Republican gubernatorial candidate Bill Schuette, left, and Democratic candidate Gretchen Whitmer, right, debate for the first time on Oct. 12. (Courtesy photo, Nick Smith/WOOD TV8) —

Schuette, Michigan’s Republican attorney general and a former U.S. representative, state senator and judge, first got involved in politics because he wanted to do something that would make his dad — who died when he was six — proud.

With no incumbent in the race, Michigan gubernatorial candidates Gretchen Whitmer and Bill Schuette entered with a level playing field.

“I made a decision to go into public service because my dad was a really accomplished business guy; I didn’t think I could quite measure up in his level of accomplishment,” Schuette said.

Whitmer, former Democratic Minority Leader of the state Senate, said that she didn’t plan on seeking office again after her time in the Legislature wrapped up.

“I never thought I’d run for office again, but I learned very quickly about myself that I just don’t have any patience for people who want to politicize issues instead of rolling up their sleeves and solving problems,” Whitmer said.

During Whitmer’s time in the Legislature, MSU was in her district. That’s why she introduced a failed package of bills — called the Michigan 2020 — that would have made a four-year degree free in Michigan, she said.

“I didn’t get it done, unfortunately, but it is something that is a big part of my economic plan,” Whitmer said.

Today, her platform includes a debt-free two-year degree, or using equivalent funds towards bringing down the costs of a four-year degree.

Schuette said his plan for reducing student debt involves working with university presidents to bring down tuition costs.

Both candidates agreed it is equally important to provide paths to well-paying jobs that don’t require a college education.

“Not everyone needs or wants to go to college,” Schuette said. “We need to have greater emphasis on skilled trades and apprenticeships, and as governor I want to make sure we provide options for students. Those who are agile in their brain and have agility with their hands, they would want to go into the skilled trades and apprenticeships.”

For those who do go to college, the question they’ll face when they graduate will be whether to stay in Michigan or move elsewhere.

Schuette said a driving force in that decision will be whether those graduates can find a job.

“We have to have a growing economy,” Schuette said. “The biggest thing we can do in Michigan is make sure our state grows. That’s why I’m running for governor; it’s about growing our population and making sure that we have a more diverse population.”

“Other states are growing faster than we are because they have more growth, more jobs, a stronger economic climate. That’s why we need to be competitive with other states in terms of jobs and paychecks.”

Whitmer said the decision to stay or leave the state comes down to a quality of life issue.

“First and foremost, we’ve got so much natural beauty; we’ve got 21 percent of the world’s fresh water,” Whitmer said. “We’ve got a standard of living that you can’t find in many places... But we also have some challenges, whether it’s transit, or it’s our K-12 system for young people or newly married people or anyone thinking about starting a family.”

“Getting the whole state connected through high-speed broadband is critical to our ability to offer a lifestyle that young people are looking for.”

Whitmer also said as governor, she would use the state’s budget to make sure something like the Nassar crisis does not happen again by funding programs to make it easier to report sexual assault and help survivors navigate their trauma.

Whitmer, also said that there still needs to be a full investigation into the university’s involvement — or lack thereof — in the Nassar scandal.

Schuette said the Nassar case is “changing the discussion not just in Michigan but across the country in terms of sexual assault,” and the purpose of Nassar’s prosecution was “so that every survivors’ voice would be heard.”

“I think it means that there’ll be protocols — a process will be put in place that we hear the survivors — that we have processes that alert people in positions of responsibility, and that we give opportunities for survivors to be heard all the time,” Schuette said. “We need to make sure that law enforcement and the security on campuses are second-to-none.”