State Sen. Joanne Emmons announced Thursday her candidacy for one of the two open seats on the MSU Board of Trustees in November’s election.
The Big Rapids Republican, a 1956 MSU graduate, is the first woman to serve as Senate majority floor leader in the Legislature.
“MSU really helped develop me and make me understand that I could do anything,” Emmons said. “I’ve always been a fan of the Spartans - this is a way for me to give back to the university that has given me so much.”
Trustees Colleen McNamara, a Democrat, and Donald Nugent, a Republican, have reached the end of their eight-year terms. McNamara said Thursday she will seek re-election. Nugent, who is out of the country, could not be reached for comment. He has not announced formally if he will run for re-election.
Emmons is the first nonincumbent to announce plans for the race. Both the Democratic and Republican parties field a candidate for the Nov. 5 election.
McNamara said she hopes to retain her seat.
“I don’t want to lose, and I like Don, too,” she said. “It will make a very civilized and nice race.”
Bill Ballenger, editor and publisher of Lansing-based Inside Michigan Politics, said the race will be close. “It’s way too early to start making projections, because we don’t know who the other nominees are going to be yet,” Ballenger said. “We’ve got a long, long way to wait.”
He said political loyalties higher on the ticket - such as the votes for the presidency - can sweep across the entire election and set a pattern for the votes.
In the 2000 election, both a Democrat and a Republican trustee were elected to the board in Dorothy Gonzales and Scott Romney, respectively.
Ballenger said party affiliation might not carry candidates through the election. Instead, a well-known name and personality characteristics could play a large role in the election.
Some analysts said Gov. John Engler has added GOP votes to the Board of Trustees to secure a job with MSU some time after his gubernatorial term ends.
Engler appointed former Democrat Trustee Robert Weiss to a Genessee County Probate Court judgeship and filled the spot with Republican Trustee Randall Pittman. That move gave the GOP a 5-3 edge on the board.
Democrat Trustee Joel Ferguson said although he prefers a Democrat to be elected, he hopes any new trustees don’t shake up the board too much.
“I hope they follow the present trustees’ positions and follow our lead,” he said.
But Romney said he thinks Emmons would be a perfect candidate for the seat.
“I think she could provide experience in dealing with the Legislature in terms of appropriation and other programs dealing with support from the state government,” Romney said. “Her background could be helpful.”
After 16 years as a state senator and representative, Emmons said she is more than qualified to deal with legislative issues. Her main focus will be the cost of education, she said.
“I think MSU has been a leader in trying to make higher education affordable,” she said. “I’d like to continue that, but I think there needs to be more pressure on the Legislature to get a fair shake for MSU. It’s important to get the education you’ll need in the world - and I think MSU is a great place to train.”
Staff writers Amy Bartner and Ed Ronco contributed to this report.
