DEARBORN — With about two months to go until the November 2 general election, top Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder and top Democratic candidate Virg Bernero have both officially announced their running mates in what should prove to be a crucial election for one of the union’s most financially-challenged states.

Snyder introduced 33-year-old state Rep. Brian Calley as his choice for Lieutenant Governor at a town hall meeting at the Grand Rapids Public Museum on August 25. Calley was then introduced again at the Michigan Republican Convention at the Breslin Center in East Lansing on Saturday, August 28.

Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence

Bernero chose 55-year-old Southfield Mayor Brenda Lawrence as his running mate on Sunday morning at the Michigan Democratic Convention at Cobo Hall in Detroit; Lawrence became the first black mayor of Southfield in 2001 and would become the state of Michigan’s first black lieutenant governor should Bernero become governor.

Other selections made by the Republican Party over the weekend included former state court of appeals judge, congressman, and rep. Bill Schuette for Attorney General and former Oakland county clerk, commissioner, and state rep. Ruth Johnson for Secretary of State.

The Democratic Party selected Wayne State law professor Jocelyn Benson for Secretary of State and Gennessee County Prosecutor David Leyton for Attorney General, making the selections official more than four months after their first-ever endorsement convention in April in Detroit, during which Benson and Leyton were endorsed.

“Energized” Republican convention featured surprising challenger

One of the big stories over the weekend at the Republican Convention was the inclusion of Tea Party representatives and a push by the party for the selection of Holland businessman Bill Cooper as Snyder’s running mate.

Cooper, who recently finished fourth in a congressional race on the west side of the state, challenged Calley’s nomination at the convention, but conceded after it was revealed that ballots were not present in order to carry out the vote following the unexpected move.

State Rep. Brian Calley

Calley, of Portland, MI, is a state rep. who recently won a lopsided primary election race in the 33rd Senate District. He currently serves as minority vice chair of Michigan’s House Tax Policy Committee and he also serves on the health policy and banking and financial services committees.

“With Rick Snyder, I think we have a real chance to finally break the partisan logjam in Lansing, and I want to be part of that,” Calley said in a  press release. “Rick’s positive message is setting the right tone for getting things done. I am honored to be Rick Snyder’s partner in helping reinvent Michigan.”

Carl Meyers, who serves as the treasurer and an officer of the Michigan Republican Party, said that the convention was packed, creating an energizing vibe at the Breslin Center.

“It was an incredible number of people who marched and found a way to Lansing on that Saturday and a lot of it is the new blood from the tea party folks, although they have always been there as a part of the Republican Party,” he said.

Meyers also said that party members were still buzzing about Snyder’s sound defeat of competitors Pete Hoekstra, Mike Cox, and Michael Bouchard in the primary along with the potential for a new era in the governor’s office.

“I think a breath of fresh air came to the convention floor knowing the Republicans had an outstanding chance to take the governorship and state house and also that Granholm would be gone, statewide, people are just fatigued.”

Meyers added that he believed Suzanne Sareini of Dearborn should be commended for making it to the general election as the Republican nominee for 15th District State Representative.

Sareini attended the convention as well and looks forward to her challenge of facing fellow Dearborn City Council Member George Darany for the spot.

“Much like (20th District Court Judge in Dearborn Heights) David Turfe, she is a mainstream candidate where her ethnicity is secondary in what they deliver to the people,” Meyers said.

Bernero introduces Lawrence at Democratic Convention

The Aug. 29 selection of Lawrence reunited the Southfield mayor with Bernero following the pair’s earlier partnership in the Bernero-founded Mayors’ Automotive Coalition, which traveled to Washington, D.C. to fight for bridge loans for Michigan’s auto companies.

“I’ve seen Virg in action fighting for Michigan and I’m honored to stand with him now,” said Lawrence in a  press release. “We will stand up to the special interests that have held back our businesses and hard-working families for too long. Mayor Bernero and I have brought economic development to our cities and we will do the same for Michigan.”

Lawrence was chosen in large part for her work with Southfield’s budget, as the city boasts a AA+ credit rating just like Bernero’s Lansing according to a press release by the campaign.

Lawrence is currently in her third term as mayor of Southfield.

Arab American Political Action Committee Vice President Tarek Baydoun attended the convention and said that the lessened suspense in the party’s selections following the early endorsement convention in April led to an atmosphere some media members described as more laid back than usual, but that the party remains confident in its choices.

Bernero gave yet another fiery speech at Cobo Hall as expected.

“We are the team Michigan needs to shake up the State Capitol to finally get budgets balanced and done on time,” Bernero said. “We’re ready to fight for policies that truly make a difference for the hard-working people who make this state great.”

Bernero also continued to tout his plan to fight for main street against Wall Street interests, highlighting his “Fighting for Main Street” Tour across the state in the coming weeks leading up to the election.