GARRETT SOLDANO

Tudor Dixon, the failed Republican governor nominee whom part of the establishment blamed for losses up and down the midterm ticket, will not be her party’s next leader. Dixon, in an interview Monday with conservative commentator Tomi Lahren, criticized Republican leadership but said she will not run for Michigan GOP chair. “And I want to see how our state party does, but for me, state party chair is not the next step.”The former executive in her late father’s Muskegon steel company lost to Gov. Related: Hillary Scholten flipped several Republican-leaning areas blue in West Michigan congressional raceDixon told Lahren a run for MIGOP chair would be an uncertain fight with former rivals. Secretary of State nominee Kristina Karamo is also running for chair, along with former University of Michigan trustee candidate Lena Epstein and four local-level Republicans.

Because even though you may have clocked out early this week – and who could blame you – political news sure didn’t. Both Soldano and DePerno cited a lack of support from the party as a motivation to run. RELATED: Michigan midterms almost official, as skeptical county canvassers certify electionHouse of Representative speaker Jason Wentworth during a press conference on Thursday, Jan. 28, 2020 in Lansing. That would make its remaining session days occur on Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and possibly Dec. 13. Michigan House speaker: GOP candidate campaigns, not Trump, to blame for poor midterm showing

Former President Donald Trump has endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon’s choice for lieutenant governor and called for Republicans to unite in Michigan. But even earlier Monday, there was speculation that former gubernatorial candidate Garrett Soldano would seek the bid for lieutenant governor at the convention, possibly causing division at the event. Ralph Rebrandt, another former gubernatorial candidate, told media outlets Monday that he would seek the lieutenant governor nomination. But Rebrandt, who placed last of the five Republican gubernatorial primary candidate at the Aug. 2 election, has had fewer grassroots supporters. “This is who Tudor wants and therefore, Shane is who I want as your next Lieutenant Governor,” he wrote.

Garrett Soldano announced on social media late Monday he won’t be seeking the Michigan Republican party’s nomination for lieutenant governor, quieting speculation his outside bid could lead to another fractious convention Saturday. “Over the past two and a half years, I have been absent from my two boys,” Soldano wrote on Twitter. The Republican nominee for governor, Tudor Dixon, has selected former state Rep. Shane Hernandez for her running mate. Having Soldano contest her selection by running could’ve thrown the convention’s proceedings — which have in the past been little more than a formality — into chaos. He placed last of the five Republican gubernatorial primary candidates Aug. 2.

A source with knowledge of Soldano’s thinking said the former gubernatorial candidate is meeting with allies to discuss whether to seek the nomination for lieutenant governor at the convention. RELATED: Tudor Dixon taps former House Rep. Shane Hernandez as lieutenant governor pickRumor of Soldano seeking the lieutenant governor position began not long after Dixon publicly named Hernandez as her running mate. Should that happen, it would be the first time in recent memory that a lieutenant governor pick was rejected by their state party. But even at the top of the ticket there seems to be some discontent with Dixon’s choice in lieutenant governor. Between Soldano, Rebandt and Hernandez, Yob indicated 33% of delegates polled would vote Soldano for lieutenant governor while 23% would vote for Hernandez.

According to the Monroe County Clerk, 30,316 residents voted. There are 133,362 registered voters in Monroe County.

Elliott, similarly, is projected to have obtained more than half of all votes cast in the Republican primary. This includes Rachelle Smit in the 43rd House district, Rep. Matt Maddock, R-Milford, in the 51st House district, Angela Rigas in the 79th House district and Mike Hoadley in the 99th House district, as well as Jonathan Lindsey in the 17th Senate district. That includes Jacky Eubanks in the 63rd House district, Kevin Rathbun in the 71st House district and Mick Bricker in the 88th House district, along with Mike Detmer in the 22nd Senate district. Beeler emerged victorious in the 64th House district contest by a wide margin, taking more than double the votes than Eisen. There were some loses, however, with Rep. Rodney Wakeman, R-Frankenmuth, being defeated in the 97th House district primary by Matthew Bierlein.

Tudor Dixon, a conservative news commentator from Norton Shores, decisively won the Republican gubernatorial primary Tuesday, according to a projection by the Associated Press. Trump, in the endorsement, called Dixon a “conservative warrior” and later phoned into a telephone rally to boost her campaign. Though the presumptive Republican nominee for attorney general, Matt DePerno, has declined to endorse a candidate in the primary. That morning the DeVos family, billionaires who cast a long shadow of influence in Michigan Republican politics, endorsed her campaign. The candidates who were betting their success on grassroots enthusiasm — particularly Soldano and Kelley — had a foil in Dixon from that point onward.

