Run for governor will be quite the race

Though it’s more than 18 months away, the 2010 Michigan gubernatorial election has taken its place among the top political stories in our state.

Ryan Dinkgrave

With Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s term limited, making her ineligible to run for a third time, the race has drawn a broad field of prospective candidates from both parties. With the buzz building and the issues facing our state so great, now seems an appropriate time to take stock of the race.

Although there are a number of big names in the race, some of the most known potential candidates already have made the decision to sit this one out. Former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer was one such early aspirant, having conducted a series of public forums across the state before announcing last fall he will not seek the job.

Dick DeVos, the son of West Michigan billionaire and Amway co-founder Richard DeVos, who ran the most expensive gubernatorial campaign in state history in 2006, also announced last November he would not run in 2010. In January, Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson announced he was considering another run for
governor, but said earlier this month he would not be competing.

The Republican side of the race has been the more interesting side, with a robust field of candidates, some of who carry “star power” and significant name recognition. Two of the state’s representatives in Congress have put their names forth as possible contenders for the Republican nomination: Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland, and Rep. Candice Miller, R-Harrison Twp.

Of the two, Hoesktra has been the more prominent candidate, having officially announced his candidacy and having a campaign Web site and Twitter.com account that became infamous for a post where he disclosed a previously secret visit to Iraq. Miller is said to still be on the fence about whether to run.

Two prominent holders of other statewide offices also have their eyes on the governor’s seat. Attorney General Mike Cox has announced his bid for the Republican nomination, as he is term limited from running again for his current position. Interestingly, the person who preceded him as attorney general was Granholm. As attorney general, Cox has been in the spotlight for both accomplishments and oftentimes controversial work that comes with the office.

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land has announced her candidacy, though unlike Cox, she is not term limited in her current position. As Secretary of State, Land too is a prominent public figure.

Rounding out the list of potential GOP candidates is a mixed bag of politicians and other figures. These include state senator and anesthesiologist Tom George, R-Kalamazoo, Ann Arbor venture capitalist Rick Snyder and Domino’s Pizza executive David Brandon.

On the Democratic side, the list of prospective candidates is mostly high-ranking elected officials from across the state, although only two of these have officially announced their campaigns. Lieutenant Governor John Cherry currently leads the race, but he holds the double-edged sword of serving in the current administration (which has struggled to inspire confidence in these challenging times) and having the statewide visibility that can only come from an office of that stature.

Some have suggested that because of his experience as both a state representative and state senator, Cherry may be able to work better with the state Legislature than his current boss, who had not served in that body.

Former Flint Mayor Don Williamson is the only other Democrat to officially announce his candidacy. Williamson resigned from his office as mayor in early February rather than face a recall election later that month.

Other figures rumored to be considering a run for the Democratic nomination include Speaker of the House Andy Dillon, D-Redford, Lansing Mayor and former state legislator Virg Bernero, MSU Board of Trustees member and former MSU football coach George Perles and Macomb County Sheriff Mark Hackel.

The race to be Michigan’s 48th governor already is shaping up to be a competitive one. Given the state of Michigan’s economy, its structural budget deficit, skyrocketing unemployment and other challenges, the race will need to be a tough one in order to elect the candidate most capable of returning our state to prosperity.

Ryan Dinkgrave is a State News guest columnist. Reach him at dinkgrave@gmail.com.