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Richard Dale Snyder (born August 19, 1958) is an American business executive, venture capitalist, attorney, accountant, and politician who served as the 48th governor of Michigan from 2011 to 2019. Snyder, who was born in Battle Creek, Michigan, began his career in business in 1982. He was chairman of the board of Gateway from 2005 to 2007, a co-founder of Ardesta, LLC, a venture capital firm, HealthMedia, Inc., a digital health coaching company, and is currently CEO of SensCy,[1] a cybersecurity company based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.[2]

Key Information

A member of the Republican Party,[3] he won the 2010 Michigan gubernatorial election and won reelection in 2014.[4] Snyder was term-limited and could not seek re-election in 2018 and was succeeded by Democrat Gretchen Whitmer. Snyder was considered a possible Republican Party candidate for Vice President of the United States in 2012, although ultimately Paul Ryan was selected.[5][6][7][8]

In 2014, Snyder gained national attention during the Flint water crisis, in which he was accused of mishandling the situation that exposed thousands of Flint residents to lead-contaminated water. A report by the University of Michigan School of Public Health concluded Snyder bore "significant legal responsibility" for the Flint water crisis.[9] In 2020, an article was published in Vice detailing evidence of corruption and a cover-up by Snyder, including that he was warned repeatedly about the dangerous effects of the decisions he had made about the Flint water supply.[10] In January 2021, Snyder was among those criminally charged for the crisis.[11] He pled not guilty to two misdemeanor charges.[12][13][14] In December 2022, Genesee County Judge F. Kay Behm dismissed the charges.[15]

Early life, education, and family

[edit]

Snyder was born to Dale F. and Helen Louella Snyder in Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan, where he was raised. His father owned a local window-cleaning company in Battle Creek and was of paternal Dutch descent.[16] He has an elder sister.[17] When he was 16, he took a business class at Kellogg Community College on weekends. By his senior year at Lakeview High School, Snyder had earned 23 college credits.[18]

Snyder visited the admissions office of the University of Michigan in November 1975 and spoke with the admissions director, who recommended that Snyder attend Michigan and create his own degree.[19] Snyder received a Bachelor of General Studies in 1977, a Master of Business Administration in 1979, and a Juris Doctor in 1982, all from the University of Michigan.[20][21] Snyder is also a Certified Public Accountant (CPA).[22] He resides in Ann Arbor, Michigan with his wife Sue and their three children and has a vacation home near Gun Lake.[23] The couple were married in 1987 at Cherry Hill Presbyterian Church in Dearborn, Michigan.[24] Snyder has indicated he is a practicing Presbyterian.[24]

Michigan Governor Rick Snyder with First Lady Sue Snyder, at Ford Field in Detroit, January 18, 2013

Business career

[edit]

Coopers & Lybrand

[edit]

Snyder was employed with Coopers & Lybrand, from 1982 to 1991, beginning in the tax department of the Detroit office. Snyder was named partner in 1988. The next year, Snyder was named partner-in-charge of the mergers and acquisitions practice in the Chicago office.[25] He served as an adjunct assistant professor of accounting at the University of Michigan from 1982 to 1984.[26]

Gateway, Inc.

[edit]

Snyder joined the computer company Gateway (based in Irvine, California) in 1991 as the executive vice president. He served as president and chief operating officer from 1996 to 1997. He remained on the board of directors until 2007.[27] From 2005 to 2007, Snyder served as the chairman of the board. During 2006, Snyder served as interim chief executive officer while a search for a permanent replacement was made. His tenure on the Gateway board ran from 1991 to 2007 until Gateway was sold to Acer Inc. Snyder stated that he did not vote for outsourcing while he was a Gateway board director and he worked to bring jobs to America as the interim CEO of Gateway.[28]

Venture Capital / Investments

[edit]

In 1997, Snyder returned to Ann Arbor to found Avalon Investments Inc., a venture capital company with a $100 million fund, along with the co-founder of Gateway, Ted Waitt. Snyder was president and chief executive officer of Avalon from 1997 to 2000. He then co-founded Ardesta LLC, an investment firm, in 2000 along with three co-founders, which invested in 20 start-up companies through 2011. He was chairman and chief executive officer of the company.

HealthMedia, Inc.

[edit]

In 1998, Snyder funded and co-founded HealthMedia Incorporated (HMI). HMI was developer of digital health coaching applications that implemented tailored questionnaires to gather personal information with the goal of creating customized health promotion plans for individuals. The University of Michigan Office of Technology Transfer provided the new company with exclusive research and development findings into health-related computerized tailored messaging and the exclusive licence to sell that content. Despite these benefits, HMI underperformed. In 2001, Snyder replaced the founding CEO and personally rescued the company from insolvency with more of his own money. After multiple rounds of more additional financing through venture capital, HMI was sold in 2008 for a reported $200 million to Johnson & Johnson. The sale of HMI transferred included personal health information from millions of users, which played a key role in the negotiated price. At the time of the reported $200 million deal, U-M President Mary Sue Coleman was on Johnson & Johnson's board of directors.[29] When campaigning for Michigan governor in 2010, Snyder was quoted as saying, "[HMI] is one of the best success stories in the state."[30] Following Snyder's election as Michigan governor, Johnson & Johnson then folded HMI into a subsidiary (Johnson & Johnson Health and Wellness Solutions) and is no longer operating in the state of Michigan.[31][32]

SensCy, Inc.

[edit]

In July 2022, Snyder co-founded SensCy along with former State of Michigan CIO David Behen[33] Ann Arbor entrepreneur Bhushan Kulkarni,[34] and Dave Kelly[35] who led cyber command for the Michigan State Police. SensCy is a cybersecurity start-up focused on helping small and medium-sized organizations improve their cyberhealth. Snyder's firm invented the SensCy Score, a numeric representation of an organization's cyberhealth.[36] It is based in Ann Arbor.[2]

Non-profit service

[edit]

Snyder serves on the boards of the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village (a National Historic Landmark), the Michigan chapter of the Nature Conservancy, and several boards associated with his alma mater the University of Michigan. He was also first chair of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation in 1999 under Republican governor John Engler and was also the chair of Ann Arbor SPARK.

