Calley Makes It Official: He's Running For Governor In Michigan

LANSING, MI – Gov. Rick Snyder's right-hand man, Lt. Gov. Brian Calley, officially announced he's running for governor of Michigan in 2018. He joins a field of GOP candidates that already includes Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette.

In a statement posted to Facebook on Tuesday, Calley, 40, alluded to Snyder's tenure as governor and looks forward to making Michigan "the most prosperous state in the nation."

"I am proud to have been an integral part of Michigan’s extraordinary rise from the recession that plagued our state during the 'Lost Decade,'" Calley wrote. "We set out to make Michigan the comeback state and that’s exactly what we did."

Calley's announcement included a laundry list of achievements, including claims that 500,000 private-sector jobs have been created under the Snyder administration, Michigan has become a top 10 state for 25- to 34-year-olds and $20 billion in state debt has been eliminated.

Calley, though, faces two big hurdles. For one, the Flint water crisis erupted under Snyder's watch and drew criticism of his administration's handling of it. Secondly, Calley is entering the race late in the game. Schuette announced his candidacy in September, and immediately got an endorsement tweet from President Donald Trump.

Schuette also has a sizable campaign warchest, with approximately $2.1 million, compared to about $1.2 million by Calley, according to a report by the Detroit Free Press. Other Republicans running for the post include Saginaw Township physician Dr. Jim Hines and state Sen. Patrick Colbeck of Canton.

Snyder cannot run for re-election because of term limits. The Michigan primary election is Aug. 7 and the general election is Nov. 6.

File photo by Carlos OsorioAssociated Press