DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — Republican businessman Rick Snyder said Tuesday he wants to become Michigan's next governor because the state is an "economic disaster" that's lacking leadership from its lawmakers.

The Ann Arbor venture capitalist announced his candidacy for governor in 2010 at a press conference along with his wife and three children at Greenfield Village's Menlo Park section, which honors inventor Thomas Edison.

"It's time for bold action in the state," Snyder said. "It's time for a new era. It's time to usher in the era of innovation in Michigan and reinvent the state."

Greenfield Village is part of The Henry Ford, a Detroit-area history attraction that includes Henry Ford Museum. The museum was where former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney launched his campaign for the 2008 Republican presidential nomination.

Snyder planned to visit Flint, Lansing and Grand Rapids on Tuesday as part of a five-day statewide tour to discuss his decision to enter the governor's race and his vision, which he's calling "Michigan 3.0."

He said his focus will be on turning around the state's economy, improving quality of life in part by strengthening the state's major cities and improving job prospects for youth. He said he wants state government to strive for customer service and revamp the tax system to become more simple and efficient.

"Michigan is an economic disaster," Snyder said. "One of the major reasons contributing to this is a lack of leadership in Lansing."

The "3.0," he said, is a reference to two previous eras in which Michigan thrived: the mining and fur-trading days of the 1800s, and the industrial era where Detroit put the nation on wheels and the state's other industries boomed.

Snyder, 50, is a former executive with computer-maker Gateway Inc. Other Republicans in the contest include Attorney General Mike Cox, Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, state Sen. Tom George and Huron County emergency medical technician Tim Rujan.

Democratic candidates include Lt. Gov. John Cherry and state Rep. Alma Wheeler Smith.

Gov. Jennifer Granholm, also a Democrat, can't run again because of Michigan's term limits law.

Snyder said he wants to revitalize Michigan's economy by drawing on his business background. Michigan's unemployment rate has been highest in the nation for 26 of the last 27 months. It hit 15.2 percent in June.

A relative newcomer to Michigan's political scene, Snyder may have to mount an expensive campaign to promote his name and political platform. But being considered an outsider could help him. He said Tuesday he won't accept political action committee money, but instead will rely on donations from supporters.

The last wealthy businessman turned gubernatorial candidate in Michigan was Dick DeVos, a Republican who lost to Granholm in 2006. Snyder is not as well known in Republican circles as DeVos, whose wife, Betsy, is a former chairwoman of the Michigan Republican Party.

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Mark Brewer said Snyder's leadership isn't the kind that the state needs. He said in a statement that while Snyder was at Gateway the company sent U.S. jobs to China.

The criticism was reminiscent of the last gubernatorial campaign, where Brewer and the Democrats were able to make an issue out of DeVos' decisions while president of Amway Corp. and parent company Alticor Inc. to reduce U.S. jobs while building a factory in China.

"All you need to do is look at Rick Snyder's record to know he is Dick DeVos Jr.," Brewer said.

Snyder, who grew up in Battle Creek, served as Gateway's president and chief operating officer in the 1990s, when the company grew from a privately held enterprise to a publicly traded Fortune 500 firm. Snyder now heads Ardesta, an Ann Arbor-based investment firm he founded in 2000.

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Associated Press Writer Tim Martin in Lansing contributed to this report.

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On the Net:

Rick Snyder's campaign Web site: http://www.rickformichigan.com