Gubernatorial elections

[edit]

2010

[edit]
Main article: 2010 Michigan gubernatorial election
Rick Snyder in 2009

Snyder competed with Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, state Senator Tom George, United States Congressman Pete Hoekstra, and Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox as candidates for the Republican gubernatorial nomination. Bill Ford Jr., chairman of the Ford Motor Company, endorsed Snyder for the Republican nomination for governor.[37][38] He campaigned as "pro-life, pro-Second Amendment, [and] pro-family," with a focus on the economy.[21] His campaign emphasized his experience in growing business and creating jobs in the private sector, saying that his opponents were mainly career politicians. Snyder favors the standard exceptions on abortion for rape, incest, and saving the life of the mother (he signed legislation banning partial birth abortion in October 2011); he opposes federal funding of abortions; he would not ban embryonic stem cell research; is opposed to same-sex marriage but would allow civil unions.[39][40]

In August 2010, Snyder won the primary to secure the Republican nomination with a plurality of 36% of the vote. In the general election in November, Snyder faced Democratic nominee Virg Bernero, the mayor of Lansing, and three minor party candidates. In October 2010, Snyder's campaign total exceeded $11.6 million, outpacing his opponent.[41] Snyder released his tax returns for 2007 and 2008.[42] Snyder won with 58% of the vote.[43] With Snyder's election in 2010, Republicans gained a majority in the Michigan House and increased the Republican majority held in the Michigan Senate. Snyder was the first Certified Public Accountant (CPA) to be elected governor of the state and at the time, the only CPA to serve as a governor in the United States.[44]

2014

[edit]
Main article: 2014 Michigan gubernatorial election

In January 2014, Snyder launched his campaign for a second term as governor.[45][46] He was unopposed in the Republican primary and faced Democratic former United States Representative Mark Schauer for the general election.[47] Snyder was considered vulnerable in his bid for a second term, as reflected in his low approval ratings,[48][49][50][51] however, Schauer suffered from a lack of name recognition.[52][53] Snyder garnered approximately 51% of the vote in the November 2014 election, defeating Schauer and earning a second term.[4]

Governor of Michigan

[edit]

Tenure

[edit]
Governor Snyder takes the oath from Michigan Supreme Court Chief Justice Marilyn Kelly
Snyder (far right) with (from left to right) United States Deputy Secretary of State Thomas R. Nides, United States Ambassador to Canada David Jacobson, Canadian Minister of State for Science and Technology Gary Goodyear, Governor General of Canada David Johnston, and Canada 2020 Chair Don Newman at the US–Canada Partnership: Enhancing the Innovation Ecosystem conference at the Château Laurier in Ottawa, Ontario, November 2, 2011.

His first executive order as governor was to divide the Department of Natural Resources and Environment into two distinct departments as they were a few years before: the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Environmental Quality.[54][55] On January 7, 2011, Snyder announced he was appointing Michigan Supreme Court Justice Maura D. Corrigan to head the Department of Human Services and appointed Michigan Appeals Court Judge Brian K. Zahra to fill the resulting Supreme Court vacancy. Snyder delivered his first State of the State address on January 19, the earliest Michigan State of the State since Governor John Engler's 1996 address on January 17. He endorsed the Detroit River International Crossing for the first time publicly in the address, which was received favorably by Republicans.[56] Snyder appointed Andy Dillon, a pro-life Democrat,[57] and formerly Speaker of the House, to serve as state treasurer in his administration.

Snyder presented his first budget to the legislature on February 17, 2011,[58] calling it a plan for "Michigan's reinvention", and saying it would end Michigan's deficits. He described the budget as containing "shared sacrifice" but added that his budget plan would create jobs and spur economic growth. The $46 billion budget reduced $1.8 billion in spending, raised taxes by eliminating tax exemptions on pensions, while at the same time abolished the state's complex business tax, replacing it with a significantly reduced flat tax on the profits of C corporations. This shift in tax burden led State Senate Minority Leader Gretchen Whitmer to criticize the budget, saying that it did not involve "shared sacrifice", but instead was balanced "on the backs of our kids, working families, and our seniors" and "picks out who he's willing to leave behind."[59] Snyder supported the government backed rescue of the American auto industry. This reflected the view of a 56% of Americans in 2012 who supported the 2009 auto bailout according to a Pew Research Center poll (63% support in Michigan).[60] On March 16, 2011, Snyder signed a controversial bill into law that gave increased powers to emergency managers of local municipalities to resolve financial matters.[61] The bill was repealed by voter initiative in November 2012. However, weeks later in December 2012 Snyder signed a revised version of the bill back into law.[62]

On December 22, 2011, Snyder signed into law The Public Employee Domestic Partner Benefit Restriction Act, which prevents the same-sex domestic partners of public employees at both the state and local level from receiving health benefits. In January 2012, the ACLU filed a lawsuit against Snyder and the state of Michigan in federal court on behalf of five Michigan same-sex couples, each with one spouse working for local public schools or municipalities in Michigan. The suit alleged that the law violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution.[63][64] On June 28, 2013, a federal judge struck down the law.[65] He has also engaged in trade missions to Europe and Asia, focused on attracting attention on companies such as Chrysler.[66]

Following approval from the legislature, Snyder signed the fiscal year 2012 budget in June, the earliest it had been completed in three decades.[67] In May 2012, Snyder joined a bipartisan effort urging the U.S. Congress to pass a measure to affirm that States can collect sales taxes on online purchases.[68][69] As governor, Snyder abolished the state's complex business tax in favor of a flat tax, and signed a bill which raised taxes by eliminating tax exemptions for pensions. For years Snyder had said anti-union legislation was not on his agenda, when on the morning of December 6, 2012, during a lame duck session of the Republican-controlled Michigan legislature, Snyder called a joint press conference with the legislative leadership to announce fast-track right-to-work legislation. The legislation passed both houses of the Michigan legislature that day, without committee votes or public hearings. A $1 million appropriation added to the legislation made it ineligible for repeal via referendum.[70] On December 10, President Barack Obama visited Daimler AG's Detroit Diesel factory in Redford, Michigan, and told employees the legislation was about the "right to work for less money."[71][72] The law effectively provides that payment of union dues cannot be required as a condition of employment.[73] After a required four-day wait between the houses of the legislature passing each other's bills,[74] Snyder signed the legislation into law on December 11, 2012, making Michigan the 24th right-to-work state in the United States as part of a plan to attract business and jobs to the state.[75][76][77] The Employee Free Choice Act, as it was named, has received mixed results in polls.[78]

