Rick Snyder vaults into tie for first in Michigan's gubernatorial race, poll shows
Ann Arbor venture capitalist Rick Snyder, a virtual unknown in Michigan's political circles before launching a gubernatorial campaign last summer, is now tied for first in the Republican primary race, according to a new poll.
Ann Arbor venture capitalist and Michigan gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder
Five months before the primary, Snyder finds himself in a statistical tie for first with U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra and Attorney General Mike Cox, the Washington Post reported.
Hoekstra and Cox each drew support from
21 percent of likely GOP voters, and Snyder received 20 percent,
according to the poll by Inside Michigan Politics and Lansing-based
Marketing Resource Group.
"Rick’s rapid climb in the polls is a result of his clear vision and plan to reinvent Michigan and the fact that he’s a successful entrepreneur who’s created jobs, not a career politician who’s created problems," Snyder campaign spokesman Jake Suski said in an e-mailed statement.
"Rick is still less well known than the other candidates in the race, but he’s gaining the voters’ support at an incredible pace because they want to hire someone who’s best suited for the job. Rick’s a problem-solver who has a record of delivering results and it’s clear that voters are looking for fresh leadership to lead Michigan into a new era."
Snyder is a former president of computer-maker Gateway Inc., former executive chairman of the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and founder of Ann Arbor SPARK. He was consistently polling at 2 percent or 3 percent until launching an advertising campaign in February in which he labels himself "one tough nerd."
The Washington Post reports:
Snyder has received considerable positive press for his "one, tough nerd" ad -- a pitch-perfect commercial that casts him as an outsider to the political process whose studiousness and success in the private sector are the right fit for the economically-battered state. Expect Snyder's ad to be copied relentlessly around the country this year as candidates seek to find way to break through the clutter and prove to voters they aren't just like other politicians.
The news comes after a poll released last week showed Snyder surging past Cox into second place behind Hoekstra. In that poll, Hoekstra had 28 percent, Snyder 18 percent, Cox 12 percent and Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard 8 percent.
Snyder's decision to invest at least $2.6 million from his own financial resources helped fund the early advertising push. But he's also received a swarm of financial support from business leaders in Washtenaw County. His competitors have not started TV ads.
Snyder is currently conducting a series of town-hall forums throughout the state. He'll visit Washtenaw County on March 25 for a forum at Cobblestone Farms.
Contact AnnArbor.com’s Nathan Bomey at (734) 623-2587 or nathanbomey@annarbor.com or follow him on Twitter. You can also subscribe to AnnArbor.com Business Review's weekly e-newsletter or the upcoming breaking business news e-newsletter.
Comments
treetowntenor
Fri, Mar 19, 2010 : 7:58 a.m.
What snapshot and voiceofreason said. I'm pretty tired of Governor Just-Wait-Things-Will-Be-Great. We need leadership and a proven track record. Anyone notice that Pfizer left Ann Arbor just after Governor Granholm was re-elected? I've always thought they were waiting for the outcome of that election before making their final decision. I might be wrong, or I might be right, but in either case, it's food for deep thought. We all need to remember, though, that the governor's office is just one piece of a larger broken puzzle. We need to clean (state) House and state Senate, too.
voiceofreason
Thu, Mar 18, 2010 : 9:19 p.m.
Yes, let's nitpick the best candidate running for governor this year. Let's find every little thing we can possibly complain about. The bottom line is that we need to attract corporations and stop draining federal resources. Snyder is the only candidate who is able to do both things. Comparisons to Arnold? Are you kidding me? Snyder was the CEO of a fortune 500 company. He is definitely well-versed in telling people "no"(unlike Arnold). The only political outsider in the race, and he obviously cares about the state. A vote for anyone else is a vote for complacency.
voiceofreason
Thu, Mar 18, 2010 : 9:01 p.m.
Yes, let's nitpick the best candidate running for governor this year. Let's find every little thing we can possibly complain about. The bottom line is that we need to attract corporations and stop draining federal resources. Snyder is the only candidate who is able to do both things. Comparisons to Arnold? Are you kidding me? Snyder was the CEO of a fortune 500 company. He is definitely well-versed in telling people "no"(unlike Arnold). The only political outsider in the race, and he obviously cares about the state. A vote for anyone else is a vote for complacency.
snapshot
Thu, Mar 18, 2010 : 7:20 p.m.
Yes the public sector and the private sectors are different. Why? How's that difference working for all of you? Everybody happy with the way things are? Why would you not want a change? Has that public sector status quo doing so well? I'm all for a change. The current system is broken and all I here is rhetoric and generalalities coming from the politicians. Plus they want to discuss the issues to death. They're afraid to make a decision that will offend those they are beholden to. What motivated those public sector employees? Altruism? Pay? Security? Benefits? Nothing motivates them because they don't need any motivation. They have all thos things and don't have to put forth any effort to keep them. Yeah the public sector and the private sector are different. The private sector expects results. The public sector could care less. We need a change and change means no experience in the public sector and lots of experience in the private sector. My votes going to the most far removed candidate from the public sector.
Top Cat
Thu, Mar 18, 2010 : 3:52 p.m.
So Snyder is a RINO. I'll like to hear more about that.
frozenhotchocolate
Thu, Mar 18, 2010 : 2:52 p.m.
Exactly, he peaked early, any republican that looks him up will find that he is no republican. And why would he make his headquarters in the most liberal city in the state. It would be unfortunate to see him blow all his money on a failed campaign. I dont need another person asking for change at Washington and Fourth.
Top Cat
Thu, Mar 18, 2010 : 2:04 p.m.
I want to like this guy but keep coming back to one thing. As much as I detest politics as usual, here is a guy with zero public sector experience. The private sector and the public sector are very different. I don't think Michigan needs a rookie. A guy like this could get rolled the way Ahnuld did in Callyfornia.
L. C. Burgundy
Thu, Mar 18, 2010 : 1:27 p.m.
Ah yes, Rick Snyder, stalwart Republican, and longtime financial supporter of John Dingell. I think Republican primary voters will eventually figure out who Rick Snyder. He's peaked early.