State - Lansing Asking for your vote Michigan candidates take to the road to campaign

By Kathy Barks Hoffman AP Political Writer LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Michigan residents can expect the political climate to heat up now that Democrats and Republicans have settled on their statewide candidates at weekend conventions. Both men running for governor and the running mates they named last week were out campaigning Monday. Democrat Virg Bernero and lieutenant governor candidate Brenda Lawrence spoke to small-business owners in Flint and Bay City, while Republican Rick Snyder and running mate Brian Calley were discussing their economic plan at west Michigan stops in Traverse City, Frankfort, Manistee, Muskegon and Holland. Other candidates joined their tours for part of the day as the fall campaigns got under way. With just 10 weeks to go until the Nov. 2 election, candidates are in a mad dash to raise cash and voter awareness. Bernero and Snyder each have ground to make up if they're going to claim the governorship. A recent EPIC-MRA poll showed a fifth of voters still don't know who Bernero is. Snyder's tepid reception at Saturday's GOP convention made it clear he has some persuading to do to get conservatives on board, even though he led Bernero 51 percent to 29 percent in the Aug. 21-23 poll. At stake is not only who will fill the shoes of Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, who's stepping down because of term limits, but also which party will control the state Senate, House and Michigan Supreme Court. The stakes are especially high because new lines are due to be drawn for legislative and congressional districts over the next two years. Whichever party has more control over the process is likely to get a larger number of favorable districts. That makes winning the governorship a key goal, but it also has made the Supreme Court race vitally important. Until a week ago, voters were going to see a ballot that included the names of incumbent Justices Robert Young, a Republican, and Elizabeth Weaver, who had been nominated by the GOP in the past but planned to run as an independent. That all changed when Weaver unexpectedly resigned last week, giving Granholm the chance to name Appeals Court Judge Alton T. Davis to the court. The move infuriated Republicans, since it will allow Davis to appear on the ballot with "Justice of Supreme Court" under his name, a designation that's likely to gain him more votes than non-incumbents. Young will have the same designation. Speaking at Saturday's GOP convention in East Lansing, Young said he's determined to not only win his seat but get Wayne County Circuit Judge Mary Beth Kelly elected so the court again would have a 4-3 GOP majority. "I need you to get on your feet, get in the street and spread the word. We're taking back our government, we're taking back the court," he said to cheers. The Michigan Democratic Party already has launched its anti-Young campaign. Party Chairman Mark Brewer says Young, a former attorney for the American Automobile Association, has ruled in favor of insurance companies 80 percent of the time. Brewer has made defeating Young the party's No. 1 priority. Democrats nominated Oakland Circuit Judge Denise Langford Morris to run with Davis. All candidates will run on a nonpartisan part of the ballot. The Supreme Court race is expected to feature not only television ads run by the candidates but "issue" ads run by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, the state Democratic and Republican parties and possibly other outside groups. The state chamber spent almost $3 million on TV ads in Michigan judicial races from 2000-2009, while the state Democratic Party and state GOP each spent about $2.6 million, according to a recent report by the Justice at Stake Campaign, the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law and the National Institute on Money in State Politics. "Michigan ranks among states with the costliest Supreme Court elections, the highest TV ad spending for these contests and the nastiest advertising aired," the report said. Overall, Michigan ranked sixth nationally in candidate fundraising, at $12.8 million, and third nationally in money spent on TV ads for high court races. Voters also are likely to be deluged by automated political calls, broadcast ads and mailings from candidates running for secretary of state and attorney general. Secretary of state candidates Jocelyn Benson, a Democratic Wayne State University law professor, and Ruth Johnson, the Republican Oakland County clerk, both vowed over the weekend to vigorously take on their respective opponent. The same was true for Democratic Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton and Republican Bill Schuette, a former Appeals Court judge, both running for attorney general. Published: Wed, Sep 1, 2010

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