LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Two Michigan Republicans eyeing the governor’s seat in 2027 say they believe they can win the 2026 GOP primary without an endorsement from President Donald J. Trump.
Former gubernatorial candidate Kevin Rinke, who is weighing a 2026 run, and U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.) have both suggested they can win the Michigan Republican primary without former President Trump’s endorsement. During a June 6 appearance on WKAR’s “Off the Record,” Rinke told senior Capitol correspondent Tim Skubick that he could “absolutely” win without Trump’s backing.
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Skubick pushed back, noting, “That didn’t happen the last time,” referencing Rinke’s previous primary loss. In response, Rinke claimed that some of his Democratic friends crossed over to vote in the Republican primary because Governor Gretchen Whitmer preferred to face a female opponent. He said abortion was the key issue for those voters and argued it ultimately sank Tudor Dixon’s campaign. According to Rinke, if he had won the primary, abortion wouldn’t have played as significant a role in a matchup against Whitmer.
Name recognition isn’t enough to win, says Rinke.
Rinke told Skubick and the rest of the panel that he was the second-highest vote-getter in the last Republican gubernatorial primary and argued that he could have defeated Trump-endorsed Tudor Dixon if he had received 80% of the votes that instead went to Garrett Soldano and Ryan Kelley. In that race, Dixon won with 40.6% of the vote, while Rinke finished second with 21.9%.
Discussing GOP gubernatorial frontrunner John James, Rinke said that the congressman is not close to Trump as far as voting “in conjunction with Donald Trump or conservative values” and said that James might have name recognition but he thinks he made a tactical mistake to shift focus to a gubernatorial run so soon after beginning his second term in Congress.
Trump to James: don’t bail unless you’ve got a backup plan.
Along those lines, it appears President Trump shares the same concern, warning that James running for governor could put the Republican House majority at risk. On June 11, during a press conference before signing a bill to “stop California’s radical electric vehicle mandate and protect American auto jobs,” Trump made his thoughts clear, even though if many took it as a humorous dig when he said to James, “John James. I don’t know. You know, he’s running for governor, but I’m not sure I’m happy about that, John…Do we have somebody good to take your seat?”
James responded, “absolutely” but did not disclose who might replace him in Congress.
Trump remarked, “Cause, otherwise, we’re not letting him run for governor. We can’t.” The president laughed, adding, “You have somebody good, right? Okay….As long as you like him, they’ll win.”
No endorsement? No problem.
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It appears that although James has said he’s expecting to get the Trump endorsement, maybe that might not come. James has reportedly said to a crowd in Grand Rapids that a Trump endorsement would just be “icing on the cake” but the cake itself included the fundamentals of raising money, doing media and the people of the state of Michigan.
Trump who?
James appears to be relying on his background as a West Point graduate, Iraq War veteran, and his existing name recognition as a U.S. Representative to build support, while potential candidate Kevin Rinke seems to believe voters will be drawn to his stance on the issues. Both seem to be banking on connecting with the MAGA base through personal appeal and policy positions rather than relying on a formal Trump endorsement.
Trump’s last-minute endorsement of Tudor Dixon in the 2022 gubernatorial primary, declaring her “pro-God, pro-Gun, and pro-Freedom,” probably helped her in the primary but it did little to elevate her campaign in the general election. While some candidates have seen a clear Trump “bounce,” Dixon didn’t – and she ultimately lost to Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer by 10.6% in the general election.
While a Trump endorsement isn’t always a golden ticket, it has certainly helped some Republicans and it seems to play a much more important rule in a primary than it does in a general election. Still, Rinke and James say they will do well without it. Will this strategy play out? Many would probably argue that barring a sudden shift in current GOP dynamics, their solo missions are looking less like bold moves and more like ignoring the weight of the endorsement boulder poised to roll over them.
