Governor+(3rd+Hour+Baker)

= Governor Candidates =

Virg Bernero Virg Bernero is currently the mayor of Lansing. He has served previously as a county commissioner and as a state representative and senator in the Michigan Legislature. He has also served as the executive director of a statewide non-profit association that helps families and children with a mental illness. Bernero is the proud soon of a GM retiree. Virg and his wife Teri, an elementary school principal, live in Lansing. They have two daughters in college. [|http://www.votevirg.com]
 * Democrat **
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Rick Snyder
 * Republican **
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Ken Proctor 
 * Libertarian Party **
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Harley Mikkelson  Mikkelson has been voting Green since 2000. He has been a Green Party member since 2002. He was a Green Part candidate in U.S. House of Representatives in 2002 and 2004; and in the U.S. Senate in 2008. He ran for Congress in 2002 opposing the war in Iraq and again 2004 to withdraw the troops from Iraq. His campaigns have always been focused on bringing our troops home.
 * Green Party **
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Stacey Mathia 
 * US Taxpayers Party **
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= ISSUES = __Economy & Jobs __
 * Virg Bernero- ** //He believes we need to shake-up state government to finally create polices that actually make a difference for middle class families and small business owners. Virg believes that small businesses should be promoted and nurtured, as this is where the bulk of new jobs will be created.//
 * Rick Snyder- **
 * Ken Proctor- **
 * Harley Mikkelson- **// He wants to return money to the community so jobs can be created in the state which will improve the quality of life. //
 * Stacey Mathia- **

__<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Education __
 * Virg Bernero- **// He believes this emphasis on the economy must not mean losing focus on educating our kids. Excellent schools attract businesses and families to our communities. Strengthening education from early-education to higher-education must be a pillar on which Michigan's economic recovery is built. //
 * Rick Snyder- **
 * Ken Proctor- **
 * Harley Mikkelson- **// He believes the school system is still based on an agricultural lifestyle where the day is designed for the children to go home and work on the farm. So, to accommodate to the modern age, he wants to lengthen the school days and years. He also wants to better the education opportunities. //
 * Stacey Mathia- **

__<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Energy __
 * Virg Bernero- ** //He believes Michigan can be a state of cutting edge efficiency, both in conservation of resources and in the production of cleaner, greener fuels and technologies. Growing Michigan means sustaining an energy future that can support our great state.//
 * Rick Snyder- **
 * Ken Proctor- **
 * Harley Mikkelson- ** //He wants to make a more energy efficient Michigan by improving the cities and towns and increasing the number of people that live there.//
 * Stacey Mathia- **

__<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Environment __
 * Virg Bernero- ** //He wants to bring a powerful commitment to protecting Michigan's air, water and land resources.//
 * Rick Snyder- **
 * Ken Proctor- **
 * Harley Mikkelson- **// He wants to improves the rural environment by producing more food locally. //
 * Stacey Mathia- **

__<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Equality __
 * Virg Bernero- ** //He supports right to choice and is a strong supporter of women's reproductive rights. He also fights to end gender bias in the work place. He supports all religions, cultures and races.//
 * Rick Snyder- **
 * Ken Proctor- **
 * Harley Mikkelson- **// He supports same-sex marriage. Also, he wants to bring honesty back into the political world. His vision is that, "we need to create a world which is sustainable where all individuals have an equal opportunity to grow and develop." //
 * Stacey Mathia- **

__<span style="color: #000080; font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 200%;">Health Care __
 * Virg Bernero- ** //He wants to ensure access to care. He is deeply concerned for the welfare of mental health patients and will continue to provide help for this often-overlooked community.//
 * Rick Snyder- **
 * Ken Proctor- **
 * Harley Mikkelson- ** //He stands for a state financed single payer health care program to cover those who are uninsured by their employer plan.//
 * Stacey Mathia- **

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