LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm and Lt. Gov. John Cherry gave their endorsement Friday to Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in a race that's primarily seen as a beauty contest Clinton's likely to win.

Barack Obama, John Edwards, Bill Richardson and Joe Biden took their names off Michigan's Jan. 15 presidential primary ballot earlier this month.

The Democratic National Committee has asked candidates to bypass the Michigan contest because the state broke party rules by moving up its presidential primary before Feb. 5, but Clinton has said it would be foolish to take her name off Michigan's primary ballot and sacrifice her chances against the Republican nominee in November 2008.

Other Democrats still on the ballot are Chris Dodd, Mike Gravel and Dennis Kucinich, who tried to remove his name from the ballot but failed to file the correct paperwork on time.

Although Granholm backed Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry in 2004, she waited until much closer to the Michigan election to give her endorsement. Pollster Ed Sarpolus of Lansing-based EPIC-MRA said the decision of the four Democrats who withdrew made it easier for Granholm to endorse Clinton at this point.

"By endorsing her now, Granholm can kick in the money machine to raise money" for Clinton, he said. "They can use January 15 as a stepping stone to make Michigan a Hillary Clinton state."

The governor and lieutenant governor, both Democrats, said in a statement Friday that Clinton had a track record of backing issues important to Michigan, such as supporting fair trade and a strong manufacturing sector.

They said Clinton also supports universal health care, which they said would help Michigan manufacturers compete in a global economy. And they said she backs alternative energy technologies which are being developed in Michigan that could reduce the nation's dependence on foreign oil.

"Hillary Clinton's proposals and track record are evidence that she is clearly the candidate best prepared to lead the nation and be a champion for Michigan," Granholm and Cherry said.

Michigan law requires the state to hold a joint Republican-Democratic semi-closed presidential primary on Jan. 15. But some Democrats are pushing to hold a caucus either as an alternative or an addition to the primary now that half the Democratic candidates have dropped out.

Eight Republicans are on the Michigan ballot. U.S. Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., abandoned the presidential race on Friday.