Gov. candidates Snyder, Cox prevail in Republican straw vote

Karen Bouffard / The Detroit News

Mackinac Island --Republican gubernatorial hopefuls Rick Snyder and Attorney General Mike Cox took first and second place, respectively,in an exclusive Detroit News and WJR News/Talk 760 AM poll conducted this weekend at the Republican leadership conference on Mackinac Island.

The straw poll drew more than 1,244 votes from among the record 2,300 in attendance at the biennial rally. Conducted by the Michigan Republican Party,the contest included announced Republican candidates in the 2010 races for governor, secretary of state and attorney general.

The highly anticipated poll offers a first glimpse of how Republicans are viewing their candidates atthe earliest stage in the election season.

Snyder, an Ann Arbor businessman, led the governor's contest with 386 votes, or 31.03 percent. Cox took second with 300 votes, 24.12 percent. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard followed closely with 298 votes, U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra won 219 votes and 41 votes went to state Sen. Tom George.

The ballots were cast at the Grand Hotel on Friday and Saturday evenings. Eight counters, representing various candidates, tallied the results under supervision by party officials.

Former Court of Appeals Judge Bill Schuette led the attorney general's race with 697 votes, or 57.51 percent. Mike Bishop got 446, and State Sen. Bruce Patterson got 69.

Sen. Michelle McManus, of Leelanau, led a field of five candidates in the race for secretary of state, winning 404 votes, or 34.06 percent. Sen. Cameron Brown came in second with 311. David Mroz, operations director for the Hoekstra campaign, said it's so early in the campaign results should be taken with a grain of salt.

"This far out, we've got so much time left in this campaign it's just a glimpse," Mroz said. "To focus on any one thing and call it a benchmark is shortsighted."