In a move that’s sending shockwaves through Michigan’s political landscape, Republican Congressman John James has officially launched his campaign for governor, laying out a bold, unapologetically pro-growth vision for a state he says has been dragged into decline under Democratic leadership.
“Our state has suffered long enough,” James declared in his announcement on Monday, calling for a return to “strong, competent leadership” and hammering the current political establishment for failing everyday Michiganders.
James, a combat veteran, businessman, and current representative of Michigan’s 10th congressional district, brings serious firepower to the 2026 gubernatorial race. He’s already a familiar name in statewide politics after two near-upsets in U.S. Senate races, and he enters this contest with more experience, more name recognition, and a national GOP eager to flip Michigan red.
A graduate of West Point and former AH-64 Apache pilot, James served multiple combat tours in Iraq before returning to Michigan to lead his family’s logistics business. That unique mix of military discipline and private-sector know-how forms the backbone of his campaign pitch: real-world leadership over political theater.
“I’ve run a Michigan automotive business that created jobs. I’ve worn the uniform in combat. I don’t leave people behind—and I won’t start now,” James wrote.
His message couldn’t come at a more crucial time. With Governor Gretchen Whitmer term-limited, Democrats are scrambling to find a successor while James is rallying disillusioned voters, small business owners, and blue-collar workers sick of red tape and economic decline. He directly called out NAFTA-era trade deals, noting that Michigan lost over 300,000 manufacturing jobs as a result—jobs he says should have never left.
Perhaps most notably, James made it clear that his alliance with President Donald Trump remains solid. “President Trump and I have been in each other’s corner through thick and thin for eight years—no reason that will end now,” he stated, signaling to the MAGA base that he’s the candidate to carry the torch in Michigan.
Other Republicans in the race include State Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt and businessman Anthony Hudson, but James’s résumé and Trump connection make him the early frontrunner.
With a campaign slogan of “Let’s Fly,” James is aiming sky-high—and betting that Michigan voters are finally ready for a leader who talks less about climate commissions and more about reviving jobs, slashing bureaucracy, and restoring sanity.
The fight for Michigan is on. And John James is ready to lead the charge.
Good luck, John James. You appear to be a good man. Anything but Witchmer.