A Market Research Group poll conducted in March 2012 showed Snyder's approval rating rising to 50% among likely voters, which matched that of President Barack Obama, placing Snyder among the most popular Republican governors in states carried by Obama in the 2008 election cycle.[79] Snyder was briefly mentioned as a possible pick to be the Republican Party candidate for Vice President of the United States in 2012.[5][6][80] His business executive background and 'positive' style were cited as political assets, with his deeds seen as strengthening the case for electing a business executive candidate as President of the United States.[81][82][83] He was also mentioned as a potential Republican Party candidate for President of the United States in 2016.[84][85][86][87]

In December 2012, Snyder signed legislation requiring facilities where at least 120 abortions were performed annually to obtain a state license as freestanding surgical facilities.[88] Planned Parenthood had urged Snyder to veto the bill claiming it unnecessarily increases costs.[89] In January 2013, Snyder traveled to Israel to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He was last in Israel in 1999 as a venture capitalist. "I had a chance to see the start of high-tech boom in Israel and that's great to see. This is really a startup nation. They've done a great job of being entrepreneurial, innovative, and that's a major part of their economy now and the good part is we can learn from that."[90] In March 2013, Snyder announced a financial emergency for the city of Detroit[91] and appointed an emergency manager, Kevyn Orr. As a result of emergency manager appointments under Snyder's watch, over half of the state's black population lived in cities where the local government was appointed rather than elected by the voters.[92]

On December 27, 2013, Snyder signed a bill into law which nullified Section 1021 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2012, which contained a controversial provision that allowed the government and the military to indefinitely detain American citizens and others without trial.[93] On January 23, 2014, Snyder announced plans to offer visas to 50,000 immigrant workers with advanced degrees to help jumpstart the Detroit economy. The program's advocates claimed the program was expected to bring an influx of new jobs and a more stable tax base.[94] In June 2014, Snyder appointed a 15-member commission for improving and reforming Michigan's public defense efforts for the poor in the criminal justice system in order to effectively meet and ensure the rights safeguarded by the Constitution.[95]

On September 10, Detroit reached a deal with three Michigan counties over regional water and sewer services that was hoped to eliminate one roadblock to federal court approval of the city's plan to adjust its debt and exit bankruptcy. The deal with Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties created a regional water and sewer authority, but allowed Detroit to maintain control of its local system. The deal was crucial to adjusting the city's $18 billion of debt and exiting the biggest-ever municipal bankruptcy.[96] On December 18, the Governor issued an executive order to establish the Michigan Department of Talent and Economic Development to house a new state agency, Talent Investment Agency, created from the merger of Michigan State Housing and Development Authority, the Workforce Development Agency, the Governor's Talent Investment Board and the Unemployment Insurance Agency. Over objections from the state legislature, the department would come into effect 60 days after the start of the next legislative session.[97] In November 2015, Governor Rick Snyder declared his opposition to permitting Syrian refugee relocation to the state of Michigan.[98]

In January 2017, Snyder signed an executive order prohibiting boycott of individuals or public entities from Israel.[99] A compilation of online surveys showed that Snyder's approval rating was below 40% in April 2018.[100] In December 2018, Snyder granted clemency to 61 Michigan prisoners.[101]

Cabinet

[edit]
Name Title(s)
Nick Lyon
Nick Khouri
Roger Curtis Director of the Department of Talent and Economic Development
Jeff Mason CEO of the Michigan Economic Development Corporation
David De Vries
Maj. Gen. Gregory J. Vadnais
Heidi Grether
Jamie Clover Adams Director of the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD)
Kriste Etue Director of the Department of State Police
Brian J. Whiston Superintendent of Public Instruction
Heidi E. Washington Director of the Department of Corrections
Shelly Edgerton Director of the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA)
Agustin V. Arbulu Director of the Department of Civil Rights (DCR)
Kirk T. Steudle Director of the Department of Transportation (DOT)
Keith Creagh Director of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR)
Patrick M. McPharlin Director of the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS)
James Robert Redford Director of the Veterans Affairs Agency
Wanda Stokes Director of the Michigan Talent Investment Agency

Flint water crisis

[edit]
Main article: Flint water crisis

From 2011 to 2015, Snyder appointed several individuals as Emergency Managers for Flint, Michigan. In 2014, emergency manager Darnell Earley was responsible for changing the source of drinking water for the city to the Flint River, which has trihalomethanes (TTHM) in it.[102] It was later discovered that the water was too corrosive, and leached lead out of the service lines that was then ingested by the people of the city.[103][104] In September 2015, a study by the Hurley Medical Center found that the community's children were being poisoned by the lead.[105] While Flint transitioned back to its prior source of water in October 2015,[106] lead levels in the city's water remain above the federal action level.[107][108] Amid allegations that the Michigan Health Department was stalling water treatment expert Marc Edwards's effort to obtain public records, journalists have asked when the State of Michigan knew about the lead poisoning.[109] Details were released by the Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News on February 26, 2016, that Valerie Brader, Snyder's senior policy adviser and deputy legal counsel, and his chief legal counsel Mike Gadola had expressed concerns to him about Flint's water in October 2014, nearly six months after Flint had begun using the river water to save money, despite Governor Snyder claiming he was unaware of the issue until very recently.[110]

A petition from Angelo Scott Brown, a Flint pastor and former Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate, to recall Snyder was denied by the Board of State Canvassers.[111][112] Filmmaker and Flint native Michael Moore called for Snyder's arrest on charges of corruption and assault and launched a petition on his website.[113][114] On November 13, 2015, four families filed a federal class action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in Detroit against Snyder and thirteen other city and state officials, including former Flint Mayor Dayne Walling and ex-emergency financial manager Darnell Earley. The complaint alleges that the officials acted recklessly and negligently, leading to serious injuries from lead poisoning, including autoimmune disorders, skin lesions, and "brain fog".[115][116][117]

On December 15, 2015, Mayor Weaver declared the water issue as a citywide public health state of emergency to prompt help from state and federal officials.[118] Snyder apologized for the incident.[119][120] Snyder declared a State of Emergency on January 5, 2016, for Genesee County, Michigan. On January 16, 2016, Snyder requested that the federal government declare a state of emergency in Flint.[121] According to The Detroit News and NPR, "...in March 2016 Snyder released a new 75-point action plan to address the contamination crisis, calling for a "much higher standard" for drinking water regulations but stopping short of advocating for complete replacement of all underground lead service lines in the city. The plan included short-, intermediate-, and long-term goals, including making infrastructure improvements; creating a data-sharing agreement with state and federal environmental agencies; and setting up a protocol for a "drinkability declaration" for Flint water."[122][123]

