Republican former Gov. Rick Snyder stopped at Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille in Grand Rapids on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024 as part of a statewide tour to drum up support for Republicans running for the Michigan House of Representatives. | Kyle Davidson
As a part of Michigan Republicans’ bid to reclaim the majority in the House of Representatives, GOP former Gov. Rick Snyder is touring the state to drum up support for various candidates while touting House Republicans’ “Mission for Michigan” plan, a response to the swath of changes passed by the Democratic-controlled Legislature.
After traveling to Jackson and Battle Creek on Monday, Snyder kicked off Tuesday’s leg of his tour at a stop with multiple candidates at Brann’s Steakhouse and Grille in Grand Rapids, owned by former state Rep. Tommy Brann (R-Wyoming) who is running against state Rep. John Fitzgerald (D-Wyoming) in Michigan’s 83rd House District.
During an interview with the Michigan Advance at the event, Snyder sounded the alarm on the policies put in place by Democrats, saying the repeal of Michigan’s Right to Work laws was at the top of the list.
“Right to Work, one, it was the right thing to do for the hardworking Michiganders themselves that were part of a union. But another huge aspect of that was our pipeline of business opportunities to grow in Michigan went up dramatically when we became a Right to Work state because a lot of places, lot of larger organizations, screened us off to say we’re not even going to go talk to Michigan. So when it opened up, we brought tens of thousands of jobs to Michigan,” Snyder said.
Right to Work laws allowed workers to receive union benefits without having to pay dues, with opponents arguing it curtailed unions’ power. While various labor groups praised Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer repealing the controversial 2012 laws that Snyder signed, Republicans and business groups opposed their repeal, arguing it would encourage employers to do business elsewhere, costing the state jobs and manufacturing opportunities.
Republican former Gov. Rick Snyder backs former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-White Lake) for Senate and East Grand Rapids attorney Paul Hudson for U.S. House at an Oct. 16, 2024 rally in Grand Rapids. | Kyle Davidson
“When they repealed it, that pipeline closed up largely again, we have many fewer opportunities to grow, and we need those jobs,” Snyder said.
Snyder, who served as governor from 2011 through 2018, had a GOP-controlled Legislature that enacted many of his conservative economic policies, like a $2 billion annual corporate tax cut, as well as cuts to business regulations and safety net programs.
He was succeeded by Whitmer, who was Senate minority leader during his first term and opposed much of his agenda. She went on to win reelection in 2022, the same year that Democrats flipped both the House and Senate for the first time in roughly 40 years.
Snyder has largely stayed out of politics after being term-limited, with his legacy tied to the Flint water crisis. However, he did write a column for USA Today during the 2020 election where he endorsed President Joe Biden over former President Donald Trump, catching criticism from his fellow Republicans.
However in June 2023, the House Republican Campaign Committee (HRCC) announced Snyder would help lead the effort for the GOP to retake the state House.
During his Monday stop in Battle Creek, Snyder declined to weigh in on the presidential race, according to a report from The Detroit News.
When asked on Tuesday what had changed from his 2020 endorsement, Snyder told the Advance he wanted to stay “laser-focused” on the Michigan House races.
“That is the big determinant of Michigan’s future, and I view it as people have strong feelings about presidential candidates all over the spectrum. If I talk about that race, it’s taking away attention and focusing on the Michigan House. So let’s stay focused on the Michigan House,” Snyder said.
“I want to see Michigan get better as my priority, and then the federal government, that’s a whole ‘nother ball game.”
Former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids) also stopped by the event on Tuesday, telling the Michigan Advance he is working to support state and local candidates in the two weeks leading up to Election Day.
Meijer, a veteran and supermarket chain heir, was among 10 Republican representatives in the U.S. House who voted to impeach Trump for his role in the Jan. 6 insurrection. He was later ousted from his seat in the 2022 primary by the Trump-backed candidate John Gibbs, with U.S. Rep. Hillary Scholten (D-Grand Rapids) claiming victory in the general election.
When U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) announced she wouldn’t seek reelection in 2024, Meijer joined the stampede of candidates in the open race. But although he turned in petition signatures, he dropped out of the race before the August GOP primary, which was won by former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers (R-White Lake). He is squaring off against U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-Holly).
On Tuesday, Meijer similarly shied away from discussing who he is supporting for president, saying his focus was on the state and local level.
He previously declined to make a presidential endorsement when asked at the Northern Michigan Policy Conference in January, although he’s previously stated he would support Trump if he were the Republican nominee.
Former U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer a rally in Grand Rapids on Oct. 16, 2024. | Kyle Davidson
During the 2023-24 legislative term, Michigan Democrats have dismantled a number of Snyder-era policies including eliminating Right to Work and the state’s controversial third-grade reading law, axing the pension tax and expanding the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC), eliminating the environmental rules review committee, which opponents panned as a “polluter panel” after the board blocked the implementation of tougher PFAS standards in 2019.
Snyder credited Democratic policies as one of the factors that brought him back into Michigan politics.
