Thanks for having me, Nick.  I'm excited to share with you and your readers that I will officially announce my candidacy for the Republican nomination for Secretary of State tomorrow!  I wanted to give you the word in advance because I believe your site and those who read and contribute to it are at the forefront of the technology revolution that needs to take place in our Republican Party.  

My campaign, much like your site and other conservative sites on the internet, will speak directly to the Republican grassroots about issues they are concerned about.  So Right Michigan was the natural place to kick things off!

Welcome to the race!  Now, this has been rumored for a while.  Why wait until February 12?  There's a particular significance to that date, isn't there?

Yes, tomorrow is a significant date in our nation's history, and especially for Republicans - the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.  Good things happen on February 12th!  

In my opinion, Lincoln remains the best model for public service.  He overcame incredible odds and yet did not yield his principles and ideals.  This is a good lesson for today's Republicans.

We've bumped into each other, well, not infrequently over the last five or six years and I know you're a serious student of Lincoln.  It shows.

Now why speak with the Right Roots and the activist community online about your decision to run before going to the same old reporters in the Capitol corp?

I do respect some in the "traditional" media. In fact, I was a radio reporter earlier in my career.  However, the internet provides a unique opportunity to speak directly to the grassroots of our party.  

We know all too well what can happen when Republicans fail to harness this resource.  That's a lesson that isn't lost on me.  Expanding the use of new technology is one of my top priorities not only for the Secretary of State's office, but also for our party.      

OK, so now we're talking about the NEXT six years, effectively; two years's worth of a statewide campaign and then four years in the Secretary of State's office, should you win.

Let me start by saying that I've got a ton of respect for anyone who is willing to put him or herself out there in this sort of capacity.  These races can be downright brutal, but that willingness can really tell a person something about the individual who is running.  There has to be something driving him or her; something powerful motivating them.  So, big picture, what brings you to this race?  What compels you to run?

I'm driven by the same motivation that got me involved in politics back in 1981 when I was elected to the Sturgis City Commission - a desire to make a difference.  The belief that one person with the right attitude can impact the lives of others was instilled in me by my parents from an early age.  My Dad was a Kansas boy and a WWII vet who traveled the country with the first Eisenhower campaign and went on to serve Republican administrations.  His life in politics was a formative part of my upbringing.  

Public service - whether it's as a City Commissioner, a State Senator, or Secretary of State - is an opportunity to have a direct, positive impact on people's lives.

Are there any particular experiences, successes or struggles you've seen from inside state government that play into the decision?  Or, I guess in other words, how does your experience in the Senate inform the philosophy you'd bring to the Secretary of State's office?

At the end of the day, the office of Secretary of State is all about serving others, putting the people of Michigan first.  Too often in public life we see special interests placed ahead of the people's interest.  

One example that comes to mind is last year's energy debate.  Special interests wanted to eliminate choice and competition in our state's energy market to the detriment of residents and businesses.  This legislation directly contradicted our Republican ideals of free markets and competition, yet the bills passed and are now enacted into law.      

We need Republicans in office at every level - and especially in statewide offices like the Secretary of State - with backbone.  My record speaks for itself when it comes to defending our conservative values and putting people ahead of special interests.

And the foundational issues of the party?  Where do you stand on things like taxes, the second amendment and the right to life?

Our nation and our party were founded on the principles of personal responsibility, honesty and hard work, liberty and justice, and government restraint.  These have always been my guiding principles as a legislator and as a candidate.  

Defending the rights of the unborn has been one of my top priorities during my legislative career.  I'm proud to have founded and co-chaired the Pro-Life Caucus in both the House and Senate.  These caucuses are the first of their kind nationally, and we have made great strides on life issues.  

I was the sponsor of Senate Bill 776 in 2008, which would have placed a statewide ban on partial birth abortions in Michigan.  After passing both chambers with bipartisan support, Gov. Granholm wrongly vetoed the bill.  I have already reintroduced the legislation in this new session.  

I've been equally dedicated to protecting our Second Amendment rights, and have a strong voting record on issues pertaining to CCW and hunters' rights.

Defending our rights of privacy and property guaranteed by the Michigan and United States constitutions has also been one of my priorities during my time in the legislature.  I've successfully advanced bills to protect the privacy of our social security numbers, and to limit the government seizure of private property through eminent domain.  

And finally, I remain committed to the core conservative principle of limited government.  I've consistently voted to reduce taxes on both individuals and job providers.  In fact, I was the first Senator to introduce legislation to eliminate the ill-conceived tax on services during the 2007 budget crisis.    

These principles are consistent with those advanced by the giants of our party like Lincoln and Reagan, and they must become our consistent focus as we work to rebuild the Republican Party here in Michigan and around the country.  