In mid-April 2016, Snyder initiated his own 30-Day Flint Challenge. "The plan was to drink solely Flint tap water for an entire month to show residents that the water was safe and that he cared about the people."[124] However, the Detroit Metro Times reported that the governor left town on April 23 to spend the week touring Europe for trade discussions, breaking his promise. In July 2018, Drs Hernan Gomez of the University of Michigan and Kim Dietrich of the University of Cincinnati, toxicology and environmental health experts, published an Op-ed article in the New York Times titled "The Children of Flint were not 'Poisoned." In the essay article the authors referred to the findings in a study "Toxicohistrionics": Flint, Michigan and the Lead Crisis published in the June issue of The Journal of Pediatrics.[125] According to their opinion and the study, there was a small increase of children whose blood lead levels surpassed the Centers for Disease Control reference level (from 2.2 percent to 3.7 percent), but none were at a level that required urgent medical treatment."[126][127]

On April 16, 2020, Vice News published an article suggesting evidence of corruption and a cover-up by Snyder and his "fixer" Rich Baird, adding that the statute of limitations on some of the most serious felony misconduct-in-office charges would expire nine days later.[128] Responses from Michigan state authorities denied that a deadline was approaching and said that criminal prosecutions would follow.[129][130] On January 12, 2021, It was announced that nine former government officials — including Snyder — would face charges resulting from the Flint water crisis.[131][132] Snyder was charged with two misdemeanors of willful neglect, but he pleaded not guilty to the charges.[13][12][133] Following its practice of paying the legal costs for state employees charged with a criminal offense, the administrative board of Michigan approved a contract worth up to $1.45 million with the Warner Norcross & Judd law corporation to defend Snyder.[134] The charges against Snyder were ultimately dismissed in December 2023.[135]

Subsequent career

[edit]

Just before leaving the governor's office, Snyder formed a new Ann Arbor–based company called RPAction LLC whose staff consists of former officials of the Snyder administration.[136] On June 29, 2019, Snyder accepted a soon-to-be appointment at Harvard to share his knowledge of state and local government.[137] On July 3, he tweeted that he was "turning down" the offer: "It would have been exciting to share my experiences, both positive and negative; our current political environment and its lack of civility makes this too disruptive. I wish them the best."[138] Snyder endorsed Democrat Joe Biden during the 2020 United States presidential election, alleging that "President Trump lacks a moral compass. He ignores the truth" and that the president "also demonstrated that he does not fully appreciate policy matters, including public health, the economy and foreign relations, nor does he seem to want to learn."[139]

Electoral history

[edit]
Republican Primary – 2010 Michigan gubernatorial election[140]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Rick Snyder 381,327 36.4
Republican Pete Hoekstra 280,976 26.8
Republican Mike Cox 240,409 23.0
Republican Mike Bouchard 127,350 12.2
Republican Tom George 16,986 2.0
Total votes 1,044,925 100
Michigan gubernatorial election, 2010[141]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Rick Snyder 1,874,834 58.11% +15.81%
Democratic Virg Bernero 1,287,320 39.90% −16.46%
Libertarian Ken Proctor 22,390 0.69% +0.08%
Constitution Stacey Mathia 20,818 0.65% +0.46%
Green Harley Mikkelson 20,699 0.64% +0.12%
Majority 587,514 18.21% +4.15%
Turnout 3,226,088
Republican gain from Democratic Swing
Michigan gubernatorial election, 2014[142]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Rick Snyder (incumbent) 1,607,399 50.92% −7.19%
Democratic Mark Schauer 1,479,057 46.86% +6.96%
Libertarian Mary Buzuma 35,723 1.13% +0.44%
Constitution Mark McFarlin 19,368 0.61% −0.04%
Green Paul Homeniuk 14,934 0.47% −0.17%
Write-ins 50 0.00% 0.00%
Majority 128,342 4.06% −14.15%
Turnout 3,156,531 −2.16%
Republican hold Swing

References

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[edit]
Revisions and contributorsEdit on WikipediaRead on Wikipedia

Rick Snyder

View on Grokipedia
from Grokipedia
Richard Dale Snyder (born August 19, 1958) is an American business executive, venture capitalist, attorney, and accountant who served as the 48th governor of Michigan from January 1, 2011, to January 1, 2019. A political outsider with no prior elected experience, Snyder campaigned on a platform of fiscal conservatism, government efficiency, and economic reinvention, earning the self-description of "one tough nerd." Before entering politics, he built a career in private equity and corporate turnaround, co-founding the venture capital firm Ardesta and serving as president and CEO of Gateway, Inc., where he helped stabilize the computer manufacturer during industry challenges. Elected in 2010 as a Republican amid Michigan's post-recession struggles, he defeated Democratic incumbent Jennifer Granholm's party and was reelected in 2014 with 50.9% of the vote. Snyder's governorship emphasized pro-business reforms, including replacing Michigan's complex Michigan Business Tax with a flat 6% corporate income tax, signing right-to-work legislation to curb mandatory union dues, and overseeing the state's response to Detroit's 2013 bankruptcy, which facilitated the city's financial restructuring and eventual recovery. These policies correlated with substantial economic gains: Michigan added approximately 560,000 private-sector jobs during his tenure, with the unemployment rate dropping from 10.3% upon taking office to a post-recession low of 3.9% by late 2018. However, his administration drew intense scrutiny for the , initiated in 2014 when a state-appointed manager switched the city's source to the to cut costs, leading to inadequate corrosion controls, elevated lead levels, and a outbreak that killed at least 12 people; while local officials and state environmental regulators bore primary operational blame, Snyder faced charges in 2021 for willful neglect of duty, which were dismissed by a circuit court in May 2025 due to prosecutorial issues. Since leaving office due to term limits, Snyder has returned to the , co-founding SensCy in 2022 to develop cybersecurity solutions for small businesses. His legacy remains divided, with supporters crediting him for Michigan's job-led turnaround from the and detractors highlighting lapses in oversight amid the Flint debacle.

