LANSING – Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Snyder is expected to announce his choice for lieutenant governor Wednesday, and sources said Tuesday night that he had chosen Rep. Brian Calley of Portland.

Calley did not return messages and the Snyder campaign would only say that Snyder had a town hall planned for Wednesday in Grand Rapids. But sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Snyder had chosen Calley.

Snyder is expected to announce Calley’s selection Wednesday at a town hall his campaign announced for 4:30 p.m. at the Grand Rapids Public Museum. An email was circulating among Republicans from a party official indicating that Snyder would have a “special announcement” at the event.

Snyder spokesperson Bill Nowling would say only that a town hall is scheduled for Wednesday and that special announcements can happen any time during a campaign.

Calley, 33, emerged as a strong possibility last week. He fits into Snyder’s efforts to engage young voters and shares a business background with Snyder. Calley is a former banker who, like Snyder, has a master’s degree in business administration.

Developments came rapidly early Tuesday evening. Sources began indicating that Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, who reportedly had been told the position was his to turn down, would not be the pick. Not long afterward, Bouchard issued a statement saying he would remain sheriff.

“Though I appreciate being mentioned in this regard, I am proud to be the sheriff, love my job and will continue in that role serving with the men and women in uniform at the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office,” Bouchard said in a statement on his Facebook page.

Bouchard had not returned messages left Monday and Tuesday.

Calley is a second-term member of the House and 33-year-old former banker with a good reputation around the Capitol as a level-headed conservative who knows how to move legislation. He would be the first sitting state representative named as a running mate since then-Rep. Jim Agee on the Democratic ticket and 1998 and will hope to be the first to be elected lieutenant governor since then-Rep. Jim Damman in 1974.

Tuesday afternoon, Calley had been telling some that his sense was that he would not be the pick.

He just recently won a nasty Republican primary for the 33rd Senate District and in the heavily GOP seat was a virtual lock to become that district’s next senator. Now a mad scramble will ensue to replace him as the party’s nominee, a decision that will be up to the Republican Party county executive committees in the district (Clinton, Ionia, Isabella and Montcalm). Already former Reps. Judy Emmons of Sheridan and Scott Hummel of DeWitt are said to be pushing for the nomination, and Michael Trebesh, whom Calley defeated, said he is interested.

A surprise name that had not previously been reported – Steve Heacock, the Van Andel Institute executive who just finished second in the Republican primary for the 3rd U.S. House District – also apparently was under serious consideration. And others remained the subject of speculation, such as former Senate Majority Leader Ken Sikkema, and Rep. Tonya Schuitmaker of Lawton. However, a number of Republicans downplayed the possibility of Schuitmaker, saying to do so would put the 20th Senate District, where she is the nominee in a closely contested race, at grave risk of falling to the Democrats.

On the Democratic side, a new name surfaced that two sources said was under serious consideration to be Democratic candidate Virg Bernero’s running mate: Terence Thomas, chair of the Detroit Regional Chamber’s political action committee and the senior vice president for advocacy and corporate responsibility for St. John Providence Health System.

One of the names that has been floated, Detroit City Councilmember Ken Cockrel Jr., said when asked about the possibility, “If I were to be contacted, it would be something that I would seriously consider. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss that with Mayor Bernero.”

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