ROCKET MAN

Another politician has thrown his hat into the ring in Michigan’s 2018 race for governor. This time, it’s ultra-conservative state Senator Patrick Colbeck of Canton. A tea party conservative and former aerospace engineer, Colbeck landed in Lansing in 2010 and has since made a name for himself by trying to shoot down spending bills that had widespread support among moderates and many conservatives. Among those he opposed provided more than $120 million to Flint to mitigate drinking water contamination; more than $600 million to save the Detroit School System; and efforts to fund road repairs in 2015. He was one of only two senators who opposed the Grand Bargain, which provided $195 million for Detroit’s bankruptcy recovery. Colbeck opposes Common Core standards and is an advocate for schools of choice and Right to Life. “He is a consistent advocate of policies and solutions that benefit all Michigan citizens rather than special interest groups that too often influence government with their pocket books,” Colbeck’s biography reads on his campaign website. Colbeck did, however, sponsor nine bills that were enacted to develop the state’s right-to-work law, which was heavily funded by the DeVos and Weiser families. He also pushed legislation to create a “Choose Life” license plate in the state to raise funds for causes backed by Right to Life of Michigan that Gov. Snyder vetoed. The DeVos family is among his top donors in past campaigns, according to state campaign finance records.