Confirmed: Cherry to drop out of governor’s race

UPDATED, 12:15 p.m.: Lt. Gov. John Cherry has released a statement with the news that he is bowing out of the 2010 race for governor. See statement below.

Lt. Gov. John Cherry (Creative Commons photo by People for Cherry via Flickr)

ORIGINAL POST: The Detroit News has confirmed that Lt. Gov. John Cherry will withdraw from the 2010 gubernatorial race, in which he was the presumptive Democratic nominee despite not officially declaring his candidacy.

While they did not get an official confirmation from Cherry himself, they do quote many people close to him in support of last night’s report from Tim Skubick — a scoop from Skoops — that he was planning to drop out of the race.

Longtime party fundraiser Faylene Owen confirmed today that Cherry, who had not formally entered the race, won’t try to succeed Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm, saying the tough economy and Granholm’s record have made it difficult for Cherry to raise money…

Joel Ferguson, party activist and Cherry supporter, also said he wouldn’t try to talk the candidate into reconsidering.

“This is something he has thought through,” Ferguson said.

Ferguson also says that Cherry’s withdrawal makes House Speaker Andy Dillon the front runner for the Democratic nomination. But Dillon has angered many key Democratic constituencies over the last year, which may make it difficult for him to get through a primary fight — possibly against Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, who has been signaling his entry into the race for weeks.

Dillon came under withering criticism from Democratic party activists and liberals over the past few months for two primary things: His proposal to consolidate all public employee healthcare plans in the state into one single plan, which infuriated the unions that represent public employees but was embraced by Republicans, and his handling of the state budget process in the fall.

Dillon struck an agreement with Republican Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop to make up a $1.2 billion deficit solely with budget cuts rather than with a combination of cuts and revenue increases. Dillon said he had assurances from Bishop that they could come back later and push for revenue increases and the Senate would consider them, but so far that hasn’t happened as the Republican-led Senate has refused to consider any new taxes.

Cherry’s withdrawal certainly shakes things up and leaves a void that will have to be filled by someone. Dillon and Bernero are the two most clearly set up to take a shot at the brass ring, but there may be others out there who will seize the opportunity to jump into the race. The next few weeks should be very interesting for state political observers.

UPDATE, 12:15 p.m.: A statement from Lt. Gov. John Cherry:

Today I am announcing that the exploration of a gubernatorial candidacy is coming to an end, and I will not be a candidate for Governor in 2010.

A year ago, when this exploratory process began, I set several goals that I thought I needed to attain if a candidacy was to be successful. I believed that at least a thousand Michigan citizens needed to express their support for my candidacy. That number was exceeded significantly. I also believed that in 2009 I would have to obtain at least half of the petition signatures necessary to obtain a position on the ballot. We succeeded in reaching that number as well.

However, I also believed that I had to secure enough money to make my candidacy fully viable. I was not successful in that endeavor to the degree that was needed. With that in mind, I have come to the conclusion that to wage a successful campaign will be difficult at best.

Of course, I find this a disappointing circumstance for two reasons. First, a number of good friends stepped forward to offer their support, and they worked very hard to build a very impressive grassroots network. I hate to disappoint them with this news. Many of them also contributed hard earned money to help support our efforts. That does not, however, diminish the effort that they and the campaign team made to build a successful candidacy.

I am also disappointed because I truly believe that 2010 will be a critical year and election for Michigan. We stand before a simple choice between a race to the bottom or a vision of Michigan as we would like it to be. There are many who for political reasons choose to demean the notion of Michigan as a state that is investing and building for the future. They would rather have us blame our present economic circumstances on the victims of the global forces that disrupted the family and economic lives of thousands of Michigan citizens.

I had hoped that my campaign could argue for a Michigan that could put its great assets to work to create a new, vibrant 21st Century economy– our great workforce and citizenry, internationally renowned institutions of higher education, and the 20 percent of the world’s supply of fresh water that surrounds us. Those are strong building blocks for the future. The only thing that stands in the way of creating a strong future out of them is the negative political cult of personality that seeks political advantage at the expense of our civil endeavors.

I am disappointed that I will not be the candidate to carry that message.

Most importantly, though, I wish to thank my family– my wife Pam, my children, my mother, and my brother and sisters for their help, support, and love. While ending the campaign is a disappointment for us, the effort brought us new friendships, introduced us to amazing people, and opened our eyes to a Michigan that is truly inspiring. For that we are extremely grateful.

UPDATE, 12:56 p.m.: A statement from Michigan Democratic Party Chairman Mark Brewer:

John Cherry is a skillful and dedicated public servant who would have been an excellent governor in these challenging times. The people of Michigan owe him a debt of gratitude for his service, past, present, and future.

The race for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination is wide open and many well-qualified people will be considering whether to join the race. Democratic primary voters will be looking for the candidate who best represents our ideals as a Party and who has the right vision for Michigan’s future.

Throughout the primary process, the Michigan Democratic Party will remain neutral and continue to focus on preparations for the general election. The MDP will be ready to help our nominee defeat whichever second-tier candidate the GOP nominates.

Update, 2:43 pm

Thomas Morgan, Vice Chair of the Ingham County Young Democrats, tells Michigan Messenger that Cherry’s exit from the race may lead to several unexpected candidates testing the waters. “With John Cherry out of the governor’s race,” Morgan said, “it’s an absolute free-for-all on the Democratic side. As of this morning, you have scores of Democrats throughout Michigan suddenly thinking, ‘Why not me?’ It’s going to be a very interesting primary season.”

It is indeed.