With Filing Deadline Passed, Michigan Gubernatorial Race Heats Up
As the candidate filing deadline arrived in Michigan, Republican hopefuls Aric Nesbitt and Perry Johnson were among the last to submit their nominating petition signatures in the gubernatorial race. Johnson, a businessman known as a “quality guru,” made a grand entrance at the Michigan Bureau of Elections office in his campaign bus, with his campaign song resonating in the background.
Since his entry into the race in January, Johnson has consistently polled toward the top of the six-person Republican field, largely due to his substantial personal investment in statewide advertisements. Asked about his spending limits, Johnson remarked, “We spend what’s necessary in order to win the election and right now we have a lot of momentum so you can see it wherever we go.”
Nesbitt, serving as the Michigan Senate Minority Leader, has maintained a mid-tier position but has garnered support from establishment Republicans. He aims to gain ground through strategic campaigning and a message centered on economic growth and family welfare. “To make sure our families can make it here in the state, to increase the wages of working families, to decrease the costs for working families, while also making sure that job creators can invest and grow here in Michigan and making sure our kids can grow here in Michigan,” Nesbitt expressed.
The Republican primary also includes Congressman John James (R, MI-10), former Attorney General Mike Cox, former Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard, and pastor Ralph Rebandt. All candidates have submitted their signatures, which will now undergo validation by the non-partisan state Bureau of Elections. The final decision on ballot placement will be made by the Board of State Canvassers, consisting of two Republicans and two Democrats.
Previously, Johnson and other Republicans were disqualified from the ballot due to a signature fraud scandal. Johnson has raised concerns about a conflict of interest involving Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, a Democrat also running for governor, suggesting she should recuse herself from overseeing the election process. Johnson suggested, “I just think that, because we end up having the Secretary of State in charge of her own election, that she ought to recuse herself and maybe we have the fed supervise and be in charge.”
Democrats have opposed such federal involvement, fearing it would propagate false allegations of voter fraud. Michigan Department of State spokesperson Angela Benander clarified that Benson would not be part of the signature verification process, stating, “Either these candidates for governor haven’t bothered to take a few minutes to read and understand Michigan Election Law or they know they’re spreading lies about the process.”
Benander continued, “It’s also alarming that people seeking the highest office in the state continue to ask the federal government to do things they have no authority to do. As we have repeatedly had to remind some politicians this year, the US Constitution places the power to determine the time, place, and manner of elections with the states. The federal government has no legal authority to run our elections.”
Johnson’s request for federal oversight follows the U.S. Department of Justice’s demand for extensive voting records from Wayne County pertaining to the 2024 election. Other Republicans, including James, have advocated for cooperation, which Democrats criticize as an attempt to undermine confidence in the state’s electoral system.
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