Early life and education

Family background and upbringing

Richard Dale Snyder was born on August 19, 1958, in , to Dale Snyder and Helen Snyder, the latter of whom was 45 years old at the time of his birth. His father had held various jobs before acquiring a small window-cleaning that primarily served industrial clients, including Battle Creek's companies; Dale Snyder sold the business in the early 1970s and retired thereafter. The family resided in a modest 900-square-foot house on North 22nd Street in Battle Creek, reflecting a working-class environment where Snyder assisted in the even as a teenager. From an early age, Snyder displayed an interest in and , borrowing magazines such as Fortune and BusinessWeek and, at age 14, becoming enthusiastic about a catalog from Kellogg Community College, which facilitated his there at 15. This upbringing instilled values of self-reliance, hard work through the family enterprise, and a strong emphasis on , as evidenced by Snyder's early from Lakeview High School a semester ahead of schedule.

Academic and early professional training

Snyder attended Kellogg Community College in , during the 1970s, completing coursework toward an Associate in Arts degree, which was conferred retroactively in September . He then transferred to the , earning a with distinction in 1977, a in 1979, and a from the in 1982—all by the age of 23. After completing his degrees, Snyder qualified as a (CPA), a credential he held prior to entering politics and which distinguished him as the first CPA elected . His early professional training focused on accounting, leading directly to his initial role as a tax accountant in the Detroit office of Coopers & Lybrand (now PricewaterhouseCoopers), where he began applying his academic expertise in business and taxation.

Pre-political career

Accounting and consulting work

Snyder joined Coopers & Lybrand, an international firm later merged into PricewaterhouseCoopers, in 1982 following his graduation from the . He started as a accountant in the firm's office, providing services in taxation and related advisory areas. Within six years, Snyder advanced to partner, focusing on compliance, planning, and consulting for clients. His work involved delivering professional and business advisory services, leveraging his CPA credential, which he obtained and maintained through ongoing professional requirements. This rapid progression highlighted his expertise in financial structuring and deal advisory during a period of economic expansion in the . Snyder remained with Coopers & Lybrand for nine years, until 1991, during which he contributed to the firm's growth in consulting practices amid increasing demand for integrated tax and transaction support. No public records indicate involvement in other accounting or standalone consulting firms prior to his departure for corporate executive roles.

Corporate executive positions

Snyder joined Gateway Inc. in 1991 as executive vice president and board director, roles he held as the company expanded from a $600 million private entity into a New York Stock Exchange-listed firm with over $6 billion in annual revenue. In January 1996, he advanced to president and chief operating officer, co-leading the company's initial public offering completed in December 1993 and overseeing operational growth until departing the executive role in August 1997. Snyder remained on the board and was elected chairman in May 2005. Later that year, following the of CEO Wayne Inouye in June 2005, the board appointed Snyder as interim , a position he maintained through September 2006 while a permanent successor was recruited. During this period, Gateway returned to profitability for the first time since 2000, posting a of $1.7 million in the third quarter of 2005. Gateway was acquired by Acer Inc. for approximately $712 million in October 2007, concluding Snyder's decade-plus involvement with the company. Beyond Gateway, Snyder held board chairmanships in portfolio companies such as HandyLab Inc., a molecular diagnostics firm, through his venture investments, though these were not full-time operational executive roles.

Entrepreneurship, investments, and civic roles

Prior to entering , Snyder founded Avalon Investments Inc. in 1997, a $100 million firm based in , which focused on early-stage investments in and sciences companies. The firm completed its investments by 2000, achieving returns through portfolio companies in sectors such as software and . In the early 2000s, Snyder co-founded Ardesta LLC, another $100 million venture capital firm in Ann Arbor, named after the Greek word for "spark" to symbolize innovation ignition. Ardesta invested in high-tech startups, yielding successful exits including Health Media (an online health coaching platform sold to Johnson & Johnson in 2008 for approximately $185 million), HandiLab (a diagnostics firm acquired by BD in 2009), and Esperion Therapeutics (a biopharmaceutical company that went public). Snyder also co-founded Health Media Inc. itself as an entrepreneurial venture, leveraging digital tools for personalized wellness programs. Snyder held civic roles emphasizing , including a foundational position in the creation of Ann Arbor SPARK, a public-private organization launched in 2004 to foster and growth in through incubation, funding, and networking support. He served as the first chair of the Michigan Corporation (MEDC) board, guiding strategic initiatives to attract and promote job creation via public-private partnerships. Additionally, Snyder engaged in various nonprofits, contributing to regional efforts in innovation and community revitalization.

Gubernatorial elections

2010 campaign and victory

Rick Snyder, a businessman with no prior elected office experience, announced his candidacy for the Republican nomination for in , positioning himself as an outsider capable of applying corporate turnaround strategies to the state's struggling . His campaign emphasized fiscal discipline, job creation, and regulatory reform amid 's severe , which featured rates exceeding 14% and a $1.4 billion budget deficit inherited from Democratic . Snyder adopted the slogan "One Tough Nerd" to brand himself as a detail-oriented problem-solver, launching it via a advertisement aired on February 7, 2010, which boosted his name recognition from near-zero among voters. He self-funded approximately $6 million of his campaign's $11 million total expenditures, enabling aggressive advertising in a crowded five-way Republican primary against candidates including Mike Cox and U.S. Representative . In the August 3, 2010, primary, Snyder secured 36% of the vote (380,720 votes), edging out Hoekstra (27%) and Cox (23%), with his outsider appeal and focus on eliminating the Michigan Business Tax resonating in a year of anti-incumbent sentiment. He selected Brian as his , appealing to rural and suburban conservatives. Against Democratic nominee Virg Bernero, Lansing's , Snyder maintained a lead in polls throughout the general election, capitalizing on voter frustration with eight years of Democratic governance and the national Republican wave. On November 2, 2010, Snyder won with 58.11% of the vote (1,874,834 votes) to Bernero's 39.05% (1,258,577 votes), a margin of nearly 20 points, flipping the governorship Republican for the first time since 1990. This victory aligned with GOP gains across , including majorities in both legislative chambers.

