Lansing - Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus will run for governor in 2002, he told a group of supporters at a Capital-area picnic.
But Posthumus’ announcement Tuesday was not a formal declaration of candidacy.
“It’s the first step in a long journey,” he said. “Growing up, all I ever wanted to be was a farmer. But I’ve seen the changes we’ve made ... and there’s a lot at stake.”
Posthumus, 51, was elected to the state Senate in 1982, and became majority leader in 1991 when Gov. John Engler left the position to become governor. He was picked by Engler to serve as his running mate in 1998.
Posthumus’ announcement comes as little surprise to many, as he has been indicating for some time he might run for governor when Engler can no longer seek the office because of term limits.
Posthumus faces state Sen. John Schwarz of Battle Creek for the GOP nomination.
Political consultant and former GOP state chairman David Doyle predicted Posthumus will be a “formidable opponent for whoever the Democrats nominate.”
“Dick has been working very hard for the last several years to put himself in position to win, and no else has done that,” Doyle said.
Michigan Democratic Party spokesman Dennis Denno called Posthumus “a candidate who is pretty out of touch with the working families of Michigan.
“Here’s a guy who is anti-environment and pro-voucher,” Denno said. “Now he wants to take these values and run for governor?”
Doyle said Posthumus will have to combat voter fatigue and a tendency to seek change after 12 years of Republican control of the executive office.
The Associate Press
