Republican State Sen. Patrick Colbeck, R-Canton, will officially launch his campaign to be Michigan’s next governor tomorrow, at the Willow Run Airport near Ypsilanti.
Colbeck made a career as an aerospace engineer and small business owner before entering politics. He has disagreed with current Governor Rick Snyder in the past, calling Snyder's decision to veto legislation that would have created a "Choose Life" Michigan license plate "disgraceful." Colbeck promises to bring “principled solutions” to Lansing, and says tax increases should always be a last resort.
Colbeck has also disagreed with Snyder on past issues like Medicaid expansion and higher fuel taxes to fix roads. He says a better solution would be to come up with a longer-lasting way of building new roads that would save the state money in the long-run.
Colbeck says solutions he’ll propose to help solve Michigan’s problems will be based on strategic thinking and ignoring special interests. He says he doesn’t like to immediately take a “yay or nay” stance on important issues.
“I prefer to go off and think about it, and put on the thinking cap … and then determine what the best solution is based on the interests of the people not what the special interests in Lansing are pushing,” Colbeck said.
Though Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette and Lieutenant Governor Brian Calley have not officially announced, both men are expected to run for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Colbeck says despite the ground he may give up to his likely competitors when it comes to name recognition, he believes Michiganders are looking for something different.
“[People] are looking for someone that going to champion their best interests, they’re not looking for politics as usual, and I think that’s exactly what we bring to the table,” Colbeck said.
Listen to the entire conversation with Republican State Senator Patrick Colbeck, above.
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