Republican Rep. John James announces bid to run for Michigan governor
The field of contenders angling to step in as Michigan's next governor got one name larger Monday, with Republican Rep. John James announcing his candidacy.
James, who represents Michigan's 10th congressional district, shared his announcement on social media Monday afternoon, saying that the decision came "after deep reflection, prayer, and conversations with my wife and family."
James joins a growing list of possibilities for the office that will soon be vacated by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, who is term-limited under Michigan law, and unable to run for a third term.
The list includes conservative commentator and former Michigan gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon, Republican state Sen. Aric Nesbitt, Democratic Party members Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist, Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson, Michigan resident Anthony Hudson and Mike Duggan, who will run as an independent.
In his announcement this week, James claimed that "Michigan is strong. Our people are strong. But we are being held back by a lack of strong, competent leadership – leadership with real-world experience." He went further in saying, "For the past seven years, Michigan has been dominated by radical, out-of-touch policies ... We've lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs since NAFTA."
NAFTA was among James's talking points when he appeared on "Face the Nation" last month. Speaking with host Margaret Brennan, he claimed, "Michigan remembers what NAFTA did to us. And over the past 30 years, Mexico has built 11 major automotive plants to only one in the United States. Michigan remembers 900,000 automotive jobs over back in the 90s to 600,000 now."
James touted his alliance with President Trump, saying he "and I have been in each other's corner through thick and thin for eight years."
The governor race isn't the only forthcoming one that's garnering national attention. In the U.S. Senate race, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters announced in January that he won't seek reelection in 2026, establishing an open race in Michigan for a second straight political cycle.
In 2024, then-U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin defeated former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in a tight race to replace retiring Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow. Rogers has expressed interest in making another run for U.S. Senate.
One name that many pundits speculated about won't be in the mix for any of these openings. Last month, former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg announced that he would not run for U.S. Senate or governor, leaving the door open to a potential White House bid in 2028.
