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LANSING — 9&10 News sat down with the three candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor of Michigan.
The candidates running for the nomination are: Mike Cox, former Michigan Attorney General; Rep. John James, current congressman in Michigan’s 10th District and former U.S. Senate candidate; and Perry Johnson, a southeast Michigan businessman self-funding his campaign.
State Sen. Aric Nesbitt dropped out of the race recently but will still appear on the ballot.
The statewide primary election will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 4. Absentee ballots are currently available and early in-person voting will begin by Saturday, July 25. More information can be found with the Secretary of State’s office.
Full interviews with each candidate will be uploaded to the 9&10 News YouTube channel here.
Written responses were provided by candidates or adapted from their interviews and may not be direct quotations.
How do you feel your background and experience would inform your work as governor?
Cox: I’m the son of Irish immigrants. My mom was a maid. My dad was a carpenter. I joined the Marine Corps, went to the University of Michigan, put myself through, then spent 13 years as a homicide prosecutor in Detroit. Eventually, under Mike Duggan, I ran all the homicide prosecutions in Detroit and Wayne County. Then I got elected Attorney General and took on some big fights, fought cost of living issues each and every day.
When I left office, I didn’t keep campaigning. I went out and created my own business. Took it from one employee up to 25 and became a $40 million a year company, and now I’m running for governor because Michigan’s house is on fire. Our fourth grade readers are 48th in the country. Our job situation is horrible. We have the worst job creation rate on record in America. We can do better. My parents came here because this was the greatest state in the greatest nation. That’s what we were just a generation ago, and we absolutely can be that again.
James: My entire career has been about leadership, service, and delivering results. As a combat veteran, I learned to lead under pressure, make difficult decisions, and always put the mission first. As a businessman, I’ve created jobs, met a payroll, and understand what it takes to build an economy where businesses and workers can succeed. As a father of three boys, every decision I make is guided by the kind of Michigan we’re leaving to the next generation.
I’m running for Governor because I love Michigan and feel called to continue my service at home. Michigan has extraordinary potential, but we lack experienced leadership. Throughout my life, I’ve run toward the fire to solve problems, not away from them. Too many families, workers, and business owners feel the state government has become an obstacle instead of a partner. It’s time for change, and I’m ready to bring mission-first leadership to Lansing because Michigan was made for more.
Johnson: I have spent my entire life bringing quality and efficiency to organizations, companies – Navy, Department of Defense. I want to take that skill set and bring quality and efficiency to the state of Michigan, because we need to lean the government if we are going to eliminate the state income tax and reform the property tax.
We have to start with my MEGA Audit, my Michigan Efficiency Government Audit. Before you start throwing money at anything, let’s do an analysis of what it needs in order to get better. Let’s see how efficient it is. Let’s see what really makes sense.
We have to get that economy moving. We need to have the people have confidence that can be done. And how does that start? It starts by leaning the government, and I’m in an ideal position because I have no one leaning on me.
What issues do you see as most important to voters this year?
Cox: Number one is the economy, whether you call it the cost of living or the economy. My plan is really – let’s steal the best ideas of other states. By that I mean, what are the states that are attracting the most jobs, the most people? Incomes are growing, and by and large, invariably, they are states that have eliminated the income tax.
If we eliminate the income tax, it’ll be more money in every viewer’s pocket. Young people who are saving for that first house with their partner or for themselves a little more money to get that nest egg together, and of course, 900,000 small businesses.
Their corporate tax to the state is the income tax, and if they don’t have to pay that, that means more money for a pizza oven if you’re a restaurant, more money for a new tool and die machine if you’re a machine shop. That’s what creates amazing dynamic economies, and we need to step up and fight.
James: The top priority I hear from voters is affordability. Michigan families are paying more for groceries, housing, energy, insurance, and child care while feeling like they’re getting less in return. We need to lower taxes, cut burdensome regulations, eliminate wasteful spending, and make our state more affordable to live and raise a family.
Public safety is also a top concern. Families deserve safe neighborhoods, leaders who back law enforcement, and a justice system that holds violent criminals accountable.
Voters also want greater opportunity. Parents want better schools, workers want better jobs, and businesses want the confidence to invest in Michigan. That means improving educational outcomes, protecting parental rights, and making Michigan the best place in America to start, grow, and keep a business. My focus is on restoring common sense, accountability, and opportunity so Michigan families can thrive again.
Johnson: I think affordability is the number one issue. I’m a guy that grew up in a 600 square foot home, my parents couldn’t afford to send me to college, and when I was in grad school, I was getting evicted. I know what it’s like to be hurting. And right now, people are hurting. We have people that have to make a decision over whether or not they’re going to buy food or buy books for their kids, and when you have this craziness going on with the government throwing away your money, it’s just not right.
We can no longer afford to be in a situation where the government keeps all of our money. It’s about time we get to keep our money, and I think people see that and they know we have to do something. I am tired of all our taxes. We have sales tax, we have gas tax, property tax, income tax, corporate. Pretty soon, we’re not going to be Michigan anymore – we’re going to be Taxigan.
How would you approach education policy in Michigan?
Cox: Fundamentally, we need to follow what states like Mississippi have done. Mississippi was 49th in the country in fourth grade reading. It is now ninth.
Number one, you require every teacher to teach phonics. Number two, you grade every public school so every parent, every grandparent, and every taxpayer knows that their local school is stepping up and getting the job done. Number three, you require third grade reading, meaning you don’t socially promote kids who can’t read to the fourth grade. Mississippi has shown when you do that, you not only make education better for the kids who repeat a second year, but then they actually go on and do better than they otherwise would be.
We’ve grown our education budget by 70% over the last decade. It’s not a matter of too little money. We more than fund us. We’re a top five state in spending. We’re a bottom five state in results. I’ve pushed for a rule that schools would have to certify that at least 70% of every dollar they get from the state is actually spent on teachers and kids.
James: I will opt Michigan into the federal Education Freedom Tax Credit on my first day in office. It’s literally free money for scholarships and tutoring that Michigan is currently leaving on the table. Other states are happy to accept the money; we are missing out.
My administration will also prioritize evidence-based literacy instruction and mastery-based learning so no child moves forward before they are ready. Success will be measured by third-grade reading proficiency, chronic absenteeism rates, graduation rates, and the percentage of graduates who are genuinely career or college ready on day one, not just on paper.
Michigan’s kids are not failing. The system is failing them. We are going to fix that.
Johnson: We start with the parents. The parents really have to have a voice in our education. We have to let their voice be heard, and we have to start right in the beginning. We also have to recognize that the charter schools can be very effective. The money has to flow with the student, and let’s have a system where we reward the teachers for what they do. Is there any reason why we can’t give a bonus to teachers that actually perform especially wel
