Well, this is a disappointment. From an email I received from former MI-07 Congressman Mark Schauer this morning:
I wanted to personally email you, before you heard it in the press, that I will not be a candidate for Congress in 2012. As you can imagine, with all the dysfunction in the Congress today, this was not an easy decision.A combination of factors led me to this conclusion — the joy I’ve found in re-connecting with my family, especially our three little grandsons; the difference I’m making as national co-chair of the BlueGreen Alliance Jobs 21! campaign; and Republican Congressional redistricting that removes my hometown of Battle Creek from my old Congressional district.
I’m incredibly proud of the public service work I’ve been a part of in Lansing and in Congress since 1996. Public service is in my blood, and making things better for children, families, communities, and small businesses is what I enjoy most.
Having the honor of representing the people of Michigan at such an important time in our nation’s history is more humbling than I can describe. I’m especially proud of our work to rescue the nation’s economy and pass historic health care reform that will help fix our broken health care system and strengthen Medicare for future generations.
That being said, I’ve decided not to seek office as a Congressional candidate in 2012.
Rest assured, despite my decision and the Republican-controlled redistricting process in Michigan, the 7th Congressional District remains winnable for a Democratic candidate in 2012, especially in light of Tim Walberg’s vote to end Medicare as we know it and failure to go to bat for Michigan jobs and Michigan families.
I want you to know how thankful I am for all your help in the tough, uphill campaigns I’ve fought over the years, especially in my 2008 and 2010 Congressional campaigns. I never went into battle alone. In fact, I had the best supporters and volunteers that a candidate could ever dream of.
We made history together, and the work is not done. I look forward to our paths crossing in many ways for many years to come on behalf of the people and great country we care about.
–Mark Schauer
The 7th District lost a great candidate with this decision. It’s my hope that someone else with the dedication to Michigan workers and families steps up. Tim Walberg, the self-described “original tea partier”, has done absolutely nothing in Congress to spur job growth in our state or our country. He has voted lockstep with the farthest right tea party members of Congress including a recent vote for the Paul Ryan effort to end Medicare and an even more recent vote for John Boehner’s ridiculous Cut, Cap and Balance bill. With the recent redistricting pushed through by Michigan Republicans, MI-07 is going to be an even tougher fight than before. But it is a fight we must win.
