Dear Republican and Democratic Presidential Candidates:

Today, the Michigan Legislature passed legislation with strong bipartisan support that will establish Michigan’s presidential primary on January 15.  I am writing to let you know that I will sign that bill into law when it lands on my desk and to encourage you to campaign actively and vigorously in Michigan.

I understand that Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina are circulating a letter to presidential candidates that asks them to sign a pledge not to campaign in any state that gives its voters a real voice in the nominating process by moving its primary into the month of January.  I urge you not to sign this pledge and instead to come to Michigan and engage our citizens in a serious dialogue on the critical federal issues that affect their lives – issues like the manufacturing crisis, the cost of health care, and unfair trade policies.  These are issues that the next president must resolve and that challenge Michigan like no other state.  I hope you will recognize that these issues facing the people of Michigan are far more important than the politics of the parties’ respective nominating contests.

I strongly urge you not to sign any pledge that would prevent you from campaigning in Michigan, and a bipartisan group of political leaders in our state will soon make that same appeal.  When you campaign here, you will see that while we differ on matters of policy, Michigan’s Democrats and Republicans are united in our desire to ensure that our citizens have the strong voice they deserve as the nation selects its next president.

If you know today that you will campaign in Michigan, I thank you for that commitment.  Whenever you make that decision, please let me know at your earliest
opportunity so that I can thank you on behalf of all the people of Michigan.
 

Sincerely, Jennifer M. Granholm Governor