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MARQUETTE -- Enough is enough.

That was the message local school representatives wanted to send to Republican leaders, while picketing the front of the Holiday Inn in Marquette.

"Our concern is the Republican control in state senate has not been willing to come up with any new funding with schools and the schools are having to make dire cuts at this point," said picketer Stu Skauge.

The group's location was strategic.  Inside the Holiday Inn, Republican candidates discussed their strategy if elected.  Bringing more jobs to Michigan is a top priority for many of the candidates.  It was a topic almost every candidate addressed.

"As much as I would like to say it relates to the judiciary, I don't think it does,” said Judge Bill Whitbeck.  “I think the number one issue facing Michigan this year, and probably for the next five to ten years is jobs."

Many Republican candidates believe job creation will help remedy tight funding for schools.

"Because we’ve been anti-business the state doesn't have the revenues to fund the essentials, the things that are important to the state,” said Congressman Pete Hoekstra, Republican Gubernatorial candidate.  “Whether it's education, preserving the environment, transportation."

To many Republicans, bringing stability to the job market means downsizing government and reducing taxes on businesses.

"In many cases we go to our small job providers and we go after them and say well they have it so we’ll just get more out of them, that's gone, we cannot do that any longer," said Tom Casperson, Republican candidate for the 38^th Senate seat.

But for a state that has been number one in unemployment for four years, a road to recovery seems long and hard.  Republican candidates hope to find solutions by staying true to their principles.

"We are fiscal conservatives and the Tea Party movement has created a stir like none other we've seen in recent history,” said Anne Norlander, Republican candidate Secretary of State.  “We are over taxed, over regulated by the federal government and that we are the party that they want to look to for conservative values."