By Serena Maria Daniels
DETROIT (Reuters) - Michigan Republican Governor Rick Snyder has won re-election, Reuters/Ipsos projected, defeating Democratic challenger Mark Schauer, a former U.S. congressman and state lawmaker.
Snyder, 56, a former venture capitalist who was a political newcomer four years ago, campaigned on the improvement in the state's economy. Democrats unsuccessfully targeted his record, including his backing for Detroit's bankruptcy plan and a tax on retiree pensions.
Snyder's economic management was crucial for voters in a state that saw a dramatic downturn during the previous decade. Mark Anthony, 58, a Republican from the Detroit suburb of St. Clair Shores, said he went to his voting station only to cast a ballot for Snyder, ignoring other races.
Snyder "ran the state like a business, not a politician," he said, attracting jobs and bucking the status quo of playing by party lines.
Meanwhile, Democratic U.S. Representative Gary Peters won the U.S. Senate race in Michigan.
Peters, 55, defeated Republican Terri Lynn Land, a former Michigan secretary of state, and will succeed Democrat Carl Levin, who is retiring after six terms in the Senate.
In the governor's race, Snyder had touted his intervention in financially troubled Detroit. He appointed emergency manager Kevyn Orr, who guided the city through the biggest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.
Schauer, a former U.S. representative from Battle Creek, had pledged to reverse Snyder's education funding cuts.
With 49 percent of precincts reporting on Tuesday evening, Snyder had 54 percent of the vote, compared with 44 percent for Schauer.
Polls had shown a close race with Snyder a few points ahead, even after labor organizers in the Great Lakes state vowed to fight against the Republican governor when he signed into law a controversial right-to-work measure that crippled unions' strength.
Snyder consistently raised more money during the campaign. During the last fund-raising period, which ran Aug. 26 to Oct. 19, the incumbent raised about $2.5 million, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Michigan secretary of state. Schauer raised roughly $1.5 million in itemized contributions during the same period.
(Additional reporting by Michael Flaherty; Writing by Fiona Ortiz; Editing by Eric Beech and Jim Loney)