Term limits are driving Gov. John Engler out of office - along with many other Republicans.
In late January, Engler accepted the resignations of State Police Director Col. Michael D. Robinson and Department of Corrections Director Bill Martin.
On Monday, Sen. Bill Schuette, R-Midland, announced he will run for the Michigan Court of Appeals. He was elected to the Senate in 1994, was re-elected in 1998 and is unable to run again due to term limits.
But, Schuette said the end of his term has not dampened his spirits.
He is running for the 4th District Court of Appeals seat of Judge Donald Holbrook Jr.
“I’m very excited for the seat,” he said. “This is a new path so I can continue my commitment to public service.”
Of the 38 Michigan senators, 27 are term-limited.
Ed Sarpolus of Lansing-based polling firm EPIC/MRA polling, said the resignations of Martin and Robinson are related to term limits as well, but not their own.
“They know that once the governor’s term is over, the new governor might want to take a new direction,” Sarpolus said. “It is usually the case that many people will be out of employment after the election, so they take on a new job.”
Engler, who was elected in 1990, faces the end of his term in January 2003.
But before he leaves his place at the helm of Michigan politics, Engler has been busy filling empty slots on state boards, committees and councils.
Since the first of the year alone, the governor has appointed more than 130 individuals to these positions, though not all are Republicans.
Matt Resch, Engler’s spokesman, said it is not any more uncommon for the governor to fill these slots than it is for people to resign.
“He is virtually appointing a new person every day,” Resch said.
Mark Grebner, owner of Practical Political Consulting, 220 Albert Ave., said the Republican resignations could be due to party affiliation.
“Waiting around isn’t going to do you any good,” Grebner said. “It’s likely that a Democrat will win the next election because Republicans are being blamed for the recession and people are tired of the administration in general.”
He said a Democratic win would result in a new Cabinet and those who move on now are making a good decision.
Bill Ballenger, editor and publisher of Lansing newsletter Inside Michigan Politics, agreed that there is a relationship between the resignations and Engler’s end of term, but said the trend would occur regardless of party affiliation.
“Any governor who has been in office for a long period of time gains his own patrons,” he said.
“This is a good time to get out, but it would represent a change even if the new governor was in the same party.”
But Resch disagreed, especially as it applies to Robinson and Martin.
“I don’t think that the fact that they are Republican has anything to do with it,” he said. “Both are very hard-working men who are moving on to new opportunities.”
