By Zachary Gorchow
Executive Editor and Publisher
Posted: April 5, 2013 4:59 PM

Here it is April 5, 2013 – 578 days until Election Day – and no Democratic candidate has announced a bid for governor.

Certainly, it is a long time until November 4, 2014, when Democrats hope to oust Republican Governor Rick Snyder. And most Democrats would say that while it does seem quiet, there is still plenty of time for a strong candidate to emerge.

Still, a check of previous Democratic gubernatorial campaigns shows that the field is unusually slow to develop this cycle. For 2010, Lt. Governor John Cherry, while he had not officially announced, was certainly running. He formed a committee to raise money on January 9, 2009, only to end his campaign a year later, out of money and unable to raise more.

For 2002, by March 8, 2001, then-Attorney General Jennifer Granholm had announced, former Governor James Blanchard was raising money and then-U.S. Rep. David Bonior had signaled he would run.

For the 1998 election, Doug Ross announced December 9, 1996, and Larry Owen announced February 4, 1997. Attorney Geoffrey Fieger, the eventual winner, announced much later, but he had built-in name recognition and personal wealth that allowed him to wait, especially with no other strong contender in the field.

I can’t quickly pinpoint an exact date on when the first Democratic candidate announced for the 1994 election, but the Gongwer archives show the late U.S. Rep. Howard Wolpe filed his campaign committee January 29, 1993, and mention that then-state Sen. Debbie Stabenow already had done so.

So there’s little question that the lack of an announced Democratic candidate at this point is unusual. Former U.S. Rep. Mark Schauer of Battle Creek has said he is considering it as has former U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak of Escanaba and state Rep. Vicki Barnett of Farmington Hills.

Democrats feel like they have a shot to topple Mr. Snyder. His polling numbers show vulnerabilities, and unlike 2010, he has a record to message against. Until someone steps up to challenge him, the theory remains only that – a theory.