I’ve been getting some blowback on my Sunday column that suggested former secretary of state Terri Lynn Land will be the Republican nominee for Sen. Carl Levin’s seat.
Some have said Land still has a long way to go to become the GOP’s consensus candidate.
In addition, I noticed that the Democrats (the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee) cited a Land quote from an interview she gave to me in July 2009. Her comment, featured in a DSCC press release, was that she abruptly dropped out of the 2010 gubernatorial race because she realized she lacked knowledge on fiscal issues.
It’s interesting to note that the same story contained some wildly inaccurate speculation about Mike Cox, John Cherry and Debbie Stabenow playing leading roles in the 2010 race. That shows how far off the mark earlier prognostications can be.
To put everything on the table, here is the entire Macomb Daily story I wrote back then:
July 20, 2009
By Chad Selweski
Macomb Daily Staff Writer
Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land says that her sudden decision to bow out of the 2010 gubernatorial race was based on a hole she discovered in her resume.
Land, a Republican, said she abandoned her gubernatorial "exploratory committee" on June 25 after five months upon realizing that she lacked experience haggling with the Legislature on tax and spending issues.
In an interview with Macomb Daily reporters and editors, Land said that she met with numerous business and pro-GOP groups during her exploratory process. Those groups kept raising the need for changes in the state tax structure and the ability to work with key legislators on budget issues.
"They'd say to me, 'Terri, you do a great job, you run the trains on time' ... but the problem the current governor has had is that she hasn't been able to get anything through the Legislature," said Land, who is term-limited and cannot seek re-election.
Land said legislators have been obsessed with tax and budget issues for two years, to the point where her request for a simple election reform bill was buried in the process.
"I realized that (fiscal policy) was an area where I probably didn't have a lot of experience. The reality is the next governor is going to have to come in on Day One and do a lot of work because there have been a lot of bad decisions made," said Land, a political veteran and former Kent County clerk.
Upon dropping out of the race, Land said she immediately endorsed Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard because he has administrative experience cutting expenses, much like she has accomplished in the Secretary of State's Office, plus he has eight years of service in the state Senate leadership.
"The reality is I want it (the next governor) to be someone who has the same beliefs that I do and the same style," she said.
Land said she originally anticipated a race for the GOP gubernatorial nomination to shape up as a contest between her and Attorney General Mike Cox. When U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra and business executive Rick Snyder joined the field, Land said she was not concerned about the impact on her political prospects.
But when Bouchard got into the race, that changed everything, she said. Bouchard is a political ally with whom she has worked on some "projects," and someone that she agrees with on issues 90 percent of the time. As for speculation that she will be Bouchard's 2010 running mate, Land said she could provide political support in her home territory of western Michigan, but she is not concentrating on the lieutenant governor post.
"I told him I'd do anything to help him" get elected, she said.
With Gov. Jennifer Granholm term-limited, Lt. Gov. John Cherry has emerged as the overwhelming favorite to win the Democratic nomination. But Land said she wonders if Democratic U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow may join in.
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