By Lindsay Vanhulle, and Bill O'brien
July 22, 2010

Former Gov. William Milliken said he will endorse Michigan gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder in the Aug. 3 Republican primary, giving the nod to a candidate who served as a Milliken campaign volunteer nearly 30 years ago.

Milliken, of Traverse City, said he met with Snyder, 51, on several occasions in recent months and found him to be "a refreshing new presence on the state's political scene."

"I've had quite a lot of contact with him," Milliken said. "I have found him to be a very interesting and important candidate."

Snyder faces four challengers in the primary election to succeed term-limited Gov. Jennifer Granholm, including Attorney General Mike Cox and U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, R-Holland. Other GOP primary candidates are Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard and state Sen. Tom George of Kalamazoo.

Milliken's endorsement comes at an opportune time, given that less than two weeks remain until the primary, said Jake Suski, Snyder's spokesman.

"He looked up to Gov. Milliken," Suski said. "There are a lot of voters that respect and hold Gov. Milliken in very high regard — rightfully so — and we hope that they will listen to what the governor has to say."

Milliken's endorsement as a moderate Republican could help Snyder reach a wider segment of voters, Suski said.

Snyder in a statement said he modeled his leadership style after Milliken's.

Milliken, 88, is Michigan's longest-serving governor. He held office from 1969 to 1983 and previously served as lieutenant governor for Gov. George Romney.

Milliken, a Traverse City native who also served in the state Senate, was elected in gubernatorial elections in 1970, 1974 and 1978.

Milliken sees Snyder as less partisan than the rest of the Republican field, a key, he said, to tackling the state's steep economic problems. Milliken also likes Snyder's support for helping major Michigan cities like Detroit, and his position on various environmental issues.

"The next governor is going to have to find a way to bring Michigan together," Milliken said.

Some of Milliken's other political endorsements have grabbed headlines. Milliken backed Democratic candidate John Kerry in the 2004 presidential election, when he said Republican President George W. Bush didn't connect with moderate Republicans on a wide range of issues.

Snyder is a political newcomer with less experience in Lansing than some of the other candidates, but Milliken doesn't see that as a liability.

"He does not have a legislative background, but he does have the ability to learn and adapt quickly," Milliken said of Snyder. "He has demonstrated the ability to be effective. Not in government, but in the very complex problems he's encountered in his business dealings."

As a teen, Snyder volunteered for Milliken's second election campaign.

The entire article is avaialble on The Traverse City Record Eagle website, here.