Y ATTHEW RUDY
th n."
?
•
dy At8f FINKELSTEIN
--:'pn.1 New. Service
DEMO RATIC contenders
essentially will be running for 15
p rcent of th lectora, id
Bill Ballenger, editor of the In-
ide Michigan Politics newslet
ter. About 40 p rcent of voters
support Engler nd 33 percent
re willing to upport anybody
ut Engler, he aid.
LaLond pr dic southeast
ern Michigan D mocrats will be
mehow repr n d on th fi-
I ick, , in th li u- .
, nant governor spot or in an
cation I r heel ion.
The Lansing area is a p tty
mall fish in the. pond with just
5 percent of Michigans popula
tion, Ballenger said." There has
nev r been a governor from th
Lansing
Lansing is to the rest of the .
state what Michigan is to the
nation," Ballenger said.
Gools said the candidates
proven r cords in support of
Democratic policy is mor im
portant than geography. Rep.
Sharon Gire, D-Clinton Town
ship, agreed, saying what's most
important for th voters in Ma
comb County is to hav a gover
nor concerned about Macomb
County - which is not pre
cluded ifhe or she is not from the
Ronda Coleman,
Volunteer Big Sister
"My heart is in helping .. ''
more. But Democratic vo es still
reside solidly in the 1-75 corri
dor, he said, denying any w t
ward hif in the party b
lANSING - Democratic can
didates are streaming into the
governors race against John LALONDE ADMI'rS HE is
Engler, but there's one area they surprised that there ar no can
aren't coming from - Wayne, didates from he m tro area and
Oakland or Macomb counties, said it would be helpful if th re
traditionally Michigans Demo- were, but the curr nt ituation
cratic stronghold. is a fluke, not an indication of a
Democratic leaders, however, leadership vacuum in the De
say the metro area will not be troit area.
hurt-�rimarily�becausecandi- One candidate from th
-will have to ork rd r metro a who m y �et join be
in t�.,y;i-couQt.y. ax.ea .tQ .tAb- I ra &'M comb Cou'nty'P u-
lish name �gnition, develop a tor Carl Marlinga. He had been
good reputation and earn voter running a subdued race to un-
support. . seat U.S. Sen. Don Riegle, D-
None of the Democratic gu- Flint but dropped out lier
bernatorial candidates can af- this �onth.
fo� to ignore the metro area, Marlinga said he will make a
said Steve .�ls, spokesperso.n decision about joining the guber
for the M�chlgan De�ocratlc natorial race by mid-Novemb r.
Party, adding, �hat will hurt Although "nothing in politics is
the metro area IS John Englers a necessity" he str ed the im-
re-election.. . portanc �f the southe tern
Democrats m the ra� right Michigan Democratic vot .
no�-all from the Lansmgarea Marlinga 'has name recogni
- mclude state Rep. Lynn Jon- tion and strength, said Mark
dahl of Okemos, state Sen. Deb- Brewer 10th Democratic dis
bie Stabenow of Lansing, former trict chairman, and though it
U.S. Rep. Howard Wolpe of may give him an advantage he
Lansing and former Michigan cannot run on that alone. '
State UniversitY,t:ustee Larry "If! did enter the race, I'd do
Owen of East Lansing, . it on substantive issues that I'd
�acomb County Dem�tIc be more than happy 0 t lk
ChaIrI?an Leo La�nde said at about," Marlinga id, adding
one rime, � c.andldate from that after listening, p opl
southeast Michigan would have would know he w riousand
been a necessity, but not any- not simply rae -hopping.
area.
Macomb voter
tak n for gran
be
�.
By At8f FINKELSTEIN
Capital New. Service
Ronda Coleman,
Jew ,Iry 0 partment �a() ger
. If I can help a customer get
what they want at the best
POSSible price. th n that's what
I m om to do It makes me
feel good msid nowinq I've
h Ip d someon ,
C fin
nd Low (It; • W 0 the dJ tance ...
MARK BR
/