On a snowy evening last January, Rick and Sue Snyder bundled up in their warmest winter attire and headed to downtown Ann Arbor for a long-awaited romantic evening. As they began eating and talking about the events of the week, Sue suddenly proposed that Rick run for governor of Michigan.

The University alum and businessman took a second to ruminate on the thought mid-bite before making the decision that he was going to become a contender in the 2010 gubernatorial race.

“All of a sudden (Sue) said we need to talk,” Snyder said in a recent interview with The Michigan Daily. “Then she brought up the idea, saying she could see I was going crazy about how the state was going and she thought I was the best person to change it, and that we should talk about me running for governor as a family.”

The Snyder family spent the remainder of January discussing the implications of Rick’s campaign before the Snyders decided that it “was the best thing to do for the state.” Together they believed that his lack of experience in the political field would actually prove to be beneficial in starting a campaign for governor of a state that has been struggling for many years.

“I got involved and went after it because I don’t believe career politicians were the right answer and we needed to have an outsider come in and bring new, fresh ideas,” Snyder said.

According to his campaign website, the self-proclaimed “nerd” began reading magazines like Fortune and Business Week before age 10 and even placed investments in the stock market as a teenager. He graduated from high school a semester early and then attended the University, where he graduated at age 23 with undergraduate, MBA and JD degrees.

Since graduating from the University, Snyder has worked at various companies including the computer company, Gateway, where he served as president and chief operating officer. He later became the first chairman of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in 1999, and also launched the economic development program Ann Arbor SPARK and HandyLab — a company that specializes in creating technology that detects diseases.

“What inspired me to run ... it’s an opportunity to come in and hopefully be a catalyst to get Michigan on a positive path, by bringing in some real world common sense solutions," Snyder said.

These common sense solutions, as Snyder says, are the foundation for his 10-point plan for the state, which includes initiatives like creating an environment for job creation and preventing the “brain drain”— the mass exodus of students from colleges and universities in search of more economically flourishing areas to embark upon careers and start a family.

To achieve this goal, Snyder wants to reduce taxes for small businesses because he says the “current tax environment is a job killer, not a job creation model.”

“The comeback in Michigan is not going to be a few big out-of-state companies,” Snyder said. “It’s going to be Michiganders creating and growing small businesses.”

He hopes that by establishing a stronger job market in Michigan, students will be more willing to stay and serve the state. He said a pivotal part of this is lowering the tuition of universities to provide more opportunities for students to attend college.

“I can remember how much I paid for my first semester at Michigan and it would surprise you,” Snyder said. “You could actually work your way through school and pay for it, like I did. That’s not possible today very easily.”

The Snyder family has played a critical role in supporting Rick and helping him during his run for governor. Since his wife proposed the idea that spurred the campaign, she and their three children have helped garner support for him within Michigan communities and at various political events.

“They’ve all been great about coming to events and helping out, they’re excited,” Snyder said.