2014 reelection

Incumbent Republican Governor Rick Snyder announced his intention to seek reelection in early 2013, emphasizing continuation of his economic recovery agenda. He faced no significant opposition in the Republican primary held on August 5, 2014, securing nomination with approximately 486,000 votes, or over 99% of the Republican turnout, alongside Lieutenant Governor . Democratic nominee , a former U.S. Representative and state legislator, won his party's primary against minimal challengers, positioning himself as an alternative focused on reversing Snyder's labor and tax policies. The general election on November 4, 2014, centered on Michigan's economic rebound, infrastructure needs, and policy disputes. Snyder campaigned on creating nearly 300,000 private-sector jobs since 2010 and reducing unemployment to a six-year low, crediting fiscal reforms and business incentives for the state's turnaround from the . Schauer criticized Snyder's right-to-work legislation enacted in 2012, emergency manager laws, and cuts, arguing they exacerbated income inequality and underfunded roads and schools without delivering broad-based growth. Both candidates addressed deteriorating , with voters polls identifying roads, jobs, and as top concerns; Snyder proposed gas tax increases for repairs, while Schauer advocated tying funding to reforms. A single televised debate on October 12, 2014, highlighted these divides, with Snyder defending his "reinventing Michigan" record and Schauer accusing the governor of favoring special interests. Snyder's campaign outraised and outspent Schauer's, amassing over $25 million compared to Schauer's approximately $15 million, enabling extensive advertising on economic achievements. Despite polls showing a tight in the battleground state, Snyder secured victory with 1,607,399 votes (50.92%), defeating Schauer who received 1,463,629 votes (46.41%); Libertarian candidate Michael J. LaRocco took 2.18%, and candidate Doug Dern garnered 0.48%. The win, by a margin of 4.51 percentage points, reflected voter approval of Snyder's first-term fiscal stabilization amid national Democratic midterm headwinds, though turnout was modest at 40.4%. Snyder was inaugurated for his second term on January 1, 2015.

Electoral history summary

Snyder secured the Republican nomination for governor in the August 3, 2010, by defeating Mike Cox, Mike , and state Senator Tom George. In the , he defeated Democratic nominee Lansing Mayor Virg Bernero and other minor candidates.
PartyCandidateVotesPercentage
RepublicanRick Snyder/Brian Calley1,874,83458.11%
DemocraticVirg Bernero/1,328,42441.22%
OthersVarious19,3890.67%
Total3,222,647100%
In the 2014 Republican primary held on , Snyder faced no major opposition and was renominated unopposed. He won reelection in the against Democratic U.S. Representative and independents.
PartyCandidateVotesPercentage
RepublicanRick Snyder/Brian Calley1,607,39950.92%
DemocraticMark Schauer/Gary Peters (wait, no, Gary Brown)1,478,85646.41%
LibertarianBruce H. Caswell/James Creswell27,2220.86%
U.S. TaxpayersChris Alan Byrne/Don Geshel9,5080.30%
Natural LawDoug Dern/D. Joseph Shepler7,1610.23%
OthersWrite-ins23,3910.74%
Total3,153,537100%
Snyder did not seek a third term in 2018 due to term limits.

Governorship (2011–2019)

Economic recovery and fiscal reforms

Upon assuming office in January 2011, Snyder inherited a Michigan economy severely impacted by the , with an unemployment rate exceeding 11 percent and ongoing challenges in the automotive sector. Over his eight-year tenure, the state added more than 540,000 private-sector jobs, and the unemployment rate declined to 3.9 percent by November 2018, reflecting a sustained recovery attributed in part to pro-business policies. A of Snyder's fiscal reforms was the overhaul of the state's business structure. In May 2011, he signed legislation repealing the Business Tax—a complex regime criticized for its high effective rates on certain —and replacing it with a flat 6 percent corporate , alongside broadening the base to offset revenue losses. This reform eliminated many targeted business incentives and exemptions, aiming to create a simpler, more competitive environment to attract and job creation, though it shifted some burdens toward individual taxpayers and consumers. Snyder also pursued measures to control expenditures and build fiscal resilience. In March 2011, he approved reductions in , shortening the maximum duration from 26 to 20 weeks to lower costs amid federal borrowing pressures, marking as the first state to implement such cuts. His administrations signed eight consecutive balanced budgets, increasing general fund spending from $45.9 billion in 2011 to $56.8 billion by 2019 while expanding the rainy-day fund to over $1 billion by 2018, providing buffers against economic downturns. Complementary regulatory reforms in December 2012 further streamlined permitting and reduced barriers to expansion, supporting the broader economic rebound.

Labor, regulatory, and tax policies

During his governorship, Snyder prioritized reducing compulsory union membership through the enactment of right-to-work legislation. On December 11, 2012, he signed into law two bills prohibiting private-sector unions from requiring workers to pay dues or fees as a condition of employment, with the provisions taking effect on March 28, 2013. This measure positioned as the 24th state with such protections, allowing employees to benefit from without mandatory financial contributions to unions. Proponents, including business groups, argued it enhanced worker choice and economic competitiveness, while labor organizations contended it undermined union bargaining power. Snyder pursued regulatory reforms to lessen burdens on businesses and individuals, establishing of Regulatory Reinvention (ORR) early in his term to review and prune outdated rules. In April 2012, ORR recommended eliminating requirements for 18 professions, representing 17% of Michigan's regulated occupations, to foster job creation and entry into fields like shampooing and . He signed legislation on December 1, 2011, further reducing regulatory obstacles for small businesses, and reorganized state agencies, such as splitting the Department of Natural Resources and Environment into separate entities in January 2011 to streamline environmental and oversight. Additionally, Snyder enacted a policy in 2012 barring state regulations stricter than federal standards in certain areas, aiming to align with national benchmarks and avoid unnecessary compliance costs. On taxation, Snyder focused on restructuring business levies to promote growth, signing the May 25, 2011, package that replaced the Michigan Business Tax—a surcharge-heavy system criticized for complexity—with a flat 6% corporate income tax applicable only to C corporations. This reform contributed to a 57.1% decline in corporate tax revenue, from approximately $2.1 billion in fiscal year 2011 to $900 million by 2017, reflecting lower rates and a shift in burden toward individual income taxes. In response to the 2017 federal tax overhaul, he approved a March 2018 expansion of personal exemptions, providing an average savings of over $100 annually for a family of four, while maintaining Michigan's 4.25% flat personal income tax rate. These changes were credited by supporters with aiding economic recovery, though critics highlighted increased taxation on pensions for post-1952 births starting in 2012.

