Rep. Hoekstra announces his bid for governor

WEST MICHIGAN (NEWSCHANNEL 3) - An 18 year congressman from West Michigan says he's ready to turn his back on Washington to help turn around the state economy as governor.

After months of speculation, Congressman Pete Hoekstra made it official on Monday. He's entering an increasingly crowded field to run for the state's highest office in 2010.

Hoekstra made several appearances on Monday as he barnstormed across the state to make his intentions for the governorship known. Hoekstra had announced in 2008 that he would not seek re-election as a U.S. Representative.

Newschannel 3 was in Holland for Monday's announcement.

Congressman Hoekstra says he's the man to put Michigan on a new track. The former Herman Miller executive has spent the last 16 years representing Michigan's second congressional district in Congress. Now, he's running for the state's highest office.

"You run a statewide campaign by demonstrating while you've been in office, you've been able to build bridges with people and constituents and people on the east side and the west side," said Hoekstra, "that you have connections in manufacturing, that you understand agriculture, you understand business, you understand labor unions, you understand education."

Hoekstra certainly has name recognition on the west side of Michigan, but he faces some tough Republican challengers from the east side of the state.

"You shouldn't get to be governor of Michigan easily," said Hoekstra. "It should be a competitive race."

Hoekstra spent Monday morning making the rounds in Detroit before ending his day in Holland. His message was that Michigan has seen a deep decline under Governor Granholm's leadership.

"We started the decade where our unemployment numbers were better than the national average," said Hoekstra, "for most of the last three years, not only above the national average, we've been number one in the country in unemployment."

With Monday's announcement, Congressman Hoekstra joins a growing list of potential Republican contenders. Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land and State Attorney General Mike Cox have formed exploratory committees and say they're thinking about running.

On the Democratic side, Lieutenant Governor John Cherry has made it clear that he'd like to succeed Governor Granholm.