AC alum announces intention to run for governor

Mayor of Lansing and Adrian College alum, Virg Bernero, announced his intention to run for the position of Governor of Michigan Monday. (Photo Courtesy of www.votevirg.com)

Virg Bernero, the current Mayor of Lansing and an Adrian College alum, announced his intention to run for Governor of Michigan Monday.

Bernero made this decision after competitor John Cherry, the current Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, dropped out of the race. Until that point, Bernero was in the middle of an exploratory campaign, where he was gathering information and talking to people. Cherry was the presumptive front-runner for the position of governor and when Cherry renounced his candidacy, Bernero said it “really bolstered my support and really catapulted my campaign.”

As of yesterday, Bernero announced his intention to run for governor in Detroit, Lansing and Grand Rapids, Mich. He said those cities were chosen because they were spread across the state and were large cities that would help give him coverage. He would have loved to make the announcement in more cities, but it didn’t work out that way.

Bernero said his plans for the state include bolstering businesses and the economy. He wants to encourage businesses to open branches in Michigan. It is Bernero’s intention “to make Michigan the number one place in the country to do business.”

At the moment, Bernero said he’s “not satisfied with the way folks in the state capitol are handling [the crisis].”

Bernero likened his current position as mayor of Lansing to being in the engine room in a ship. The problem with being in the engine room, he said, is that a person can’t control where the ship is going. As governor, Bernero hopes to be promoted to the top deck, where he can put his hands on the wheel and steer the state in a better direction. This better direction will include encouraging businesses in Michigan.

“If you want jobs and love jobs, you must embrace business,” Bernero said.

He wants to “…lay out the red carpet instead of the red tape” for businesses.

Last November, Bernero made an appearance at AC at the request of  the Political Science honorary society, Pi Sigma Alpha (PSA). Matt Stiller, senior and president of PSA, said “I think that having someone that graduated from Adrian College is good for both the political science department and the college being that it can show what good a liberal arts education can do.”

Bernero said the education he received at AC was useful in helping him get to where he is today.

“I still utilize the lessons I learned from the institution everyday,” he said.

Bernero was a political science major during his time at AC, as well as the student body president for three years. He was also involved with student government for four years. He said he and other students also had the opportunity to get involved in local politics, which was a “great training ground  for future politicians.”

Marsha Fielder, director of alumni relations, said that Bernero’s success says a lot for AC as a whole.

“It tells me that Adrian College is a place where students are challenged and encouraged to set high goals and work toward them,” Fielder said. “As alumni, these experiences help strengthen their resolve to seek after their dreams when the field of competition is much larger, motivated and talented. Many Adrian College alumni who have chosen politics as a profession are doing well serving their constituents and representing their alma mater. We’re proud to call Virgil Bernero an alumnus and wish him well in the race.”

Bernero also said he and his party will be doing a jobs tour in the near future, and more information about that will be released when it is available.

To follow Bernero’s campaign, go to www.votevirg.com. Students interested in getting involved in Bernero’s campaign can contact him at virg@votevirg.com.

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 11th, 2010 at 4:19 pm and is filed under News, Top Stories. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.