An overview of the Republican gubernatorial candidates

It’s unclear who will win the Republican gubernatorial primary race, according to reporter Jonathan Oosting of Bridge Michigan.

The Republican primary election race started out rough. The leading candidates at the time — former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and businessman Perry Johnson — got mired in a signature fraud scandal that derailed their campaigns.

Now there are a slate of new candidates making waves. The new candidates seen in debates and hitting the pavement around Michigan include Ryan Kelley, Tudor Dixon, Ralph Rebandt, Kevin Rinke, and Garrett Soldano.

“I think it’s increasingly likely that (Trump is) going to stay out of (the race), but, of course, we know that the former president is very mercurial and can change his mind and decide to, you know, take his own course of action pretty quickly.” — Jonathan Oosting, Bridge Michigan


Listen: How the Republican gubernatorial primary race has been shaking out.

 


Guest

Jonathan Oosting is a political reporter covering the state capitol for Bridge Michigan. He says many Republican candidates are leaning into former President Donald Trump’s politics in order to court Michigan voters, even though they have not officially received an endorsement from him.

“I think it’s increasingly likely that he’s going to stay out of (the race), but, of course, we know that the former president is very mercurial and can change his mind and decide to, you know, take his own course of action pretty quickly,” says Oosting of whether Trump will endorse a candidate.

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