Education, infrastructure, and health initiatives

During his governorship, Rick Snyder prioritized reforms aimed at enhancing and . On April 27, 2011, he proposed a comprehensive overhaul, including shifting to performance-based school funding tied to student outcomes, making compensation performance-linked, and lifting caps on charter schools in underperforming districts to foster competition and choice. These measures sought to address Michigan's lagging national rankings in reading and math proficiency by incentivizing results over inputs, though implementation faced resistance from teachers' unions concerned about evaluation metrics. Snyder also established the Education Achievement Authority in 2012 to manage and reform the state's 20 lowest-performing public schools, emphasizing data-driven interventions and extended learning time, and created the 21st Century Education Commission in 2016 to benchmark Michigan against top global systems and recommend further personalization and technology integration. While enrollment in charters expanded under his policies—reaching over 10% of public school students by 2018—critics, including some education researchers, argued that decentralization exacerbated funding inequities without proportionally improving outcomes, as measured by stagnant NAEP scores during his tenure. In infrastructure, Snyder focused on Michigan's deteriorating roads and bridges, which ranked among the nation's worst per federal assessments. He signed a $1.2 billion annual funding package into law on November 10, 2015, comprising $600 million in new revenue from a 7.3 cents-per-gallon increase in the wholesale (phased in with adjustments) and higher vehicle registration fees, plus $600 million redirected from the general fund. This followed the rejection of his 2014 ballot proposal for a hike, marking the first major road funding increase in over a decade and aiming to close a $1.3 billion maintenance gap identified by state engineers. The 21st Century Infrastructure Commission, appointed in 2016, advanced a 50-year vision encompassing transportation, water, and broadband, influencing subsequent allocations like $175 million in supplemental road aid in 2018. On health initiatives, Snyder advocated for expanding Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act through the Healthy Michigan Plan, announced in February 2013 and enacted on September 16, 2013, which extended coverage to adults up to 133% of the federal poverty level—enrolling over 600,000 by 2018—and incorporated incentives like income-based premiums, personal health engagement requirements, and health savings accounts to promote responsibility. The plan, initially opposed by some Republican legislators on fiscal grounds, was projected to save the state $235 million in uncompensated hospital care by 2017 while leveraging 90% federal funding. Proponents credited it with reducing emergency room overuse, though detractors highlighted rising state costs post-2017 as federal matching rates declined to 90% and administrative burdens grew.

Flint water crisis

In April 2014, under the authority of state-appointed emergency manager , Flint switched its municipal water source from the Water and Sewerage Department to the as an interim measure while awaiting connection to the Karegnondi Water Authority pipeline, aiming to reduce costs by approximately $5 million annually. The Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) erroneously advised that control treatment was not required under the federal Lead and Copper Rule for the interim period, leading to untreated river water eroding aging lead service lines and distribution pipes, which leached lead into the supply serving about 100,000 residents. Residents reported discolored, odorous water and skin rashes starting in June 2014, while reverted to water in October 2014 after the river water corroded engine parts. Elevated lead levels were confirmed in some homes by September 2015, with researchers documenting widespread contamination through citizen sampling, though DEQ initially dismissed concerns and manipulated compliance data by excluding high outliers. A outbreak, linked to bacteria proliferating in the untreated water system, affected at least 90 individuals in Genesee County from June 2014 to November 2015, resulting in 12 confirmed deaths, though analyses of death certificates suggest up to 115 pneumonia-related fatalities may be attributable during the period. The state's failure to issue timely boil-water advisories or investigate the outbreak promptly exacerbated risks, with DEQ and Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) officials downplaying links to the water source despite internal warnings. Governor Snyder's administration became aware of potential issues by summer 2015 through emails and resident complaints forwarded to his office, but decisive action lagged until independent reporting and federal EPA intervention in late 2015 prompted reconnection to water on October 16, 2015, and the addition of corrosion inhibitors. Snyder declared a on January 16, 2016, authorizing distribution of and filters, and later apologized, acknowledging "natural " but attributing primary fault to DEQ lapses rather than direct gubernatorial oversight. The Flint Water Advisory , appointed by Snyder, concluded in 2016 that the crisis stemmed from systemic DEQ failures, including regulatory non-enforcement and deception of the EPA, compounded by the structure's insulation from local accountability, though it noted the governor's office involvement in peripheral decisions like financing. Subsequent federal and state probes, including a 2018 U.S. Department of Justice review, highlighted DEQ's violation of safe drinking water laws and EPA's delayed response but found no evidence of intentional harm, emphasizing bureaucratic incompetence over malice. Criminal charges filed in 2021 against Snyder for two misdemeanor counts of willful neglect of duty were dismissed by 2023 following Michigan Supreme Court rulings on procedural flaws in the one-judge grand jury process, with prosecutors abandoning further pursuit by May 2025, underscoring evidentiary challenges in proving personal culpability amid diffused state responsibilities. Civil settlements included a $600 million state payout in 2020 for affected residents and a $626 million class-action resolution in 2021, funding medical monitoring and infrastructure upgrades, while over 90% of lead service lines were replaced by 2020, though full remediation of legacy contamination persists.

Other administrative controversies

Snyder's administration faced significant backlash over the passage of right-to-work legislation in December 2012, which prohibited unions from requiring non-members to pay fees for representation. The bills (House Bill 4003 and Senate Bill 116) were advanced in a lame-duck session shortly after Snyder's reelection, despite his earlier statements deeming the issue "too divisive" for Michigan's recovering economy. Thousands of protesters gathered at the state capitol in Lansing, leading to clashes with police and the temporary shutdown of the House gallery; labor groups argued the law weakened collective bargaining power, while supporters, including business leaders, claimed it would attract jobs by aligning Michigan with 23 other states. Snyder signed the measures into law on December 11, 2012, effective March 28, 2013, amid ongoing union lawsuits challenging the process as rushed and lacking public input. The use and structure of Michigan's emergency manager laws drew repeated legal and public challenges for overriding local elected officials in financially distressed municipalities and school districts. Under Public Act 436, enacted in December 2012 after voters repealed the prior version (Public Act 4) via a 55% referendum in November 2012, Snyder appointed managers with broad powers to restructure debts, renegotiate contracts, and bypass democratic processes. In Detroit Public Schools, managers like Jack Martin (appointed 2015) managed a $3.5 billion debt crisis inherited from interest-rate swap deals, but faced accusations of exacerbating conditions through austerity measures and failing to address facility decay; Martin resigned in February 2016 amid probes into spending irregularities and calls from the Michigan Legislative Black Caucus for his removal. A 2016 federal lawsuit alleged the law inflicted "serious and permanent" harm by enabling unelected appointees to control majority-Black districts, though the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear related challenges in 2017. Prison food services under a $145 million contract with Aramark, awarded in 2013, sparked investigations into substandard meals, including reports of maggots, rodent parts, and under-portioning across facilities. Prisoner complaints surged, prompting state audits that confirmed violations; the Michigan Department of Corrections fined Aramark $200,000 in August 2014 for repeated infractions and appointed an independent monitor, though the overseer resigned abruptly in January 2015 after five months. Snyder's office acknowledged issues in a public statement on August 8, 2014, but defended retaining the vendor pending improvements, citing cost savings from privatization; critics, including advocacy groups, argued the administration prioritized fiscal efficiency over inmate welfare, leading to the contract's termination in July 2015 after two years.

