Attorney General, was outvoted by current Attorney General Bill Schuette.
Democrat candidate Godfrey Dillard also struck out in the race against incumbent Secretary of State Ruth Johnson.
A silver lining for the Democrats was Gary Peters, also a MSU alumnus, who served as the U.S Representative for Michigan's 14th congressional district, who was determined to be the winner before the party began.
Schauer, a Howell, Mich. native and a member of the U.S. House of Representatives for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District from 2009 to 2011, campaigned on a platform of increased education spending, economic growth and prioritizing the state budget.
Schauer also dubbed himself the “education governor,” promising to make education a top priority and restore funding to pre-2011 levels.
For higher education, Schauer advocated an approach centering on loan refinancing and increased state need-based financial aid.
Unlike Snyder, Schauer was vocal on issues pertaining to LGBT rights, and stated he would fight for establishing marriage equality in Michigan.
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