DeVos names former state Rep. Ruth Johnson as his running mate
Detroit Free Press
Tuesday, August 15, 2006
By Kathy Barks Hoffman, Associated Press DeVos names former state Rep. Ruth Johnson as his running mate
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Dick DeVos on Monday chose a former lawmaker from Oakland County to be his running mate, adding a woman to his ticket who could attract votes in the state's second-most populous county. Ruth Johnson, 51, is a former GOP state lawmaker from Holly who served in the House of Representatives from 1999 through 2004, when she was elected Oakland County clerk. DeVos, a businessman from of Ada in western Michigan, said Johnson would bring to the job of lieutenant governor a wealth of experience, citing her previous positions as a teacher, county commissioner and state lawmaker. "Ruth's resume is impressive, but even more impressive is Ruth Johnson the person," he said during a morning news conference in Lansing. The pair also held a news conference in Grand Rapids in the afternoon. Johnson walked into the Lansing news conference with her husband, Don Nanney, their 7-year-old daughter, Emily, and Johnson's mother, Virginia "Ginny" Johnson. Holding Emily's hand, Johnson said that when her daughter gets ready to go to college and move on to a job, "I want her to be able to choose Michigan. I don't think that's likely if Michigan doesn't change direction." She'll meet Tuesday with the DeVos campaign staff to map out where and when she will campaign. Her first stop will be at the Upper Peninsula State Fair on Wednesday. State Democratic Chairman Mark Brewer said in a news release that DeVos and Johnson are out of step with Michigan voters. "The DeVos-Johnson ticket is a perfect match of two extremists," he said. "Voters now have a distinct contrast between the extreme right-wing policies of Dick DeVos and Ruth Johnson and the Granholm administration, which is putting Michigan first." Public and media relations expert Robert Kolt of Okemos-based Kolt Communications said the DeVos campaign will have to spend time introducing Johnson to voters because she's not well-known outside Oakland County. "When you pick someone without an image, then it gives you an opportunity to create it," Kolt said. "At the same time, she has no statewide cache. Certainly she's not going to upstage the candidate." The lieutenant governor traditionally presides over the Michigan Senate and can vote to break a tie. The governor also can give the lieutenant governor other responsibilities. DeVos said he chose Johnson in part because she could take over as governor if something happened to him. Michigan Republican Chairman Saul Anuzis said it helps to have a woman on the ticket, but an even bigger asset than gender is Johnson's record as a proven vote-getter in Oakland County. "It's not a secret that Oakland County has been trending more independent," Anuzis said. Having a ticket that includes Johnson and Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard -- the GOP U.S. Senate candidate -- should pull more votes for Republicans in the county, he said. Although women of all political stripes helped elect Democrat Jennifer Granholm as governor four years ago, Anuzis said the gender gap has narrowed because women are as concerned about jobs and the economy this year as men. Johnson told reporters that she opposes abortion except to protect the life or the health of the mother, but DeVos campaign spokesman John Truscott said Johnson only makes an exception to save the mother's life, the same position held by DeVos. Neither supports allowing abortions in the case of rape or incest. Both DeVos and Johnson stressed the need to get Michigan back on track to begin adding jobs rather than continuing to lose them. "We're in a single-state recession," DeVos said. "We simply have to get Michigan back to work." DeVos needed to have a lieutenant governor candidate in place before Republicans meet Aug. 25-26 for their state convention in Novi. Democrats will hold their state convention Aug. 26-27 in Detroit. Granholm already has said Lt. Gov. John Cherry, of Clio, will remain on the ticket as her running mate.
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