Democrat Virg Bernero on Thursday began running his first ad in the Michigan governor's race, a 30-second spot that promotes his accomplishments as Lansing mayor.
Two other ads that also began running statewide feature Republican rival Rick Snyder. A Republican Governors Association ad praises the Ann Arbor businessman for creating thousands of jobs, while an ad paid for by the Michigan Democratic State Central Committee accuses Snyder and others at computer maker Gateway Inc. of outsourcing thousands of jobs.
The dueling versions of Snyder's record are likely to continue in the seven weeks leading up to the Nov. 2 election that pits Snyder, an Ann Arbor businessman, against Bernero. The five-year mayor is running a populist campaign promising to protect middle-class jobs, while Snyder is running as a political outsider whose can use his experience to encourage innovation and create a better business climate.
The last Republican to run for governor, Amway heir Dick DeVos, also competed as a businessman who knew how to create jobs. Despite spending more than $35 million of his own money on the 2006 campaign, the Ada resident suffered a double-digit loss to Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm in part because of Democratic ads saying Amway cut Michigan jobs while adding jobs in China.
Neither Snyder nor Bernero has run ads since winning the Aug. 3 primary election. Until that point, Snyder had aired about $2.4 million in ads, while Bernero hadn't aired any, although the Genesee County Democratic Party spent $2 million in ads on his behalf.
An Aug. 21-23 statewide poll showed Bernero trailing Snyder by double digits, a deep concern for the Democrat because absentee voters can begin casting ballots in about a week and a half. Although Bernero is likely to have far less money for ads than his wealthy rival, he needed to go on the air now to give voters a clearer picture of who he is and what he stands for.
"As mayor, he cut government nearly 20 percent and brought in half a billion in new investment, 6,000 jobs," an announcer in his ad says. "He'll shake things up to get Michigan back on track."
All of Snyder's previous campaign ads carried the theme that's he's "one tough nerd," a phrase echoed in the 30-second RGA ad.
"Rick Snyder has created thousands of jobs. Now, he has a specific 10-point plan that would do that for Michigan," the ad's announcer says. "Who knew? Maybe solid, nerdy ideas are just what Michigan needs."
The Democratic ad tells a different story.
"The truth? Snyder and other execs mismanaged Gateway, costing thousands of American jobs," an announcer says. "In the end, Snyder helped sell the company to the Taiwanese."
Snyder joined the fledgling computer maker as executive vice president in 1991, when it had fewer than 800 employees. He was promoted to president and chief operating officer in 1996, then left to start his own Ann Arbor venture capital company in 1997. At that time, Gateway -- then based in North Sioux City, S.D. -- had 13,300 employees, including 10,600 in the U.S.
Gateway subsequently moved most of its manufacturing operations to Mexico and countries in eastern Europe and Asia, including China, according to company filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Through that period, Snyder remained on Gateway's board. He and others have said the board wasn't involved in the decisions to move jobs abroad. Gateway now is a subsidiary of Taiwan-based Acer Inc.
The RGA has money to spend on the Snyder ads in part because its single-largest contributor this election cycle, the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, has given the RGA just more than $2.5 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. The chamber has endorsed Snyder.