Virg Bernero

South Lansing Ingham County Commissioner '91-'99
68th District Representative '00-'02
23rd District Senator '03-'04
Lansing Mayor '05-'09

Although he has not yet announced his bid for Governor some have mentioned the mayor of Lansing as a potential candidate and there are some grassroots efforts to 'draft' Bernero into running in 2010 (the site has not posted since February)

Having conducted his political career in moderate obscurity, Virg Bernero suddenly jumped in the spotlight when he ran against Tony Benavides in the 2003 mayoral election. If my memory serves me right Benavides painted Bernero as a carpetbagger (“the leader you know...the leader you trust”). In the end Bernero, who had more money, lost by a mere 258 votes. Then in 2005 rallied and won 68% of the vote over Benavides who's new image was, ineffective mayor, rather than the hometown boy.

Early Political Image:

Virg Bernero is, to my knowledge, either going to stay mayor or be elected out before the 2010 election. When I called his office this morning to find which districts he represented, when I asked if there was anything else she wanted to say about the mayor staffer directed me to the city website, which focuses on his acomplishments as mayor. It looks like he will be running for Mayor in 2009 and not for for Governor in 2010.

Yesterday's cable news rounds ought to make the point clear enough. Virg Bernero is not using the kind of conciliatory or party platform rhetoric of a person who is about to enter a gubernatorial primary campaign. If He is planing on running Virg is going to have to change his campaign style quickly. Right now, the language that Bernero is using invokes small town protectionism with community salesmanship, what a mayor should sound like if s/he is about to enter a reelection campaign.

Breaking News: Peter Hoekstra to Run for Governor.

(Thats Striker Hoekstra)
Mark Hornbeck Wrote today in the Detroit News:

Congressman Peter Hoekstra said today he'll announce Monday whether he will run for governor in 2010 and strongly hinted that he will enter the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Jennifer Granholm.
The Holland Republican, who has said he won't run for a 10th term in the 2nd Congressional District, said this morning on Detroit talk radio that he'll spend the day Monday making his announcement and it's reasonable to assume he will be in.
Hoekstra said the question is, "in a blue state, how do you put together a coalition that can win? I think it's very, very doable."
Commenting on the candidacy of Democratic Lt. Gov. John Cherry, who has already said he's running, Hoekstra said: "I hope John Cherry and the Democrats run on Gov. Granholm's record ... if nothing changes, nothing changes."
He said neither party can be blamed for the woes of the auto industry, but he said the state's chief executive should have seen the domestic auto decline coming and done more to diversify the state's economic base and to make Michigan a better place to do business.

This is Congressman Hoekstra:

Andy Dillon

17th District Representative 04-09
Current Speaker of Michigan's House Of Representatives.

Andy Dillon has not yet announced that he will officially be running for Governor, but last month he declined funding for his reelection campaign, so I think we all know whats up.

Andy earned a reputation in Michigan for being one tough cookie, when, in October of 2007, Andy voted in favor of HB 5194. HB 5194 was a bill that increased Michigan's taxes to cover the 2008 budget gap. The measure put in place to replace the Single Business Tax was to increase service taxes. After a long debate and with bi-partisan support HB 5194 passed the House and Senate. Then came the Pig.

The "Michigan's Taxpayers Alliance" an organization set up by Leon Drolet to recall any state law maker who raised taxes in Michigan. You might remember Drolet from the popular Michigan Civil Rights Initiative (Proposal Two). If you don't remember the MCRI you might remember this:


Any way Drolet, was 779 signatures short of holding the recall election because many were deemed to be either forged or obtained by out of district petitioners. After Terri Lynn Land refused to recount the signatures, Drolet eventually took the case to a Federal judge in Cincinnati who ruled in favor of Drolet. The matter was eventually put on the 2008 ballot and was rejected.

Early Political Image:

It seems that he would be able to go through a tough campaign, but he look's a lot like Mitt Rommney. It would do him well to get into the race NOW. If he doesn't Cherry (who has already received many endorsements from county commissioners) will blow right past him in fundraising and support.

It will be interesting to see how much money people give during this race. With the economy the way it has been for the past 10 odd years and large donors tapped out from the Presidential campaign, this might be the year that thrift might get you somewhere.