Now, in the past few weeks we've had Anne Norlander and Michelle McManus visit with us as well and I asked them a few questions relating to specific issues that are pretty important to voters and especially to the folks who will be deciding this sort of primary.  If it's alright with you, could we go over those same questions?

Absolutely!

Great, thanks!  With your experience in the Senate it makes sense to start with a question that relates to one of your former colleagues, now Congressman Mark Schauer.

As you know, there is still an outstanding campaign finance complaint stemming from some pretty serious campaign finance violations during the 2006 general election.  Pretty much everyone who knows anything about it, including a handful of members from the current Democratic caucus, acknowledge that the law was broken and have taken steps to keep their names from being associated with Schauer's illegality.

But for some reason this complaint is still open before the current Secretary of State with zero resolution.  

How committed would you be to clearing any and all campaign finance complaints in a timely manner?  Would we finally see a resolution of what looks like a pretty open-and-shut case under a Brown Department of State?

In my opinion, it's clear that Mr. Schauer violated Michigan Election Law by exceeding the $20,000 caucus contribution limit.  This case should be resolved with all deliberate speed.

I understand the Secretary's staff has a duty to fully investigate every potential violation, and I appreciate their due diligence in this and other cases.  That being said, it is regrettable that Mr. Schauer now sits in Congress and has yet to face the consequences of his unethical behavior.

Partially because of the length of time this particular case has taken, the Senate Campaigns and Elections Oversight Committee, on which I serve as the Vice-Chair, passed a bill last year to put a 60-day "shot clock" on campaign finance investigations.

Switching over to election day activities, how do you feel about the state's relatively new voter ID law?  Do you support it?

In this day and age, when elections are routinely being challenged and groups like ACORN are clearly trying to manipulate our system, we must do everything possible to protect our most sacred of rights - the right to vote.  Every Michigan resident stepping into a voting booth must feel absolutely confident that their vote will be counted accurately and equally.  There must be no fear of fraud or manipulation.  The voter ID requirement is a simple, common sense step that has been taken to further ensure the integrity of our elections.  

The last Presidential election seemed to be rife with problems stemming from groups like ACORN.  How serious a problem do you think voter fraud really is?  Does it exist in Michigan?  Is it something we need to take seriously?

With ACORN openly attempting to subvert our election laws, secretaries of state around the nation are now the firewalls who must protect the integrity of the ballot box.  With these increasing threats to our election process, the secretaries of state will play a pivotal role in our democracy in a way they haven't in the past.    

I am committed to protecting the people's most fundamental right.  One person, one vote.

What will some of your other priorities be if elected?

We have an outstanding legacy of customer service and technological advancements implemented by Candice Miller and Terri Lynn Land that must be continued with our next Secretary of State.  I will build on their accomplishments and take more steps to bring branch offices directly to residents.  24/7 facilities, expanded online services, and even locating branch offices in highly trafficked locations like grocery stores and malls are all advancements I'll be exploring.

Two other priorities come to mind - engaging more young people in our democracy, and ensuring that members of our military are fully engaged in the electoral process.  Now, more than ever, our party must reach out to the younger generation.  We can't surrender these voters to the Democrats and hope to succeed into the future.  As Secretary of State, I'll encourage greater participation among our youth by allowing teenagers to pre-register to vote at age 16.  If we successfully reach out to this younger generation with our conservative message, we can ensure our party's success for years to come.

After the November elections, I was troubled to read about the significant number of members of the military from Michigan who were unable to cast their votes.  This is unacceptable.  As these brave men and women were fighting to defend our rights - including our right to vote - they were unable to participate themselves.  I'll go to any lengths necessary to make sure every member of the military from Michigan can vote no matter where they are stationed.

Fantastic!  I know you've got a ton of prep to finish yet before Thursday plus that day job at the Capitol.  Is there anything else you'd like to cover before I let you go?

For most people, their Secretary of State branch office is their first and most frequent point of interaction with state government.  It's literally their "front door" to state government.  This makes it that much more critical that they have a positive experience.  The job is all about putting people first - something I have done from the Sturgis City Council all the way to the Michigan Senate.  

Whether it's something as simple as renewing your license plate tabs or as sacred as protecting your right to vote, I will conduct these duties in the same way I have conducted myself from the Sturgis City Commission all the way to the State Senate - in a way that is worthy of the trust and confidence of the people of Michigan.

I look forward to seeing everyone on the campaign trail!  

Senator Brown, thanks again and best of luck!

Thanks for the opportunity, Nick - and thanks for everything you and your contributors do to spread the Republican word on the `net!  I welcome all of your readers to follow my blog, visit my Facebook page, read me on Twitter or - starting February 20th - visit my new website at www.CameronSBrown.com to join in the ongoing conversation about the future of our party and our state.