State Sen. Patrick Colbeck faces three challengers, but says that he'll pull off a major upset in August's GOP primary election for Michigan governor.
In a Tuesday interview with WZZM-TV, Colbeck said that he is set up to win the Aug. 7 Republican gubernatorial primary. The Michigan gubernatorial election is set for Nov. 6. Two-term incumbent Gov. Rick Snyder (R) is term-limited.
The Detroit Free Press has billed Colbeck as the most conservative candidate running for governor.
"It's paying dividends and I think we're going to win this," Colbeck said. "I am not blowing smoke. I see it on the ground."
According to WZZM, the latest statewide polling done by Michigan Information & Research Service shows Colbeck having less than 10 percent support. Colbeck admits that some state residents just don't know who he is — but that doesn't deter him.
"It's about one-on-one relationships winning hearts and minds, and that's the way we are going to win this," Colbeck explained. "That's why we are the only candidate who can win in the general election."
Colbeck added, "I not only know what I believe but I know why I believe it. I don't think the same is true for a lot of the other candidates."
Dr. Jim Hines, president of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, and Attorney General Bill Schuette are the three other Republican contenders for Michigan governor.
In a June poll, MIRS found Schuette leading Calley by a margin of 45 percent to 16 percent.
Former Detroit Department of Health and Wellness Promotion Executive Director Abdul El-Sayed, author and entrepreneur Shri Thanedar, and former state senator and one-time Ingham County Prosecuting Attorney Gretchen Whitmer are vying for the Democratic nomination.
A June poll by MIRS has Whitmer in the lead at 40 percent, ahead of Thanedar (19 percent) and El-Sayed (17 percent). MIRS polled 400 Democratic voters between June 24 and June 26.
You can read more about all of the candidates here.
Sarah Taylor
Sarah is a former staff writer for TheBlaze, and a former managing editor and producer at TMZ. She resides in Delaware with her family. You can reach her via Twitter at @thesarahdtaylor.
