Another sign of the times for Democrats: the Associated Press reports this morning that Michigan Lt. Gov. John Cherry (D) will drop out of the gubernatorial race. A top Democratic fundraiser, Faylene Owens, "says the tough economy and Granholm's record has made it difficult for Cherry to raise money."

Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) was able to overcome growing economic woes in her '06 re-election bid, thanks in part to a weak opponent, the power of incumbency and a favorable Democratic climate. But now, several strong Republicans have lined up to win this open-seat race, including Rep. Pete Hoekstra and Attorney General Mike Cox.

A Democratic source said that state House Speaker Andy Dillon (D) is likely the party's best hope of keeping the seat, though the door hasn't closed yet to new candidates. Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero (D) is also running.

A recent EPIC-MRA survey showed that Cherry was unknown to 39 percent of state voters, with Dillon (56%) and Bernero (81%) even further behind on that score. The same survey showed Granholm with just a 29 percent approval rating; President Obama fared better at 44 percent.

Posted by Mike Memoli at 10:35 AM | Email Author | Permalink

Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox announced his bid for governor this morning, the Grand Rapids Press reported.

Cox joins a couple fellow Republicans already in the race: Rep. Pete Hoekstra and state Sen. Tom George.

Sec. of State Terri Lynn Land and Ann Arbor venture capitalist Rick Snyder are considering running. Other GOP possibilities include Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard and businessman David Brandon, according to the Associated Press.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm (D) is term-limited, but Democrats come in with a nice statistic to hold up: President Obama won the state by 16 points. Of course, 2010 is a long ways from 2008.

Posted by Kyle Trygstad at 12:30 PM | Email Author | Permalink