January 18, 2018 
August 2018 update: Gretchen Whitmer wins Democratic primary for Michigan governor
August 2018 update: Bill Schuette wins Republican nod for Michigan governor
Bridge Magazine is kicking off its 2018 Michigan Truth Squad coverage with our first round of fact checks, this one involving four leading candidates for Michigan governor.
Our mission is to hold candidates for public office and activist groups accountable for their political statements, a task that is even more critical this year, when every statewide office, including all House and Senate seats, are up for grabs in Michigan.
As always, Truth Squad adheres to its nonpartisan, equal-opportunity critiques of factual claims. We do not rate or analyze ideological positions, we do not pass judgment on the wisdom of a given policy proposal or campaign claim. We focus only on whether a candidate’s statements are grounded in established facts, as best we can determine them.
If you see a statement you believe is questionable, whether it is in a TV or radio ad, social media post, a mailer sent to your home, a press release, or its a remark made at an event or in an interview, please bring it to our attention and we will do our best to investigate if it is true, misleading or just plain false.
Contact editor David Zeman with statements you believe are untruthful or misleading in state political races and we will do our best to investigate promising tips. Zeman can be reached at dzeman@bridgemi.com.
Truth Squad: Brian Calley’s claims on Michigan’s economic gains
Truth Squad: Gretchen Whitmer’s role in Larry Nassar case
Truth Squad: Bill Schuette’s track record as Michigan Attorney General
Truth Squad: Abdul El-Sayed promises single-payer healthcare
Comments
What a great cast of candidates. We have one who wants to snoop in your bedroom to see who you are sleeping with and wants to have a big say in your doctor-patient relationships, another who is Bernie Sanders lite and promises everything except the free daily bag of M&M's, another who wants to get in your pocket to see how much can be extracted, and a fourth who has done, what, except ride along on another's coat tails. Should be a humorous summer.
Where is Patrick Colbeck's name? He is running for Governor too!
The Republican party isn't too pleased with Sen. Colbeck right now.
That's why he got yanked from the committees he serves on and had the day-to-day operation of his senate office essentially taken away from him by Sen. Meekhof.
Hint: It had absolutely NOTHING to do with a RTL snub. That was just a cover story peddled to the media who won't ask too many questions.
Republicans would prefer that as little media attention be paid to his campaign as possible and the focus being concentrated on their hand-picked candidate Schuette.
Perhaps Mr. Zeman can explain his apparent absence?
Bill Cobbs needs to be considered. He has led the candidates talking about Enbridge Line 5 and now all the candidates are copying Bill. He can and will win the black vote in Detroit. No other candidate can say that.
Hey guys, will you turn up the heat on Repub State Senate candidate Mike Saari?