Campaigns Ramp Up

By Laura Weber

The candidates for governor are beginning to buy up more ad time on television as the August primary is just as few weeks away.

Republican Candidate Rick Snyder has outspent the other candidates with his well-known "One Tough Nerd" commercial. And this week Attorney General Mike Cox is ramping up his TV time as well.

Rich Robinson, with the Michigan Campaign Finance Network, says Snyder and Cox spent the most on ads by the end of May.

 "Nobody else was showing up in any kind of a significant way," he says.

So far, spending is not as free-wheeling as it has been in recent election years.

"So at this point it's relatively modest spending. Certainly not approaching the level of the 2006 campaign. Nor even the 2002 campaign," Robinson says.

Snyder and Cox are running for the GOP nomination against Congressman Pete Hoekstra, Oakland Country Sheriff Mike Bouchard, and state Senator Tom George.

Democratic Candidate and House Speaker Andy Dillon has begun running a television commercial as well. He is running against Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero, who is waiting to snag TV time closer to the primary.