Bonior May Run For Mich. Governor

U.S. Rep. David Bonior, the second-ranking Democrat in the U.S. House, said he is considering running for governor of Michigan in 2002 after serving 13 terms in Congress.

"I'm looking at how best I can serve the people of the state, and one of the options of that is running for governor," he said Thursday.

Michigan will lose a seat in Congress this year, and several observers think the Republican-controlled state Legislature will try to oust Bonior by redrawing his district. Bonior, who was first elected to the U.S. House in 1976, denied that is the reason he is exploring the governor's race.

"I've been thinking about this and have talked to people about this for the last several years, quietly," said Bonior, the House minority whip. "I haven't made the decision to do this, but I'm pursuing the discussions with political, labor and business leaders as well as the constituents whose opinions I respect."

Bonior, of Mount Clemens, said he also has been talking to other members of his party interested in the race to replace Gov. John Engler, who was elected in 1990 and cannot run again because of term limits.

Among those Democrats also considering a run are former Gov. Jim Blanchard and state Sens. Gary Peters of Bloomfield Township in Oakland County and Alma Wheeler Smith of Salem Township in Washtenaw County.

Former U.S. Sen. Donald Riegle of Flint also is thought to be considering a run, and many Democrats are encouraging Attorney General Jennifer Granholm to get in the race.

"We are encouraging all potential candidates to talk to each other and to find out what's going on with each other," said Michigan Democratic Party spokesman Dennis Denno. "We're hoping open doors of communication will hopefully lead to no primary and if there is one, hopefully it's a less contentious one."

The last two gubernatorial races featured crowded Democratic primaries that divided the party base.

Southfield attorney Geoffrey Fieger unexpectedly defeated Larry Owen and Doug Ross in 1998 and former U.S. Rep. Howard Wolpe won a four-way primary in 1994 that pitted him against Owen, then-state Rep. Lynn Jondahl and Debbie Stabenow, who on Tuesday became Michigan's first female U.S. senator.

Bonior said he has not set a deadline to decide if he's running for governor. He said he is focusing on whether leaving the House would hurt Democratic chances of taking control in the 2002 election and how best he can work on problems in the environment, education and other areas important to him.

"I'm trying to decide in my own mind in what mode I can do that in my position as a member of Congress and a leader in Congress or as governor," he said.

Bonior has close ties to labor and was an outspoken opponent both of the North American Free Trade Agreement and a trade deal to open China's markets to U.S. business. He has a liberal voting record, promoting himelf as a champion of the environment, education and human rights, but opposes abortion because of his Roman Catholic faith.

He is considered more liberal than many of the voters in his suburban/rural district northeast of Detroit, which includes St. Clair County and parts of Macomb County. But while Republicans have repeatedly targeted his seat, they've not been able to defeat him.

Engler and other party leaders wanted Secretary of State Candice Miller to challenge him last year. After flirting with the idea and establishing a campaign fund, she decided against it and is now considering a run for governor on the Republican ticket, as is Lt. Gov. Dick Posthumus.

Republicans could not convince businessmen Brian Palmer or Jack Brandenburg to run against him either. The party ended up dropping the seat off its priority list and did not help fund the eventual candidate, Tom Turner. Bonior easily won re-election, getting 64 percent of the vote to 33 percent for Turner in a race that also included several third-party candidates.

Ed Sarpolus, president of Lansing polling firm EPIC/MRA, said Bonior might appeal to liberal Democrats who vote in the primary, but he may have a harder time winning the general election because most Michigan voters are more moderate in their views.

"Most likely his support would predominantly come from labor," Sarpolus said. "The question is, would that endorsement by labor and his liberal voting record put him at odds with Michigan voters?"