Small business pleased with election outcome
The state’s leading small business organization, the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), expressed their satisfaction with the results of statewide elections as many of the races were called this evening and early morning.
“We are pleased that Governor Snyder has won a second term so He can continue the pace of progress for our state,” said NFIB State Director Charlie Owens. “We are also pleased that both chambers of the legislature will continue to be led by a pro-small business majority.”
Owens said that comments made by Snyder’s opponent during the campaign made it clear that he wanted to turn the clock back on Michigan’s recovery. “Mark Schauer’s comments about small businesses not paying taxes made it clear where he was going to go to get the money to pay for his campaign promises,” said Owens. “Raising taxes so he could pursue a big spending central planning agenda would take us right back to the ‘lost decade’ of the Granholm years.
“We’re not going to stop today. We’re going to keep moving forward– we’re going to keep accelerating– tomorrow, and on Thursday, and on Friday, and for the next four years!” said Governor Rick Snyder during his victory speech.
The only downer of the night was the loss by Terri Lynn Land to Gary Peters in the race for U.S. Senate noted Owens. “However, it appears that Peters will be serving in the minority when the dust clears from national elections,” said Owens.
State House Republicans will hold 63 seats in the next legislative session while Democrats will hold only 47. The Republicans grew their caucus from last session 59 to 63, netting four additional seats.
In the state Senate, Republicans – who already had a supermajority of seats – will gain a seat and have a 27-11 majority in 2015.
On the State Supreme Court, two of the three NFIB backed judges, Justice Brian Zahra and Justice David Viviano, won their races assuring that a conservative pro-small business majority will remain in control of the state’s highest court.
Republican candidates also held on to all of the Congressional seats in play keeping the current delegation split of 9 – 5 the same. In one of the nation’s most competitive races, NFIB supported candidate U.S. Rep. Dan Benishek (R-Crystal Falls) held on 52 percent to 45 percent over his Democrat rival in a district that includes all of the Upper Peninsula and part of northern Michigan.
Washington will see some new faces from Michigan as two of the Republican seats were open contests due to retirements (Mike Rogers in the 8th and Dave Camp in the 9th). Former State Senators Mike Bishop and John Molenaar won both races respectively and are solid pro-small business lawmakers with outstanding Vote Records from their tenure in the State Senate. In the 11th U.S. House District, Dave Trott, who defeated U.S. Rep. Kerry Bentivolio in the primary, also defeated his Democrat opponent in the general election and will be a freshman lawmaker in the next Congress.