Canidate Spotlight: Mike Cox

Michigan's Attorney General '03-'09

A Republican with name recognition who has built a career on...well we don't know. He is new to my public mind and few of us really know his positions, outside of being a conservative. He needs to take a page out of John Cherry's book and campaign so hard that he will make Devos look like a PTA president candidate.

From his Michigan.gov page:

Born in 1961, Mike Cox graduated from Detroit's Catholic Central High School and entered the Marines. After graduating from the University of Michigan Law School in 1989, he went on to work in the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office in Detroit. Cox prosecuted organized crime cases ranging from public corruption to drug and gang-related homicides. In addition to hundreds of bench trials, he tried more than 125 jury trials, with a conviction rate in excess of 90 percent. In 2000, Cox was appointed Director of the Wayne County Prosecutor's Homicide Unit, which prosecuted approximately two-thirds of all homicides in Michigan

Canidate: Don Williamson (D)

Flint Mayor '03-Feb. 8th '09

Political Image:

All we know about Don, is that he won a shady election with a shady campaign in 2003, his wife gave $2,500 to the Bush campaign in 2004 and has been sued enough times, as mayor, that he will never need a tailor again. In 2007 Flint was routinely called one of the most dangerous places to live and in 2009 he both announced that he was running for Governor and resigned as mayor.

I hope, for his own sake, that he drops out of the race as soon as he can. The Democratic Party doesn't need anymore Blagovitch enBurrisments.

Candidate Spotlight: Terri Lynn Land

'89-91 Kent County Republican Chairperson. 

'92-'00 Kent County Clerk 

'04  State Co-chair of George W. Bush's Re-election campaign. 

'04 Delegate at the 2004 RNCC. 

'03-'09 Michigan's Secretary of State

Early Political Image: 

As West Michiganian and a woman, Terri Land holds a special place in election. As a moderate republican she may have a tough time in the primary, however, if she wins it would give the Republican party an advantage in the general election. Having been the secretary of state for over 5 years and not received the moniker 'Scary Terri,' tells us as much as her record, she doesn't create to much trouble. I know little about her reputation with in the party, but I feel that she has played the role of peace keeper for some time. 

For now the race is wide open on the Repubican side, especially if she can get a better staff photographer. (This one was the best that I could find on her campaign website)

Terri Lynn Land

Candidate Spotlight: John D. Cherry Jr.

'83-'86, 79th district Representative

'87-'94, 29th district Senator 

'94-'98, 28th district Senator 

Ran for the US House in '92, 5th district.  

Democratic convention delegate; '96, '00, '04

Lt. Governor '03-'10

Early political image:

Since we are still 19 months out, the impact that any candidate can make on the perception of him/her by the popular press is limited. At this stage only the pundits and the local politic nerds are paying any attention to this race. John Cherry is in a unique position, the political good will that envelops Ghranholm will rub off on Cherry in the early stages of the actual primary campaign, since he has decided to run on his work with in the Executive branch. 

It seems that the Cherry campaign is currently deciding to present John as a 'conservationist,' which works for him. Along with his age, history and without major support from progressive environmental groups it would be difficult for the campaign to present him as an 'environmentalist.' Since we are in the early stages of the campaign (in this stage the voter shapes his/her political image with what little information s/he is given, namely physical appearance) I will be superficial for one moment, Cherry can pull off a Teddy Roosevelt/Taft conservationalist/conservatism. 

I could not find any current polling data. 

The Canidate List

Democrats:

 

Announced: 

Don Williamson 

John Cherry

Speculative

Andy Dillon 

Virg Bernero 

George Perlis 

Mark Hackel 

Robert Ficano 

Republicans: 

Announced

Terri Land 

Mike Cox 

Speculative

Peter Hoekstra 

Candice Miller

L. Brooks Patterson

Mike Rogers 

Mike Bouchard

Joe Schwarz 

Mike Bishop

David Brandon

Ted Nugent 

Currently it seems that national politics are dominating the netwaves. With Hoekstra and Dillion still on the side line the '10 race is to far off in the distance for much news to be made. 

UPDATE:

Philgoblue reported today over at west michigan rising that Andy Dillon is not seeking re-election for his House seat in 2010. Meaning that he most certianly will be running for the Governer's office in '10. 

Full Article: 

Reid Wilson: Mich. Rep. won't face powerful Dem. (The Hill)