Gov. Rick Snyder (file photo)
Like many moderate GOP leaders around the country, Gov. Rick Snyder is not coming out in support of Donald Trump.
That isn't sitting well with some party loyalists who gathered at the Michigan Republican Party convention in Grand Rapids on Friday and Saturday to choose two party nominees for the Michigan Supreme Court, the State Board of Education and the boards of Michigan State University, Wayne State University and the University of Michigan.
Some activists in attendance criticize Snyder, who failed to mention Trump in a five-minute address Saturday, writes Chad Livengood ofr The Detroit News. They see a Trump victory as necessary to win races for the Michigan Supreme Court, the State Board of Education and the governing boards of the state’s three largest universities.
“If we don’t elect him, we don’t elect anybody on this ticket,” Bill Runco, a longtime Republican leader from Dearborn who lost a bid for the State Board of Education, tells the News.
Attorney General Bill Schuette, state GOP Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel and other leaders stressed the importance of electing Trump, who Snyder has criticized.
“I think he [Snyder] should be with the Republican Party,” says Pauline Montie, a delegate from Trenton, according to The News. “He needs to get on board the Trump train whether he likes it or not.”
“I’m staying out of the presidential race,” Snyder told reporters after his speech, the News reports.. “My focus is the state House races, the Supreme Court, staying focused on Michigan.”
