Republican Supreme Court Justices Bob Young and Mary Beth Kelly claiming victory on election night at the Westin Book Cadillac Detroit hotel. PHOTO: Natasha Dado/TAAN

Republicans celebrated their victory together Tuesday night at Michigan Governor-elect Rick Snyder’s election party at the Westin Book-Cadillac Detroit Hotel with about 1,000 supporters. In addition to Snyder’s victory speech, Michigan Secretary of State-elect Ruth Johnson, Attorney General-elect Bill Schuette and Supreme Court Justices Bob Young and Supreme Court Justices-elect Mary Beth Kelly also addressed supporters on their wins.

Snyder defeated his Democratic opponent Virg Bernero by a large margin.  Bernero said it wasn’t his party’s time, and that he would continue fighting for middle class Americans.  

Schuette defeated his opponent David Leyton, and Johnson beat Democrat Jocelyn Benson. The GOP also won seats on the Michigan Supreme Court with Young’s re-election and former Wayne County Circuit Court Judge Mary Beth Kelly’s defeat of recent Granholm appointee justice Alton Thomas Davis. The total is now four leaning Republicans to three Democrats, shifting the power in GOP’s favor beginning in 2011.    

In his victory speech, Snyder said Detroit’s economic shape is critical to Michigan’s economy. “The other thing we need to do that we haven’t done as well in is restore our central cities, that is fundamental.  For Michigan to be a great state, Detroit has to be on the path to being a great city again,” Snyder said.

Snyder also announced plans to eliminate the Michigan Business Tax.

“Now the first thing I’ll tell you is the role of government is not to create jobs. It’s to create an environment where jobs can flourish. To do that we need tax reform. It is time to eliminate the Michigan Business Tax. It’s a job killer. I propose replacing it with a flat six-percent corporate income tax.”

Snyder stressed that bipartisanship was critical to the state’s success. “We wear too many labels; there’s only one we should be wearing, and that’s Michigander,” he said. 

He announced a three-step plan to improve  Michigan.

The first includes a clear positive vision into the future. The second step is having a plan to go from “a big disaster” to a great future. The third step is about taking action that makes a positive difference in people’s lives. “Those are the three key steps, and that’s what we’re going to do,” he said. Snyder’s central focuses are creating jobs and keeping youth in the state.  Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said the challenges ahead of Snyder are 100 times greater than former Gov. Jennifer Granholm’s, because she didn’t inherit problems similar to what Snyder will face, although many analysts have recognized the difficult situation she was handed.

Although Snyder has no experience in public service, Patterson said his background in business will be one of his strongest attributes as governor.  “He’s really been in training for all these years to become involved in leadership capacity. A governor is exactly that. The state is a big business and it’s been run into the ground and we need a turnaround specialist. That’s what Rick Snyder represents,” Patterson said.

Schuette said he would advocate building bridges between different cultures and Democrats and Republicans. “We must put Michigan back on track. Our new Michigan needs to be a safer Michigan with less taxes and less spending, less government and more freedom,” Schuette said.