By Catherine Engstrom
Staff writer
Looking for more information about the recent primary election?
This August over two million Michigan voters came out to select the candidates for this year’s gubernatorial race.
Bill Schuette won with a little over 50 percent of the party’s vote. He is a Republican from Midland and was endorsed by President Trump. Gretchen Whitmer is a Democrat from Lansing, she won the vote by over 52 percent.
Both candidates have extensive government backgrounds.
Whitmer served as the Ingham County prosecutor, three terms in the Michigan House of Representatives and two terms in the Michigan Senate, where she was minority leader. Schuette is the current Attorney General of Michigan, was a member of the Michigan Senate for eight years, and served in the U.S. House of Representatives for six terms.
The candidates present different directions for the state.
Schuette’s plan for Michigan involves a cut in taxes, along with auto insurance rates. Schuette is well known for his investigation into the Flint water crisis. He has pressed charges against 15 current and former government employees.
Elected at the state House at 29, Whitmer wants to “Fix the damn roads,” with a plan to invest extensively in infrastructure for the state. As a state senator, she helped push the expansion of Medicaid in Michigan, providing 680,000 low-income people with health coverage.
Even with the record-breaking voter turnout, only an estimated 29 percent of registered voters made it out to the poles.
Michigan’s future is dependent on citizens making their opinions known. Are you registered to vote? If not, Michigan residents can either head to the Secretary of State to register or visit WCC’s voter registration site turbovote.com. In order to be eligible to vote this November you must register at least 30 days before the election date.
Whitmer
Roads:
Immediate fixing of roads
Investing in Road Michigan Bank
New Soo Lock
Healthcare:
Expanding Medicaid, protecting current care
Restore funding to Planned Parenthood
Expanding care in rural areas
Education and Jobs:
Universal preschool
Supports the $15 minimum wage
Supports MI Opportunity Scholarship, two debt free years of postsecondary education in skilled trade, community college, or four-year university.
Cannabis:
Voted against in the past, says she will support the voter’s choice
Wants funds from taxation to go to schools and infrastructure if passed
Personal Rights:
Expansion of the Elliot-Larson civil rights act
Automatic voter registration when citizens get an ID or license
Opioid Crisis:
Expand treatment and recovery options
Supports treatment and rehab centers before jail time
Expand current drug take back programs
Schuette
Roads:
Wants to create new roads with road warranties
A full review of MDOT
Repeal of the prevailing wage law to fund road repair
Healthcare:
Supports Medicaid wage requirements
Opposes Medicaid expansion
In the past as challenged federal health care law in the past, calling it a “Federal Overreach”
Education and Jobs:
10-point program to ensure children are reading by 3rd grade
Created an anonymous tip line for students to report other students called OK2SAY
Redirecting state funds to vocational and advanced teacher training
Eliminate Granholm’s income tax hike
Establish a skilled trade career training plan
Opioid crisis:
Created a special criminal unit targeting distributors of opioids
Federally funded drug education and treatment plans
Cannabis Legalization:
In 2008, lead a campaign against medical cannabis
Opposes the legalization of cannabis, but said will support what is voted for