Post-governorship activities

Business and entrepreneurial pursuits

Following his tenure as governor, Snyder incorporated RPAction LLC in December 2018, a consulting entity based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, signaling an initial return to private-sector advisory work. In 2022, he co-founded and assumed the role of chief executive officer at SensCy, a cybersecurity firm targeting small and medium-sized enterprises with affordable, user-friendly solutions to address rising digital threats. SensCy emphasizes simplified threat detection and response, drawing on Snyder's prior experience in technology ventures, including his time as chairman and CEO of Gateway, Inc., and founding venture capital firms like Avalon Investments and Ardesta LLC. The company's launch in July 2022 aligned with Snyder's focus on practical innovations for underserved markets, positioning SensCy to compete in the cybersecurity sector amid increasing attacks on non-enterprise entities. Snyder has highlighted the firm's mission to democratize advanced protections, leveraging to reduce complexity and costs for clients lacking in-house expertise. As of 2024, he continues to lead SensCy while engaging in related discussions on , including podcasts underscoring Michigan's .

Public policy advocacy and recent initiatives

Following his tenure as governor, Snyder has focused on advocating for in , emphasizing accountability amid stagnant student outcomes despite substantial increases. In May 2025, he outlined plans for a $20–$30 million statewide campaign aimed at positioning the 2026 s as election," with the of raising about failing schools and pressuring policymakers to prioritize results over . Snyder highlighted data showing over 60% of fourth graders not proficient in reading, attributing persistent underperformance to inadequate rather than shortfalls, as per-pupil spending has risen significantly since 2019 without corresponding gains in national assessments. Snyder indicated in June 2025 his likely leadership of a initiative or citizen-driven effort to address these issues, committing to statewide tours to mobilize support for structural changes benefiting students. This builds on his gubernatorial emphasis on metrics-driven reforms, such as early literacy interventions, which he has argued were undermined by subsequent policy reversals like the repeal of the Read by Third Grade law. In September 2025, Snyder received the Eugene A. Gargaro Public Service Award from the Citizens Research Council of , where he advocated for bipartisan approaches to policy challenges, including and fiscal responsibility, while critiquing partisan . During the event, he expressed concerns over trends like the repeal of right-to-work laws, framing them as barriers to economic policies supporting public services, though he stressed cross-aisle collaboration as essential for progress.

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  95. https://www.detroitchamber.com/right-to-work-a-decade-later-laws-impact-on-michigan-remains-murky/
  96. https://michiganadvance.com/2024/10/23/snyder-mourns-the-loss-of-right-to-work-laws-as-he-works-to-flip-the-michigan-house/
  97. https://www.michbar.org/journal/Details/Exploring-Michigans-right-to-work-law-through-legislative-history?ArticleID=4637
  98. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/flint-water-crisis/2016/03/17/gov-rick-snyder-admits-emergency-management-failed-flint-water-crisis/81910418/
  99. https://www.michiganpublic.org/politics-government/2016-02-03/how-did-we-get-here-a-look-back-at-michigans-emergency-manager-law
  100. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/02/02/465279038/controversial-emergency-manager-of-detroits-public-schools-resigns
  101. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/apr/07/michigan-governor-rick-snyder-detroit-schools-lawsuit
  102. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2017/10/02/u-s-supreme-court-michigan-emergency-manager-law/723074001/
  103. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2015/01/29/aramark-prison-food-contract-monitor-leaves-suddenly/22560193/
  104. https://www.corrections1.com/aramark-correctional-services/articles/michigan-fines-aramark-200000-more-for-poor-prison-food-service-XcnXjjpDXcu4ipHX/
  105. https://www.michigan.gov/formergovernors/recent/snyder/press-releases/2014/08/08/snyder-issues-statement-addressing-prison-food-service-issues
  106. https://www.house.mi.gov/hfa/PDF/Corrections/DOC_Subcmte_Testimony%28DetroitMetroTimesArticle_3-3-16%29.pdf
  107. https://www.michiganpublic.org/opinion/2014-09-17/governor-snyder-is-fighting-a-losing-game-in-aramark-scandal
  108. https://www.crainsdetroit.com/politics/former-gov-snyder-laying-groundwork-his-next-act
  109. https://www.crainsdetroit.com/technology/rick-snyder-launches-cybersecurity-company-senscy
  110. https://ventureinsecurity.net/p/rick-snyder-how-a-founder-vc-and
  111. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/opinion/columnists/nolan-finley/2025/05/31/efinley-snyder-plans-massive-campaign-to-raise-outrage-level-on-failing-schools/83921736007/
  112. https://mipfs.org/node/303
  113. https://bridgemi.com/talent-education/michigan-democrats-republicans-swap-blame-schools-after-bridge-report/
  114. https://home.mirs.news/post/snyder-likely-leading-statewide-education-ballot-question-in-26
  115. https://michiganadvance.com/2023/12/26/heres-your-guide-on-what-whitmer-and-the-democratic-led-legislature-got-done-in-2023/
  116. https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2025/09/18/rick-snyder-debbie-stabenow-public-service-bipartisanship-citizens-research-council-michigan/86189646007/
  117. https://crcmich.org/event/2025-annual-public-policy-dinner
  118. https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/politics/2025/09/23/rick-snyder-mike-duggan-independent-governor-campaign-2026-citizens-research-council-of-michigan/86251355007/
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