It’s official. Six months after I formed my committee to explore a run for the Democratic nomination for Michigan Secretary of State, I have decided to officially enter the race.

I am also excited to share with you the news that I enter this race with the support and endorsement of AFT-Michigan and it’s 35,000 members.

This campaign is about making Michigan the model for fair, accountable, and efficient government. With our income levels dropping, and unemployment continuing to rise, every office in Michigan must be part of the team to get the economy going. We need to make sure the Secretary of State office is an aggressive ally for our citizens – on Election Day and beyond.

That’s why as Secretary of State, I will work to:
1. Promote policies that protect the integrity of elections and enable access to the vote.
2. Fight fraud and deceptive practices in every aspect of the office.
3. Promote increased and equitable enforcement of campaign finance and election laws.
4. Improve access to branch office services.
5. Ensure fair evaluation and accuracy of all licensing fees.

In the past I have traveled the state, meeting with local party leaders and speaking to citizens in nearly all of our 83 counties. Along the way, we’ve recruited county coordinators who are working to help us build support from the ground up while keeping us informed on issues affecting their local communities.

We’ve encountered tremendous, humbling enthusiasm from citizens across our state. We’ve garnered support from Democratic leaders on the state and local level. We’re executing an aggressive, statewide fundraising effort. That’s why we know that we are building the campaign and candidacy that will be poised to win in November 2010.

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Those of you who are following this campaign on Facebook and Twitter have seen firsthand how dedicated we are to our “83 County Strategy.” We plan to visit and meet with Michiganders in every county in our state before the end of 2009. As of today, with our visit to the Cheboygan County Democrats, we have officially spoken to groups in over half of Michigan’s counties. I am so inspired by all of the people we are meeting throughout our state. And I am very thankful for all of the many ideas you have been sharing on how we can make our Michigan Department of State a model for the rest of the country.

We’ve received such a great response from my posts from the campaign trail on Twitter and Facebook that we’ve decided to expand our updates and post them on the website. So this is the first installment of my campaign blog!

I am just leaving a meeting of the Cheboygan County Democratic Party. The room was filled with a very energetic and engaged group of citizens with several ideas and suggestions on improvements to make to the Michigan Secretary of State office. One of the most compelling parts of our discussion surrounded the Drivers Responsibility Fee and its harmful effects on many Cheboygan drivers and residents.

I believe it is crucial that our Department of State works to be an ally to all of the hard working citizens of Michigan. As Secretary, one of my priorities will be to re-examine all of the fees we charge to our residents to ensure they are enforced in a way that treats people fairly and enables our hard working families to rebuild and thrive during these difficult economic times.

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