Trump gives ‘total endorsement’ to John James in Michigan governor race

President Donald Trump backs US Rep. John James for Michigan governor
James faces three other Republicans in Michigan’s Aug. 4 primary election
Trump said James has ‘courage and wisdom’ to deliver results in Michigan

President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican US Rep. John James to be Michigan’s next governor.

“John has proven he has the Courage and Wisdom to deliver strong results for the incredible people of his wonderful State, and our Nation,” Trump wrote in a Monday afternoon announcement on Truth Social website.

James campaign celebrated the endorsement, saying it “is igniting a movement across Michigan, and we are ready to win!”

The endorsement is a big boon for James, who is competing against businessman Perry Johnson, former attorney general Mike Cox and State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt in the Aug. 4 GOP primary.

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State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, who had been polling in the low single digits, responded to the Trump endorsement by dropping out of the governor’s race and endorsing James as well.

Johnson had actively sought Trump’s endorsement and in May said it would be “invaluable” in the race.

“Everybody wants to have the support of President Trump,” Johnson told reporters at the time. “You’d probably need the support of President Trump if you want to galvanize the Republican Party together.”

Trump’s pick in the primary comes just days before absentee ballots are set to go out to Michigan voters later this week.

Johnson’s signature campaign promise, to return $4,747 to Michigan families each year by eliminating the state income tax, is a winking allusion to Trump’s position as the 47th president of the union.

Prior to Trump’s endorsement, Republican candidates squabbled over who was most loyal to Trump, with Johnson and Cox campaigns both objecting to a super PAC ad that featured the president praising James in a prior speech.

Cox’s campaign pointed to 2022 comments by James, who had suggested Trump was “not fit to lead.”

There had been some speculation about whether Trump would either decline to endorse James or back one of his primary rivals. Trump had chided James for giving up his 10th Congressional District seat to run for governor, leaving it vulnerable with the Republican US House majority in peril.

Trump, however, described his support as a “total endorsement.”

“As your next Governor, John will fight tirelessly to Grow the Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Strengthen our Brave Military/Veterans, Safeguard our Elections, Defend our always under siege Second Amendment, and Advocate for the Working Men and Women of Michigan,” the president wrote on Truth Social.

The endorsement gives James more time to tout Trump’s backing than his last Michigan gubernatorial pick.

In the 2022 primary, Trump backed eventual Republican nominee Tudor Dixon less than a week before polling places opened and weeks after absentee ballots had been sent to voters. Dixon ultimately won the primary with about 37% of the vote but lost to incumbent Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer by more than 10 percentage points in the general election.

The James endorsement could be an indication of concern about Johnson’s electability come November, said GOP strategist Jason Cabel Roe.

“The advantage that Republicans have in the cycle is we’ve nominated an incredibly normal and qualified slate of candidates for every office,” he said. “I think John is a better complement to the nominees that we already have than Perry Johnson is.”

Roe said the timing of the endorsement — shortly before absentee ballots hit voters’ mailboxes — could be beneficial for James as more voters start to pay attention to the primary. But he noted that some Trump supporters have been reluctant to embrace James’ candidacy, and agreed that the race is far from decided.

“If (Johnson) decides to keep going at it, if Mike Cox decides to dip into his personal finances, I think we’ve still got a lot of race to run yet,” he said.

Republican consultant Dennis Lennox argued that while Trump’s endorsement is significant, it’s far from the death knell for all his GOP primary competitors.

“The question is whether the other candidates consolidate behind one anti-James candidate,” Lennox said. “… Perry Johnson has the resources to stay in the race until the very end and make this far more competitive than many Republicans expect.”

The endorsement was just one of more than a dozen Trump issued online Monday, all of which included the same eight points of praise for the chosen candidates. Those selections included Amir Hassan, who is running to challenge US Rep. Kristen McDonald Rivet in Michigan’s 8th Congressional District.