Former Governor James Blanchard will be one of three strong

Democratic candidates to replace term-limited Governor John Engler.

Blanchard lost to the present Governor in 1990 by less than one percent of

the voters, in the closet Governor's race in Michigan history.

The native Michigander graduated from Michigan State University and served

in Michigan as Assistant Attorney General before he was elected to serve in

the U.S. Congress.

In 1982 James J. Blanchard was elected to the first of his two consecutive

terms as Governor in Michigan. Following his defeat in 1990 he then served

as United States Ambassador to Canada for three years.

Review Magazine recently conducted an interview with the former Governor,

just as his stature in the polls was gaining steam.

Review: Why did you decide to run for Governor again?

Blanchard; In these tough economic times, I refuse to sit back and watch

the downslide of Michigan. Along with four terms in Congress and two terms

as Governor, I have over 10 years of new experiences as Ambassador to

Canada and an advisor to President Clinton, as well as an author and

businessman.

I am ready to put my proven leadership to work for the people of Michigan

and get this state rolling again.  This is where my wife Janet and I live

and this is where we will help build the future. I'm not running because

it's easy. It never is. I'm running because it's important.

Review: What are some of your goals if elected again?

Blanchard:  To get Michigan working again and lift our state to the

greatness it deserves. We need to get the economy back on track and improve

the quality of our schools, create good jobs for our children and fellow

citizens, and I have a plan to get Michigan working again.  It's a new

economic plan. We did it before and will do it again.

Review: What do you feel are the highlights of your new economic plan that

will stimulate Michigan's economy?

Blanchard:  I will create a new Department of Commerce, Technology and

Trade to work closely with business, labor and government to retain, grow

and attract the jobs and investments needed to make Michigan a leader in

the new economy.

Working with this new department I will establish a manufacturing network

to assist small and medium sized firms in obtaining capital, technology and

training.

I also want to create a Michigan Talent Corps so that our workers are the

best trained in the world.  I'd like to open an office in Toronto to help

our small and medium sized companies develop new markets with our largest

trading partner, Canada.

Finally, I'd like to unleash a new generation of entrepreneurs by

eliminating barriers such as the Single Business Tax, promoting

entrepreneurial education, increasing capital and tapping into new

technologies, especially Internet2.

I would also like to launch a new initiative to promote tourism &

entertainment and protect our abundant natural resources.

Review: What are your views on the current state of affairs in the health

care field of Michigan?

Blanchard: Here in our state we have all the ingredients to offer the best

health care in the United States. With outstanding health care

professionals, the highest technology, state of the art facilities, there

is no reason we can't put all of that together and offer these services to

our people. I plan on doing this by leadership. A visionary talented

governor can make a difference by working closely with the people.

Review: Can the Democratic Party with you as the party's choice defeat the

Republican Party in the November election?

Blanchard: Absolutely. It will be a difficult primary within the Democratic

Party, but with the party rallying around its candidate for the November

general election, we should be returning a Democrat to the State Capitol.

Review: How do you feel that your close ties with former President Clinton

and former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer will help your campaign?

Blanchard: I think that having strong relationships with both former

President Clinton and Mayor Archer will definitely help in my campaign to

capture the governorship. I have received strong endorsements from both of

the former Democratic leaders.

Review: How do you compare or contrast yourself to the other two major

Democratic candidates?

Blanchard: I firmly believe that my experience on the state, national and

international levels of government make me a clear-cut leader who can lead

the State of Michigan into the future. The other two candidates do not have

this level of experience. I have the ideas and wisdom to make the state an

international leader once again.