Although Snyder hasn’t officially announced his bid for re-election, he continues to raise funds, said Bernie Porn, president of Lansing-based polling firm EPIC-MRA.

Porn said polls show the two candidates are in for a close race, though Snyder could be vulnerable to a Democratic challenger.

Despite Schauer being unknown to 61 percent of Michiganians in a recent poll, the two have nearly even public approval ratings.

Porn said he was “surprised” to see an equal matchup, but policy decisions might explain the relatively unknown candidate’s support.

EPIC-MRA’s most recent poll shows a declining approval rating for Snyder, which Porn said likely is due to a perceived broken promise after Snyder flip-flopped to support the right-to-work legislation. Add that to the Snyder-backed $1.1 billion education cuts in 2011 and the Democrats could have some inflammatory attacks, he said.

Rawley Van Fossen, vice president of the MSU College Democrats, said he also expects those to be galvanizing topics for college students.

“I’m here paying hundreds of dollars per credit hour while 10 minutes down the road they’re cutting millions of dollars (from the education fund),” Van Fossen said.

Also critical of Snyder is Andrea Reed, an interdisciplinary studies in social science and health studies senior at MSU.

“We’re still in the same place, if not worse,” Reed said.

She also said she’s not fond of Snyder’s appointment of Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr.

Republicans were quick to respond to Schauer’s bid, with the Michigan Republican Party chairman Bobby Schostak stating in a press release “his announcement is not at all surprising — or impressive.”

Schostak went on to call Schauer a “failed career politician” who Michigan voters “will not resonate with.”

But pollsters like Porn say much still is undetermined.

“A lot depends on how much money Schauer is going to raise,” Porn said. “Snyder can open his checkbook and spend several million dollars, so he has that advantage. If (Schauer) doesn’t have the money to compete, he can’t win.”