Michigan will hold its 2022 primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 2. You can track results from the GOP race for governor below.

First, five candidates for governor were disqualified from the ballot. Then, the FBI arrested another one. After Tuesday, Michigan Republicans still face the biggest challenge yet — Gov. Whitmer.

Several little-known Michigan conservatives are vying Tuesday for the Republican nomination to face Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, as infighting over the 2020 election has split the party and threatens to hobble the GOP's efforts in the...

For the majority of the primary season, “undecided” has been ahead of any candidate in polls — leaving much up in the air. But on the evening before election day, at least two polls indicate Dixon may have pulled away from her four counterparts. He called Trump’s endorsement “a very, very big mistake” because of Dixon’s backing from establishment figures such as the DeVos family. DePerno is one of Michigan’s most prominent proponents of unfounded election fraud conspiracy theories and received an early endorsement from Trump. Ryan Kelley is confident he can beat Gretchen Whitmer and federal chargesRalph Rebandt wants to make sure Michigan gets God right in November

This week’s political rundown is looking forward as we countdown to the final days leading up to Michigan’s primary elections on Tuesday, Aug. 2. The candidates— Garrett Soldano, Ralph Rebandt, Kevin Rinke, Tudor Dixon and Ryan Kelly— made their final arguments days before the primary election during a debate in Pontiac on Wednesday night. Related: Haven’t mailed in your absentee ballot yet? She recommends returning your absentee ballot in person because it may take too long in the mail. If you’re voting in person, check out the Michigan Voter Information Center to verify your voter registration and find your polling place.

Donald Trump has endorsed Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon just days before the election, ending months of speculation whether the former president would get involved in the race at all. “It is a great honor to receive President Trump’s endorsement and have the strength of our campaign to defeat Gretchen Whitmer further affirmed by his support,” Dixon said in a statement. “Normal people who are voting in the primary … they’re out enjoying the summer, they’re on vacation, they’re at the lake, they’re barbecuing, they’re exercising,” Sellek said. While campaigns had speaking months wheedling Trump aides and making pilgrimages to his Florida resort Mar-a-Lago, Trump may have seen Dixon most recently. “To make sure we beat Gretchen Whitmer – America’s worst governor – in November, the best thing we can do is work together to elect Tudor Dixon,” she reportedly wrote in the letter obtained by MIRS.

Ahead of next week’s primary election, the five GOP candidates for Michigan governor weighed in on the topics that matter most to voters.

We’re just days away from the primary, and the five Michigan Republican candidates for governor are pushing for your vote Wednesday night as they go head-to-head in their final debate. So far, the field has remained relatively close in the polling, especially between Tudor Dixon and Kevin Rinke.

Local 4 is asking the Michigan GOP candidates the same questions ahead of the Michigan Primary Election. Each candidate has a different opinion on the important topics that Michiganders care about. On Tuesday, the topic was based on the economy in the state and what they would do to help fight inflation.

Local 4 is asked the Michigan GOP candidates the same questions ahead of the Michigan Primary Election. Each candidate has a different opinion on the important topics that Michiganders care about. On Tuesday, the topic was based on the economy in the state and what they would do to help fight inflation.

With the Aug. 2 primary one week away, members of MLive’s political team gave a brief overview Tuesday of what voters can expect to be the most closely watched races on the ballot. Several nail-biting congressional primaries are also expected, including in the 3rd U.S. House district where U.S. Rep. Peter Meijer (R-Grand Rapids) will take on former Trump administration official John Gibbs. In the 11th U.S. House district, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Waterford Township) will battle U.S. Rep. Andy Levin (D-Bloomfield Township) to see who can keep their seat in Congress. Watch the full overview on MLive’s Facebook page, or above via YouTube. More from MLive:Campaign finance filings show gubernatorial candidates’ pathways to victoryMichigan abortion rights, voting access ballot decisions expected in AugustDid Trump’s endorsement help Michigan House, Senate candidates?

With the primary election just one week away, MLive’s political team will be hosting a Facebook Live at 12 p.m. Tuesday, July 26, to give a rundown of what voters can expect on the ballot Aug. 2. Biggest of those races will be the Republican gubernatorial primary. Redistricting has also shaken up several races for the U.S. House, and put the state legislature in a much more competitive spot than in years prior. These issues and more will be covered by MLive’s senior political reporter Simon Schuster and Ben Orner, who covers politics and voting, with time for questions from participating audience members near the end of the event. More from MLiveCampaign finance filings show gubernatorial candidates’ pathways to victoryMichigan abortion rights, voting access ballot decisions expected in AugustDid Trump’s endorsement help Michigan House, Senate candidates?

