Granholm enters bid for 2002 gubernatorial race

By Louie Meizlish
Daily Staff Reporter  On  March 12th, 2001

The race for Michigan governor in 2002 officially became a little more crowded late last week with the news from state Attorney General Jennifer Granholm"s office that she will seek the position. Melvin Butch Hollowell, the attorney general"s campaign treasurer, said Granholm made the announcement to her staff Thursday morning. She then filed papers later that day with the Secretary of State"s office establishing the Jennifer Granholm for Governor candidate committee. "People all over Michigan have expressed enthusiasm for having Jennifer serve in the highest office of the state and she is very much looking forward to continuing to be of service to people of Michigan," Hollowell said. Although it was expected Granholm would make a gubernatorial bid, most expected her decision to come later this year, closer to the 2002 August Democratic primary. But the statements of several other Michigan politicians that they were either considering a candidacy or definitely running may have forced her hand. So far, the only other candidate to officially declare her candidacy is state Sen. Alma Wheeler Smith (D-Salem Twp.), whose district includes Ann Arbor. But former Gov. James Blanchard and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) have filed papers establishing candidate committees and have said they are likely to run. U.S. Rep. David Bonior (D-Mt. Clemens) has been quoted as saying he is "90 percent" sure that he will run, although he has yet to file papers with the Secretary of State"s office. Smith, along with Bonior spokeswoman Allison Remsen, said Granholm"s announcement came as no surprise to them and added that the announcement meant little change for their campaigns. But Granholm, who is the highest elected Democratic official in the state"s government, is very popular and has a recognizable name which may help her next year. But Smith said experience is what counts. "I think one of the things that have made Governor (John) Engler so successful is his experience and while I believe his vision is flawed it was that legislative and budget knowledge and experience that has made him effective," she said. Engler served in the state Legislature for 20 years before being elected governor in 1990. Granholm "was never elected to office before 1998," Smith said. Although some Democrats worry that a crowded and possibly divisive primary could lessen the party"s chances of retaking the governor"s office in the general election, Dennis Denno, a spokesman for the Michigan Democratic Party, downplayed the likelihood of a bloody primary. "It"s always a concern with a primary. The good side of a primary is that the Democratic candidates will get their names our earlier and their message out earlier." One thing that Granholm has going for her that most other candidates do not is job security. Should she make a bid for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination and lose, her party would most likely nominate her for re-election to her present post, even if she does not run in the primary for that office. Blanchard, for his part, is in the last leg of a 50-city tour around the state. He spoke yesterday at the First Unitarian Church in Ann Arbor and later on in the day visited with the students of Prof. Helen Graves who will be assuming internships in the Canadian parliament in May. Blanchard is a former U.S. ambassador to that country. The Democratic nominee will likely face Republican Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus in the November general election.

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