Gubernatorial candidate Virgil Bernero coming to Park Library this week

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Students will soon have the opportunity to meet and question a candidate running in Michigan’s 2010 gubernatorial race.

Virgil Bernero will speak to the College Democrats at 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Charles V. Park Library Auditorium.

Bernero is the current mayor of Lansing and one of three Democrats who announced candidacy for governor.

Clinton Township junior Brad O’Donnell, president of College Democrats, said he is excited to hear Bernero speak.

“It isn’t every day that a candidate for governor comes to CMU,” O’Donnell said. “We thought that was really cool and very forward-thinking.”

O’Donnell said Bernero will speak about education and how it relates to jobs in Michigan.

Bernero’s daughter, Virginia Bernero, a Lansing freshman and member of the College Democrats, helped organize the speech.

“We saw what a big role young people had in the recent presidential election; they can have just as much impact in a state-wide campaign,” Virginia Bernero said in an e-mailed statement.

The top item on Bernero’s platform is jobs and the economy, a subject students who will soon graduate are likely to have an interest in, Virginia said.

She said a large portion of the event will be reserved for a question-answer session.

Lansing sophomore Chris Baker is not a member of College Democrats, but still plans on attending Bernero’s meeting.

He said as a Lansing resident, he has seen, first-hand, Virgil Bernero’s leadership and is pleased with the results.

“With how the economy’s been going in Lansing, he’s made the best out of the situation we have right now,” Baker said, noting the emphasis Bernero has placed on keeping manufacturing jobs in Michigan and buying American cars.