On Tuesday,
former Democratic Congressman Mark Schauer
(D-Battle Creek) filed paperwork with the Michigan Department of State to run
for governor in 2014.
Over the last month, Democratic Party Chair Lon Johnson
worked to remove any formidable candidate from the race in an effort to avoid a
costly Democratic primary. As such, Democrats see Schauer as their best opportunity
to defeat incumbent Republican Gov. Rick Snyder. Gov. Snyder has not
officially announced his re-election campaign; however, it is highly
anticipated that he will run again.
Meanwhile,
a number of statewide polls have suggested that the governor’s race could be
close. An EPIC/MRA poll released last month
gave Schauer a 1-point lead
over Gov. Snyder, 39 percent to 38 percent. Additionally, only 38 percent of
the respondents approved of Gov. Snyder’s job performance.
Schauer previously served in the
Michigan Legislature for 12 years and the U.S. House of Representatives. He
currently works as a business development representative for the
Laborers-Employers Cooperation & Education Trust Fund.