Mike Bishop (R)
LANSING, Mich. (Legal Newsline)-Michigan state Senate Majority Leader Mike Bishop, R-Rochester, is considering a run for attorney general in 2010.
Bishop is the third Republican to announce he has formed and exploratory committee, which allows him to raise money for a potential race to succeed Republican Attorney General Mike Cox, who is barred by term limits from seeking another term.
"It has been a priority of mine to protect people and to ensure justice for all citizens," Bishop said. "It's only natural for me to want to take that responsibility to the next level."
State Sen. Bruce Patterson, R-Canton, and outgoing state Court of Appeals Judge Bill Schuette of Midland have already announced their bids to be the state's next chief legal officer.
The Republican and Democratic nominees for attorney general will be selected next August, at the respective party conventions.
Bishop was elected to the Michigan House in 1998 and to the senate four years later. Patterson won election to the state House in 1998 and a state Senate seat in 2002. He is chairman of the Senate Committee on Energy Policy and Public Utilities. Schutte has been on Michigan's 4th District Court of Appeals since 2003.
For his part, Cox has formed an exploratory committee to look at a gubernatorial run in 2010.
From Legal Newsline: Reach staff reporter Chris Rizo at chrisrizo@legalnewsline.com.