UM-Dearborn Alum Among GOP Senate Hopefuls

An announcement last week from Sen. Carl Levin that the longtime U.S. Congressman representing Michigan would not seek reelection in 2014 set off a flurry of interest from local Republicans—including one with Dearborn ties.

Republican Party leader and former Michigan Republican Party Chairman Saul Anuzis is among seven candidates who have expressed interest in running, according to information released by polital public relations firm Murray Communications.

Anuzis is a 1981 graduate of the University of Michigan-Dearborn, where he studied economics.

He stated on his blog, That's Saul, Folks! that Michigan is "a 'purple' state that can go 'red' under the right circumstances."

Whether or not he'd be the right candidate, he added, was still up for debate.

"I have been overwhelmed by the encouraging and kind calls, emails and online posts encouraging me to run for the Senate," Anuzis wrote. "I have to confess, I did not anticipate the kind of moral support from my friends from around the state, let alone from around the country."

However, the current chairman of the Save American Jobs Project may have some catching up to do before next year if he intends to run.

A poll released Tuesday by Murray Communications, Portable Insights and Combat Data showed Anuzis in dead last among likely Republican primary voters.

In the automated survey of 1,170 likely Republican voters conducted Monday, 31.11 percent of respondents said they would support U.S. Rep. ike Rogers for the GOP nomination to the senate seat. Scott Romney, the brother of presidential candidate Mitt Romney, received 29.74 percent of the votes; former Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land received 20.85 percent of the votes.

Anuzis received 1.03 percent of the votes.

The margin of error in the poll was 2.86 percent.

“Obviously the earth is still cooling from Sen. Levin's announcement, and the Republican field is not set," said Brian Bellgowan of Combat Data. "But this poll shows us who begins this race from a relative position of strength, and who has a bit of a hill to climb."

In another poll released this week, Romney leads Rogers by a small margin.

According to the Free Press, U.S. Rep. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Township Democrat) has also indicted he may seek the Senate seat.

Anuzis is one of several notable politicos who attended UM-Dearborn. Dearborn state Rep. George Darany and Dearborn Heights state Rep. David Knezek also call the school their alma mater.

Who do you hope takes Carl Levin's U.S. Senate seat? Tell us in the comments.