Rick Snyder Will Be Michigan's Next Governor
Republican Rick Snyder will be Michigan's 48th governor. Democrat Virg Bernero conceded the race to the Ann Arbor businessman Tuesday night, telling supporters in Detroit that "it was a fight worth fighting" but not his time. Bernero said he called Snyder shortly before 10 p.m. to offer his full support.
WWJ pollster Tim Kiska projected that, when all the numbers are in, Snyder will have beaten Bernero by a 3-to-2 margin.
"Here's a guy who's never run for anything in his life," said WWJ Lansing Bureau Chief Tim Skubick, who called it a "historic night" in Michigan. "It is quite a win. You could say it's almost unbelievable," he said.
"I'm not here tonight to talk about the problems, and I'm not here tonight to talk about the blame. I'm here tonight to talk about the solution," Snyder said to those gathered at the Westin Book Cadillac in Detroit.
"It's about taking action that makes a real difference in real people's lives ... I have a bold vision for Michigan's future. It's time for a new era. It's time for a new era of innovation," he said, to an eruption of cheers from the crowd.
Snyder acknowledged that the city of Detroit will play a big part in Michigan's turnaround. "It is fundamental that we restore our central cities...we have not succeeded at that. And Michigan will only be a great state,when its cities are on that path. In particular, when Detroit is on the path to being a great city again," Snyder said.
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In a statement, Snyder cautioned that even though the election is over, the hard work is just beginning, and said that getting Michigan back on the path to prosperity will require fundamentally reinventing the state. (Read More).
"Today Michigan families all over the state decided it's time to reinvent Michigan and they hired the best qualified team to do it," said Michigan Republican Party Chairman Ron Weiser in a statement. (Read More).
Governor Jennifer Granholm extended her congratulations to Snyder on his election and pledged to help facilitate a smooth transition. "My administration stands ready to do everything necessary to ensure that Governor-elect Snyder and his team receive full cooperation and the administrative and technical support necessary to take up the mantle of governance starting January 1." (Read More).
It was not just Republicans in attendance at Snyder's victory party Tuesday night. "Everyone loves a winner" reported WWJ's Florence Walton, who said that some local Democratic leaders were at that event.
On the whole, Tim Skubick said it's been a rough night for those on the blue side in Michigan. "In this race, you may be out of luck if you have that 'D' next to your name," Skubick said.
Republican Bill Schuette has won the race for Michigan attorney general, easily defeating his Democratic opponent, David Leyton. (More on this).
Ruth Johnson has kept Michigan's secretary of state office in Republican hands, defeating Democratic candidate Jocelyn Benson. (More on this).
The numbers also show win for both Republican-supported candidates for the Michigan Supreme Court, Robert Young Jr. and Mary Beth Kelly.
At midnight, it looked like Mark Hackel would become Macomb County's first full-time county executive.
Hansen Clarke, a Detroit Democrat, will win the race for the U.S. House, District 13, after he defeated seven-term incumbent U.S. Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick in the August primary.
Proposal 1, which asked if the state should hold a new convention to rewrite the state constitution, failed. Proposal 2, asking if politicians convicted of felonies should be barred from office, has passed. (More on these proposals).
Click the links below for complete election results:
- Michigan election results (complete rundown)
- National election results (interactive map)
- Oakland County election results
- Wayne County election results
- Macomb County election results
- Washtenaw County election results
- Livingston County election results
- Shiawassee County election results
Solving Michigan's rampant job losses, poor economy and projected $1 billion budget deficit were on the minds of many voters as they cast ballots on election day.
"My issue is jobs for people. My issue is people who don't have the right type of education," one voter told WWJ's Ron Dewey.
"We're all in a crisis. It's really not a joke now. It's getting too serious," said one man.
"Change," said another voter. "We need something to happen in the state of Michigan, so things will get back to giving people hope for their futures," she said.
About 50-percent of Michigan's registered voters turned out Tuesday. (More on this).
(© MMX WWJ Radio, All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
