Front

Dream Is Drubbed

Doug Ross' two-year quest for governor ends;
his supporters plan to back Engler.

LONNY GOLDSMITH
Staff Writer

C

"I don't believe he would be an effec-
tive leader."
Both Jackier and Pappas said they
vote for the candidate, not the party.
"I don't believe in not voting,"
Jackier said. "I'd rather make the
choice based on what's in front of me,
and between the two, I'd much prefer
Governor Engler."
Said Pappas, "Doug was the most
qualified candidate, but the best does-
n't always win. It was a dream he

oming into the Democratic
Party gubernatorial primary
election as the "anti-estab-
lishment" candidate was
challenge enough for Doug Ross.
One opponent, Larry Owen, had
the backing of the state's major labor
unions. Once the outspoken Geoffrey
Fieger jumped into the race, Ross
became just another candi-
date.
"I was the lesser known
of the two," Ross said, try-
ing to explain his third-
place finish in the primary
on Aug. 4. "Fieger came in
with a lot of name recogni-
tion and money."
Ross, the only Jewish
candidate in the race, fin-
ished with 22 percent of
the Democratic vote. Fieger
had 41 percent and Owen,
considered the "traditional
Democrat" was second
with 37 percent.
Ross said his other big
problem was getting more
coverage of his platform.
"As a candidate of ideas,
I needed the six o'clock
news to cover my agenda,
not just the race," he said.
Ross had kicked off his
campaign for governor in
December 1996. Fieger, on
the other hand, threw his
hat into the ring three
Former candidate Doug Ross.
months ago.
"I never expect justice in
wanted, and as a friend, I helped. [A
politics," Ross said. "We needed to
Ross victory] would have been good
find a way to beat [Fieger] but could-
for Michigan and the Jewish commu-
n't. I suspect a great many [of my fol-
nity."
lowers] will not follow Fieger. They
However, former State Rep. • Maxine
may have followed Owen, but Fieger's
Berman, who worked for Owen's cam-
attacks on religious leaders are outside
paign, will support her party's nomi-
the bounds of acceptable."
nee.
Neither of Ross' finance committee
"In spite of the fact that [Fieger's]
chairs, Larry Jackier and Norm
message may not always be typical,
Pappas, will be supporting Fieger.
philosophically, he never said anything
"I don't believe that Mr. Fieger rep-
I disagree with," Berman said. "If the
resents what I believe in," Jackier said.

8 /14

1998

,

8 Detroit Jewish News

primary winner expressed positions I
don't hold, I won't vote them."
Berman feels that it will take people
who didn't vote for Fieger time to get
used to him running.
"In a primary, voters always want
their candidate to win, and there's
always a time lapse for people to get
used to the change," she said.
In his effort to win his party's nom-
ination, Ross raised $1.8 million,
mostly from within the Jewish com-

munity. "We spent roughly the same
amount as Owen did," said Lesley
Fritz, Ross' press secretary. "Ideally,
we'd be able to do a lot of TV, radio
and direct mailings, but when we're
limited, we had to make tough choic-
es."
Fieger spent $1.2 million in his pri-
mary campaign, including $340,000
of his own money.
According to Ed Sarpolus, vice
president of the Lansing polling firm

EPIC/MRA, Ross' money wasn't quick
enough to come in, in comparison to
Fieger's own money.
With Ross defeated, Sarpolus sees
contributors to the Ross campaign
backing Democratic candidates
embroiled in state House and Senate
races. "There are a number of
Democrats whose seats are up in
Oakland County," Sarpolus said. "As
long as the candidate is open to issues
of importance to the Jewish commu-
nity, the community is
receptive."
In his polling, Sarpolus
found that Ross' main
problem was lack of name
recognition. "He didn't
break the 70 percent barri-
er of people who knew who
he was," he said. "People
want to vote for a known
quantity."
Ross was the assistant
secretary for the U.S.
Department of Labor from
1993 to 1995, after which
he returned to Michigan to
run for governor. "I felt I
could make more of a dif-
ference here," he said. In
addition, Ross was director
of the Stare Commerce
Department under
Governor James Blanchard
from 1984-89, a legislative
aide to Congressmen John
Dingell and Joseph Tydings
and a state senator from
1978 to 1982.
With his run at governor
now over, Ross plans to
enjoy the rest of the sum-
mer and "hang out" with his wife,
Karol. In the fall, he will teach a class
in the school of public policy at the
University of Michigan. For_the time
being, he will take a break from the
political game until he helps his friend
and U.S. Vice President Al Gore in his
presidential campaign in the year
2000.
"I've been pushing hard for five
years. I'm not in a hurry to figure out
what's next." El