Michael Bouchard
After losing the 2006 Senate race, Oakland County Sheriff and former state Sen.
Michael J. Bouchard is taking another shot at statewide office. Bouchard, a Republican, will run for governor in 2010, he
announced Wednesday with three stops across the state.
The sheriff put out a statement to the local press Tuesday night alerting them to the announcement and notified his police troops by e-mail this morning. In his roll-out, Bouchard emphasized the struggles facing families in Michigan due to the current state of the economy.
"We know our problems didn't just happen overnight. So there's no quick fixes or simple solutions," he said in a message on his campaign Web site. "It will take real leadership to dig us out of this mess and we can no longer allow Lansing thinking and the status quo to dictate our future decisions."
Bouchard joins an increasingly crowded Republican field eager to take the seat back after eight years under Democrat Jennifer M. Granholm. Granholm cannot run again due to term limits and Republicans see an opening, despite the state's Democratic leanings, thanks to the miserable economy and dissatisfaction with the way the state is headed.
He indicated Wednesday that taxes and spending will be the focus of his campaign.
Bouchard has statewide name recognition thanks to his challenge to Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow in 2006. Bouchard lost that race 41 percent to 57 percent.
His decision to get into the governor's race sets up a fight with Attorney General Mike Cox, who officially launched his bid last week. Both men draw support from Detroit's suburbs.
Rep. Peter Hoekstra of Michigan's 2nd District announced in March he is running for the seat. Other likely Republican candidates include Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, state Sen. Tom George and Ann Arbor businessman Rick Snyder.
Domino's Pizza CEO David Brandon is also rumored to be interested.
On the Democratic side, the early favorite is Lt. Gov. John Cherry, who has been laying the groundwork for a campaign to succeed Granholm for some time. Cherry has served in the number-two spot during the entirety of Granholm's tenure as governor.
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