The campaign finance reports of Republican gubernatorial candidates underscore the distinct pathways candidates in the hope it will lead them to the nomination. From the beginning of 2022 to mid-July, Dixon raised about $1.2 million, while Soldano raised about $736,000. All the Republican candidates’ work has been dwarfed by Gov. She’s raised $29.6 million since the 2018 election — more more than all the Republican candidates on the ballot twice over. Though super PACs can’t legally coordinate with candidates they support under Michigan law, Dixon’s campaign has been able skirt this restriction.

Local 4 is asked the Michigan GOP candidates the same questions ahead of the Michigan Primary Election.

Garrett Soldano says, over and over, that he never expected to be in this position. “I think every other campaign wishes they would have what we have right now,” Soldano said in an interview. “I don’t think you beat Governor Whitmer going on stage and talking policy,” Soldano said. Azee Business Solutions, a media and marketing company, accompanies Soldano to most campaign events, an employee said, filming and photographing him. In terms of the state budget, Soldano has stances that are at time at odds with themselves.

In the otherwise staid debate that covered little new ground on policy issues, sparks flew on a question about bipartisanship. Even though 38% remain undecided in that poll, Dixon was the clear target among the candidates on stage. Dixon recently unveiled a bill that would ban drag queens in schools alongside legislators. She responded to Soldano by alleging he had tried and failed to get the DeVos family endorsement, which he denied. After the debate, Rinke asserted he’s shaken Michigan’s political power brokers.

A new poll shows where Republican voters in Michigan stand on the governor’s race in the upcoming GOP primary election in August.

Watch Flashpoint every Sunday at 10 a.m. on Local 4 News and Local 4+.

A leading contender for the Republican nomination for governor in Michigan was sued in the 1990s, accused of using racial slurs in the workplace and sexually harassing his employees. One of his rivals pleaded not guilty in federal court on Thursday to misdemeanor charges after authorities said he rallied Donald Trump’s supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection. In an otherwise favorable election year for Republicans, the spectacle surrounding the Aug. 2 contest could hobble the party’s effort to defeat Democratic incumbent Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the fall.

Though sparks flew over the hot-button issues of abortion and election denialism, moderator Rick Albin of WOOD TV kept the focus trained on the candidates’ vision for state government under their prospective leadership. “Let’s make sure that that doesn’t happen anymore.”There was some slight movement from the candidates in their rhetoric around election denialism. Rinke stood out in the last debate by saying he didn’t believe fraud changed the outcome of the election. The evening’s format gave candidates three opportunities to rebut their counterparts’ answers on demand, but at times candidates just used them to talk a little longer. There’s no recent polling to indicate a clear leader in the primary race, even with ballots in the hands of primary voters.

With absentee ballots in homes right now, the GOP hopefuls for governor turned the pressure up on each other at a debate in Grand Rapids.

Candidates to be the Republican nominee for Michigan governor are set to debate tonight.

An alleged insurrectionist is leading the chaotic field of Republican candidates

After Michigan governor candidate Ryan Kelley was arrested by the FBI on Thursday morning, his campaign’s Facebook page posted a short message: “Political prisoner.”Kelley was arrested for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. RELATED: Gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley arrested by FBI, home searchedA handful of Republicans – including some of his opponents for governor – are standing in support of Kelley. “We extend our prayers to the Kelley family,” governor candidate Garrett Soldano said on Twitter. “I respect Ryan Kelley and have met him out on the trail,” Rinke said. Read the FBI’s criminal complaint against GOP governor candidate Ryan KelleyGOP governor candidate boycotts debate, cites ‘extremist’ COVID policyCOVID shutdowns, mental health, Trump: 7 takeaways from GOP governor debate

It wasn’t the debate on Mackinac Island anyone would’ve imagined a few weeks ago. But with former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and Perry Johnson disqualified from the ballot, the remaining candidates got a chance to show what they were about.

Bookending the state’s annual conference on economic affairs, a slimmed-down field of Michigan gubernatorial candidates talked money on Mackinac Island Thursday evening, debating ways to cut the state’s largest-ever, $70 billion budget. The four Republican candidates for governor debated during the Mackinac Policy Conference, hosted by the Detroit Regional Chamber. Ryan Kelley declined to participate, citing the conference’s COVID-19 vaccine and negative test requirement, although neither was required of candidates participating in the outdoor debate. Rebandt added he would only appoint people who say they can cut their agency’s budget by 10%. More guns, GOP governor candidates sayExactly two months from the Aug. 2 primary election, polling shows many undecided voters and no clear frontrunner among the GOP challengers.

