Michigan's next governor could come from right here in Ann Arbor. Rick Snyder, a local venture capitalist and University alum, is considering running as a Republican candidate for governor in 2010.

Snyder announced in a press release earlier this month that he has formed an exploratory committee to assess the possibility of a gubernatorial run next year.

“I am in the process of putting together the best team of advisors this state and country has to offer,” Snyder wrote in the release.

Snyder went on to write that he will travel around the state, talking with citizens for the next few weeks to learn more about the problems Michigan residents face.

“Our economy is in shambles and there is no doubt we are heading in the wrong direction,” he wrote in the release. “The economic problems in this state started long before the economic meltdown hitting the rest of this country due, in large part, to the lack of leadership and vision of the professional politicians in Lansing.”

Snyder added that he wants to provide residents with the necessary tools to get out of this economic downturn.

“The No. 1 priority will be to provide a vision to the people of this state that will give them hope and a clear road map back to sound economic principles and financial security,” Snyder wrote in the release.

Snyder is the former president and chief operating officer of Gateway, Inc. and is currently chairman and chief executive officer of the local nanotechnology investment firm Ardesta, which he co-founded.

Representatives at Ardesta said last week that Snyder was not yet willing to be interviewed about his gubernatorial bid.

If Snyder decides to run, he will be one of many Republican candidates vying for the party’s nomination. Though the Michigan Republican party is declining to endorse any candidates throughout the primary process, spokesman Bob Wolfer said there are “a number of outstanding candidates who will be able to bring the state in a different direction.”

If Snyder wins he will replace current governor, Democrat Jennifer Granholm, who will be term-limited by state law after 2010

Political Science Prof. John Jackson said early indications suggest that victory could be easier to attain for Republicans in the 2010 gubernatorial race than in past years particularly because of Michigan's economy.

“I don’t think the state economy is going to be better, and there is no dominant national race to compete with state races,” Jackson said.

Still, Jackson said it is too early to comment on how Snyder may fare in the primary against other Republican candidates.

“He said that he was active in Michigan economic development affairs, but beyond that I don’t know how he stands on a whole range of issues, particularly ones Republicans care about,” he said.

According to the Ardesta website, Snyder graduated from the University in 1977 and earned a Master of Business Administration in 1979 and a Juris Doctor in 1982.

In addition to his work at Ardesta, Snyder is chairman of Ann Arbor SPARK, which the Ardesta website describes as the “innovative focused economic development organization formed by the University of Michigan and local and state government.”

Snyder is also a board member of the University’s Tech Transfer Advisory Board, Literature, Science & Arts Advisory Board and the Comprehensive Cancer Center.

He currently lives in Ann Arbor with his wife and three children.