Bill Schuette For Michigan Attorney General

Republican Bill Schuette headed to victory Tuesday in his bid for attorney general, saying he'd be a voice for crime victims and tied his win and other Republican victories to a reaction to the Obama administration and Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

Schuette received 54 percent of the vote and his Democratic opponent, Genesee County Prosecutor David Leyton, had 42 percent, with 67 percent of precincts reporting.

The post is being vacated by departing Attorney General Mike Cox, who is term-limited.

"This is my message: I will be a voice for the victims of crime and an ally for law enforcement," Schuette said Tuesday night. "Our new Michigan needs to be a safer Michigan."

He said Cox was a good attorney general but that it's time for a new team.

"I am both exhilarated by the outcome of this evening and humbled by the trust you have placed in me," Schuette, 57, told supporters gathered at the GOP headquarters in the Westin Book Cadillac hotel in Detroit.

Leyton, through his spokesman, John Potbury, earlier in the evening said: "We are proud of all our campaign efforts and grateful to all our supporters."

The results were not surprising to some observers since most polls in recent weeks showed Schuette with a double-digit lead over Leyton.

But the campaign was among the most contentious state races involving political ads run by Schuette's campaign.

Last week, Schuette's camp pulled one of the ads that attempted to portray Leyton as a prosecutor with a record of making plea deals.

The ad mentioned a police officer who was killed, and the family said it was inaccurate, disrespectful and made without their permission.

Another Schuette ad allegedly prompted a death threat against Leyton by Shawn Patrick Crouse, who was arraigned last week on charges of malicious use of a telecommunication service.

The Democrats blamed the ad, featuring a woman criticizing Leyton's prosecutorial record, for the death threat. Crouse, 33, of Hazel Park, told police the ad motivated him to make the threat.

Shortly after the polls closed, Leyton entered the ballroom at the MGM Grand in Detroit with his wife, Therese, and said he had fought a good fight.

He said the bitterness of the campaign served the public poorly.

'Unfairly characterized'

"There was a lot of negative ads aimed at me, but the problem with negative ads is that they stifle the true debate of the issues," Leyton, 57, said.

"I was unfairly characterized."

During the campaign, Leyton vowed to protect consumers from scams and con artists, and taxpayers from corrupt politicians. He will continue in his role as prosecutor in Genesee County.

Schuette said the Republican sweep in Michigan was brought on by Democrats, especially President Barack Obama and Granholm.

"It's a reaction to the excesses of Obama and the failures of Granholm," he said.

Schuette said he will use the office to improvepublic safety by fighting prison closures and the early release of dangerous criminals, saying they would be the best way to turn the state's economy around..

"We need to have safety in our streets," Schuette said.

Schuette said he intended to continue efforts launched by Cox, such as collecting delinquent child support and supporting a legal battle challenging the nation's health reform law.

He also said he would set up divisions in the Attorney General's Office to advocate for victims and address public corruption.

If he wins, Schuette will begin his fifth public service job in 26 years. He's been a congressman, state senator and appeals court judge. He also directed the Michigan Department of Agriculture.

The attorney general oversees a $74 million budget and about 500 staff members. The department has four major bureaus: Child and Family Services, Consumer Protection and Criminal Prosecutions, Economic Development and Oversight and Government Affairs.