It was only fitting that the last dance for Virg Bernero and Rick Snyder came in a ballroom. The two separately addressed a dinner held for the American Arab Chamber of Commerce in Dearborn. It's the last event that both Bernero and Snyder are scheduled to speak at before Nov. 2nd.
In their speeches, Bernero and Snyder mostly stuck to trail well walked, emphasizing jobs, Michigan's economy and little else.
Snyder didn't mention his opponent's name once during his speech and stuck to discussing Michigan's future and his "Ten Point plan". Bernero was on the offensive, accusing Snyder of abandoning the manufacturing industry and not having a specific enough plan to revitalize the state's economy.
The candidates did not share the room as originally scheduled. Bernero was more than an hour late, arriving well after Snyder left. Event organizers say Bernero was tardy because he was preparing with former President Bill Clinton's staff for a joint campaign event Sunday.
The speeches Friday came on the same day campaign finance reports were submitted to the Michigan Secretary of State's office. That report shows Bernero with $165,000 remaining in his war chest, compared to more than $2 million in Snyder's.
Although Bernero is down in the polls, short on time and short on money, he is still confident that he can become Michigan's next governor.
"The pollsters, the pundits and the media folks would like to decide the election, but see you guys get only one vote," Bernero told WILX. "The vote that really counts is the vote of the people and they weigh in on election day."
