Former Governor James Blanchard will be one of three strong
Democratic candidates to replace term-limited Governor John Engler.
Blanchard lost to the present Governor in 1990 by less than one percent of
the voters, in the closet Governor's race in Michigan history.

The native Michigander graduated from Michigan State University and served
in Michigan as Assistant Attorney General before he was elected to serve in
the U.S. Congress.

In 1982 James J. Blanchard was elected to the first of his two consecutive
terms as Governor in Michigan. Following his defeat in 1990 he then served
as United States Ambassador to Canada for three years.

Review Magazine recently conducted an interview with the former Governor,
just as his stature in the polls was gaining steam.

Review: Why did you decide to run for Governor again?

Blanchard; In these tough economic times, I refuse to sit back and watch
the downslide of Michigan. Along with four terms in Congress and two terms
as Governor, I have over 10 years of new experiences as Ambassador to
Canada and an advisor to President Clinton, as well as an author and
businessman.

I am ready to put my proven leadership to work for the people of Michigan
and get this state rolling again.  This is where my wife Janet and I live
and this is where we will help build the future. I'm not running because
it's easy. It never is. I'm running because it's important.

Review: What are some of your goals if elected again?

Blanchard:  To get Michigan working again and lift our state to the
greatness it deserves. We need to get the economy back on track and improve
the quality of our schools, create good jobs for our children and fellow
citizens, and I have a plan to get Michigan working again.  It's a new
economic plan. We did it before and will do it again.

Review: What do you feel are the highlights of your new economic plan that
will stimulate Michigan's economy?

Blanchard:  I will create a new Department of Commerce, Technology and
Trade to work closely with business, labor and government to retain, grow
and attract the jobs and investments needed to make Michigan a leader in
the new economy.

Working with this new department I will establish a manufacturing network
to assist small and medium sized firms in obtaining capital, technology and
training.

I also want to create a Michigan Talent Corps so that our workers are the
best trained in the world.  I'd like to open an office in Toronto to help
our small and medium sized companies develop new markets with our largest
trading partner, Canada.

Finally, I'd like to unleash a new generation of entrepreneurs by
eliminating barriers such as the Single Business Tax, promoting
entrepreneurial education, increasing capital and tapping into new
technologies, especially Internet2.

I would also like to launch a new initiative to promote tourism &
entertainment and protect our abundant natural resources.

Review: What are your views on the current state of affairs in the health
care field of Michigan?

Blanchard: Here in our state we have all the ingredients to offer the best
health care in the United States. With outstanding health care
professionals, the highest technology, state of the art facilities, there
is no reason we can't put all of that together and offer these services to
our people. I plan on doing this by leadership. A visionary talented
governor can make a difference by working closely with the people.

Review: Can the Democratic Party with you as the party's choice defeat the
Republican Party in the November election?

Blanchard: Absolutely. It will be a difficult primary within the Democratic
Party, but with the party rallying around its candidate for the November
general election, we should be returning a Democrat to the State Capitol.

Review: How do you feel that your close ties with former President Clinton
and former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer will help your campaign?

Blanchard: I think that having strong relationships with both former
President Clinton and Mayor Archer will definitely help in my campaign to
capture the governorship. I have received strong endorsements from both of
the former Democratic leaders.

Review: How do you compare or contrast yourself to the other two major
Democratic candidates?

Blanchard: I firmly believe that my experience on the state, national and
international levels of government make me a clear-cut leader who can lead
the State of Michigan into the future. The other two candidates do not have
this level of experience. I have the ideas and wisdom to make the state an
international leader once again.