“We’re in decline again, and a major contributor to that are the policies we’ve seen out of Lansing over the last two years,” he said.
Snyder also criticized Michigan Democrats on cost of living and affordability issues.
“If you look at the state budget, it was $56 billion when I left. It’s over $80 billion today, in just how many years. And many of those are going to, you know, special interest projects, projects that don’t make sense, and those dollars should be back in people’s pockets,” Snyder said.
He also blamed Democrats for ending a cut in the state income tax triggered by high state revenues, which expired this year after the state Court of Appeals rejected arguments from Republicans and the free-market Mackinac Center for Public Policy that the cut should have been permanent.
“They said it wasn’t permanent, and believe me, it was intended to be permanent. I was there. I did the spreadsheet that made the calculation to do it,” Snyder said.
Alongside his own concerns, House Republicans asked for his help, said Snyder, who is chairing the HRCC’s fundraising committee with businessman Bill Parfet acting as executive chair.
“They called me up and said, ‘Would you be willing to help out?’ And I’m happy to because I view it as a good way to continue giving back. I’m not running, but I can help candidates be better, more successful and hopefully learn from some of the positives and negatives I’ve lived through,” Snyder said.
Additionally the fact that Republicans have assembled a “positive platform” is exciting Snyder said, in reference to the Mission for Michigan plan.
House Republicans’ Mission for Michigan is made up of 10 points:
Make Michigan more affordable by reducing energy bills and housing costs and promoting access to affordable and local childcare options. It also calls for action to “reverse Democrats’ income tax hike” in reference to the expiration of a .2% income tax-cut which Republicans argued should have been permanent.
Prepare all kids for the future by ensuring safe and successful schools for all, return to the basics with real-life skills and empowering parents in their kids’ education.
Demand accountable and effective government through ethics and accountability for government, better value for tax dollars and transparent and fair elections.
Build safer communities for stronger families by recruiting, retaining, and support more police officers, eliminating sanctuary cities and counties in Michigan and supporting victims of crime.
Unleash affordable and reliable clean energy by prioritizing local control and local energy production, modernizing nuclear power generation and expanding natural gas production.
Attract high-paying careers for the future by assessing and improving workforce training, investing in education and skilled trades and getting government out of the way of good paying jobs.
Strengthen and empower our communities, by fixing crumbling urban and rural infrastructure, preserving our natural resources and protecting the Great Lakes and our farmland.
Prioritize mental health, addiction and healthcare access through accessible and affordable mental and general health, getting dangerous drugs off our streets and supporting veterans, families and vulnerable populations.
Growing our economy by creating an environment for career providers to flourish, supporting innovation and entrepreneurship and “Stop picking winners and losers.”
Secure Michigan’s future for ALL generations by prioritizing Michigan companies, “not foreign adversaries” ensuring equal justice respecting the rule of law and protecting retirement savings.
Looking toward Election Day, Snyder said Republicans are positioned to do well across the state, particularly in reclaiming seats from Democrats in West Michigan, a long-time conservative stronghold.
“I think you could see some Republican candidates do well, because again, when some of those [Democratic] candidates won in the last cycle or the cycle before, they ran as moderates. They ran on a platform to say how they were going to work with both sides of the aisle. They were all going to work together. And if you look at their actual records, they basically went to a fairly progressive agenda,” Snyder said.
Snyder also said the party has “great candidates” pointing to Brann as an example alongside longtime paramedic Steve Frisbie in Michigan’s 44th District and state Rep. Kathy Schmaltz (R-Jackson) who joined him in Battle Creek the day prior.
Meijer said there is still a strong conservative tradition in West Michigan.
“You see ticket splitting, sure, but this is definitely not a part of the state that falls in lockstep. You know, West Michigan, we have a lot of folks who pride themselves on their independence, on being willing to, you know, follow their values, follow their beliefs and not necessarily follow a party line,” Meijer said.
While there may be some ticket splitting moving from the national races to the down ballot races, Meijer also pointed Republican’s state level candidates as a strength.
“Where they do particularly well is on communicating what they’ve actually done. Tommy [Brann] when he was in the state House, you know, he wasn’t someone who just said, ‘OK, what am I supposed to do? You know, tell me how I’m supposed to vote.’ I mean, he read the legislation, he thought about it, he talked to members of his community,” Meijer said.
“When you’re asking people, you know, if they’re going to support Tommy Brann, They’re like, ‘Yeah, you know what? I may be an independent, I may be a Democrat, but I know him. He’s a fantastic individual,’” Meijer said, stressing the importance of the personal decisions at play in state politics.
He later said flipping the state House is essential to better governance in the state, by putting a check on Whitmer.
When asked if having Trump as the Republican presidential nominee could hurt Republicans candidates further down the ballot through his detractors from within the party, Meijer argued having Trump at the top of the ticket will help down-ballot races.
“I think probably the least controversial thing I could say about Donald Trump, he drives people to the polls. I mean, there are folks who are members of the party now who weren’t four years ago, who weren’t eight years ago. And for whatever my difference is with him, I think that’s a strength,” Meijer said.
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