Despite loosing a great contender for the Democratic nod to become the next Governor of the State of Michigan, we've gained another.
State Senator Hansen Clarke (D-Detroit) has just filed papers to run for Governor. From his personal Facebook status:
Hansen Clarke filed papers at 2:31pm today in Lansing to run for the Office of
Governor in the great State of Michigan.
As well, MIRS picked up on the story as well. Expect other media outlets to follow. The final confirmation came from Hansen's wife, Choi, who wrote:
Choi Palms-Cohen is extremely proud to announce that her husband, Sen. Hansen
Clarke, has filed papers today to run for the Office of Governor of the great
State of Michigan!
I think this is not just great for Senator Clarke, but also for Michigan. Hansen has been a long-time advocate of the little guy in Lansing, and, while others 'play the game' to get bills passed, he's stuck to his guns and refuses to do anything that violates his moral or ethical principles. Furthermore, I've never seen him turn away an idea without giving it proper consideration- given the status of our state's economy, a leader who is willing to listen and consider all options before making a decision is exactly what we need.
I personally worked with the Senator for two years in his office. Beforehand, I had worked in other government offices and for other candidates, and since have left to join the private sector. While some may think this makes me biased, I believe it gives me a lot of credibility in assessing his merits to attain to the highest office in the state. My assessment is that he is one of the most decent and honorable people I've met in my life, and a true example of a concerned citizen who broke into politics with a message that hasn't let that message be muddled by special interests or insider politics. I believe he will make a great Democratic candidate and a strong leader to take Michigan out of its Lost Decade and into a prosperous future.
