There are 17 months before Michigan's gubernatorial race, and an already crowded field of candidates has grown by one.
Patrick Colbeck, a conservative state senator who has opposed Gov. Rick Snyder on Medicaid expansion and higher fuel taxes to better fund roads, announced Thursday that he has filed paperwork to seek the governorship.
Snyder, a Republican, cannot run again for the state Senate due to term limits.
Colbeck was first elected to the Senate in the 2010 tea party wave.
He says in a statement that "it is about time that elected officials remember that our customers are all of our citizens, not simply the ones who contributed the most to our campaigns."
The Canton Township resident is an aerospace engineer who has worked on systems for the International Space Station and has owned a small business.
Colbeck is the fifth Republican to declare his candidacy. Four Democrats are also in the running.
