Michigan GOP Governor Candidates Spar in First Debate

By: Christian Hokans

The first Republican gubernatorial debate, sponsored by the Michigan Taxpayers Alliance, occurred at the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, in the early hours of the morning on Saturday, Sep. 27. The candidates participated in the first of many battles that could decide the future of the state of Michigan. The event was one of the highlights of the three day Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference held biannually on Mackinac Island.

The debate featured the five top GOP candidates for governor: Attorney General Mike Cox, U.S. Representative Pete Hoekstra, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, State Senator Tom George and Rick Snyder, an entrepreneur from Ann Arbor. The event moderator was Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson. Panelists included John Fund, a columnist for the Wall Street Journal; Stephen Henderson, columnist for the Detroit Free Press; and Kathy Hoekstra of the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.

The panel asked questions to candidates in rotation, starting with Cox and then moving on. The debate included six rounds of questions with a “rapid fire” response session highlighting the end.

After the panelists were allowed a few moments for opening remarks, Patterson commenced the debate.

The panel started with the tough stuff, asking how the candidates felt about 41% of Michigan’s budget being federal stimulus money. The candidates stressed that this money was a curse, and for Michigan to go on, we need to free ourselves from this burden. Mike Bouchard summed up the feelings of the room.

“This is a debt on all the children and the children’s children in this room,” Bouchard said.

The panel did not stop with the hard topics though. Further questions touched on topics like government employee benefits, tax reform and even university funding in Michigan. Most of the candidates echoed similar calls for eliminating wasteful spending, lowering taxes and creating a more attractive environment for business in Michigan.

The panel also brought up how other states like Kentucky and Tennessee have boosted university funding in times of economic downturns. They asked whether the candidates thought Michigan should take a similar course. All of the candidates seemed to agree that Michigan’s colleges needed a spending boost, with Congressman Hoekstra leading the charge.

“Our universities are what drive Michigan,” Hoekstra said.

The end of the debate brought the “rapid fire” response round. Questions touched on issues like property taxes, eliminating “right to work” legislation and lowering Michigan’s prison population. On the first two subjects, the candidates were in agreement. The third question highlighted a divide among them. About half the candidates thought releasing many non-violent offenders was a viable cost cutting measure, but candidates Bouchard and George opposed the measure.

The debate closed with each of the candidates raising their “challenge” flags to put in plugs for their campaign websites. They know they have a long campaign season ahead. Rick Snyder took a small victory on the island when he won the straw poll. Still, only time will tell who will take office in January, 2009.