Michigan Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island this weekend

Addressing reporters after his introduction, Snyder, a former businessman who won two terms campaigning as a technocrat, said he is looking for a presidential candidate who is a “common-sense problem solver”.

The three-day Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference starts days after 11 leading GOP candidates participated in a marathon debate.

It’s an odd choice for Republican presidential candidates, said Michael Traugott, political science professor for the University of Michigan.

Bush said Saturday that he doesn’t hold any “personal animus” against Trump, but when asked whether Trump should still apologize to his wife for invoking her in the debate about immigration, Bush said: “Yeah”. “It is my intention to campaign hard in the state of Michigan”. And Texas Sen. Ted Cruz spoke at the Michigan conference Saturday as Walker was supposed to, and was headed to the gathering of social conservatives in Iowa where Walker also was to speak.

Kasich took the stage shortly after Cruz, offering up an arguably more thoughtful approach before making what appeared to be a veiled jab at Cruz, declaring foreign policy can not be driven by knee-jerk reactions. “It’s not tearing up agreements because it brings applause”. This guy knows what to do to make our economy run and balance budgets.

Rebuilding USA relationships overseas will also be a priority for the Ohio governor, but even more important, Kasich said is rebuilding bipartisan relationships here at home.

“If we are serious about winning, we need to be on their side and assume that they want to achieve earned success, because they do”, Bush said, referring to racial and ethnic minorities who typically vote Democratic and middle class voters feeling left behind in a strong economy.

Kasich says he’d “know what to do” if elected because of his resume.

“Everybody used to think that Michigan was a blue state”, Bush told the group of the state’s party leaders that included Michigan’s Republican Gov. Rick Snyder.

(AP Photo/Carlos Osorio). Republican presidential candidate, businesswoman Carly Fiorina addresses the 2016 Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference, Saturday, September 19, 2015, in Mackinac Island, Mich. Rand Paul and former Hewlett Packard CEO Carly Fiorina are scheduled to give speeches during Saturday’s dinner.

Bush spoke at the island conference on Friday. This year, a record 2,200 people registered to attend.