Trump Endorses John James in the Republican Primary for Governor of Michigan

Donald Trump endorsed Congressman John James in the Republican primary for governor of Michigan. The president chose the 44-year-old congressman over businessman Perry Johnson, former state attorney general Mike Cox, and the Republican minority leader in the Michigan Senate, Aric Nesbitt, who suspended his campaign to endorse James.

The Michigan primary will take place next Tuesday, August 4, although early voting began on July 20.

"It is my Great Honor to endorse America First Congressman John James, who is running to become the next Governor of the Beautiful State of Michigan! (...) John has proven he has the Courage and Wisdom to deliver strong results for the incredible people of his wonderful State, and our Nation,” the president wrote on his Truth Social account.

James, who has represented Michigan’s 10th congressional district in the House of Representatives since 2023, is one of the best-known Republicans in the state. He was the Republican candidate for the Senate on two occasions, in 2018 and 2020, with the latter attempt being the most successful. On that occasion, although polls projected a comfortable victory for the incumbent Democrat Gary Peters, James lost by a narrow margin of just 1.6 percentage points.

In addition to his political experience, the 44-year-old Republican is a graduate of the United States Military Academy (West Point), where he was a classmate of two of his colleagues on Capitol Hill: Wesley Hunt and Pat Ryan. He also served for eight years in the Army, including missions as a pilot during the Iraq War.

James quickly thanked Trump for his support with a post on social media: "Thank you, President Donald J. Trump. The greatest President of my lifetime. Your endorsement is igniting a movement across Michigan, and we are ready to win!"

"We will cut taxes. Repeal the energy mandates crushing working families. Audit the waste. And hold the fraudsters accountable. (...) Michigan will be prosperous, safe, affordable, and educated again for every hardworking family who believed in this state and never stopped,” he added.

The current Democratic governor, Gretchen Whitmer, is barred from serving a third term and has already ruled herself out as a potential presidential candidate in 2028. On the Democratic side, the gubernatorial primary pits Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson against Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson

Perry Johnson, now James’s main rival for the gubernatorial nomination, spoke out after receiving the president’s endorsement and vowed to win the nomination.

"President Trump received bad advice yet again. John James is a two-time statewide loser, and Michigan has already seen this movie before: Trump-backed statewide candidates like John James, Tudor Dixon, Matt DePerno, and Kristina Karamo all came up short when it mattered most,” he wrote on his X account.

“Across the country, Republican voters are proving that an endorsement alone does not decide a governor’s race. Michigan is on track to continue the trend we have seen in states like Iowa and Georgia, and tomorrow South Carolina, where voters rejected bad advice and chose the candidate they believed could actually win,” he added, referring to how some Trump-backed candidates have lost gubernatorial nominations.

Johnson, 78, is running as a candidate aligned with the MAGA movement, and his main proposals are to eliminate state waste and the income tax.