Republicans running for Michigan governor have met in their first debate.

DETROIT, MI – Only half of the declared Republican candidates in the running for Michigan Governor were invited to participate in a GOP gubernatorial debate at the 2022 Mackinac Policy Conference next month. The five gubernatorial candidates who were not invited to participate includes Mike Brown, Tudor Dixon, Michael Markey Jr., Ralph Rebandt and Donna Brandenburg. They were invited to attend the Mackinac Policy Conference, but not to participate in the debate, the Chamber said. RELATED: Schools, COVID and Trump divide GOP candidates at Michigan’s first gubernatorial debateMichigan’s GOP primary election is scheduled for Aug. 2. More on MLive:5 takeaways from Republican candidates for governor in first 2022 debateWith Roe v. Wade at risk, Michigan LGBTQ community worried their rights may be nextUnemployment waivers bring relief to thousands.

Candidates in attendance included Mike Brown, Tudor Dixon, Perry Johnson, Ryan Kelley, Michael Markey Jr., Ralph Rebandt, Kevin Rinke and Garrett Soldano. Soldano, Kelley, Johnson and Rinke each signaled opposition to eliminating funding, but said funding should be assessed and likely reduced. Rinke and Kelley took the strongest stance against the state Department of Education, indicating they would consider abolishing the department. Dixon, Johnson, Kelley and Soldano would be in favor of an exception based on the health of the mother. Kelley, Johnson and Rebandt answered Trump, while the rest of the group said Ronald Reagan and/or Abraham Lincoln.

Eight GOP Gubernatorial hopefuls had a chance to woo primary voters at the Livingston County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner. A debate, of sorts, was the feature of the evening.

Eight of Michigan’s 10 Republican candidates seeking to challenge Gov. All 10 candidates who legally qualified for the August 2022 Republican Primary ballot were invited to participate Thursday. In attendance were candidates Mike Brown, Tudor Dixon, Perry Johnson, Ryan Kelley, Michael Markey Jr., Ralph Rebandt, Kevin Rinke and Garrett Soldano. Each individual supported abortion bans, though Dixon, Rinke, Kelley, Perry, Brown and Markey noted various exceptions related to rape, incest or the life of the mother. Rebandt supports cutting off funds completely, while Brown, Dixon and Markey were opposed.

Now, the Republican candidates running for governor in Michigan want Trump’s blessing. Voters will narrow the field to a single Republican candidate for governor during the Aug. 2 primary election. But I can’t see into Trump’s mind … If you are able to read President Trump’s mind, I think you should get paid an extra bonus. But the reality of life is, I go by what I think is right for the state.”Tudor Dixon: “Yes, (I’m seeking Trump’s endorsement). I hear you’re doing well, too.”Others think Johnson is on the fast track to Trump’s endorsement – including Markey, one of the other candidates.

Ten Republicans have filed petitions to run for governor by the deadline, a record number in recent history, creating a huge field for a primary electorate that will decide who challenges Democrat Gretchen Whitmer.

Soldano is one of 12 Republicans hoping to challenge Whitmer in the 2022 election.

State Police Capt. Mike Brown on Tuesday submitted nominating petitions to run for governor, saying he brings “trusted leadership” to what is expected to be a large Republican primary field vying to challenge Democratic Gov. Gretchen...

Still, Whitmer collected 48,214 donations from Michigan residents and 73,802 donations of $200 or less. Johnson pledged to match Whitmer’s fourth-quarter fundraising total with $2.5 million of his own cash. More than half of Whitmer’s donors gave more than $1,000. Craig had 15,068 donors who gave $200 or less, roughly 10,000 fewer than Soldano and 58,000 fewer than Whitmer. Craig collected $339,292 from donors who gave more than $1,000, which made up only 17% of his total fundraising.

KALAMAZOO, MI — Kalamazoo City Hall and city facilities will be closed Wednesday, Feb. 2, due to severe winter weather, the city said in a news release Tuesday afternoon. City offices are being closed due to the forecasted winter storm starting Tuesday, Feb. 1, or in the early morning on Wednesday, the city of Kalamazoo said. Related: When the snowstorm starts: Timeline on the heavy snowEssential services such as snow plowing, utilities, and public safety services will continue to operate, the city said. The city of Kalamazoo is ready to begin work to clear roads on Tuesday night, Public Services Director James Baker told MLive. “Starting at 10 p.m. tonight we intend to have staff performing winter operations around the clock, 24 hours a day, through the duration of the event,” Baker said.

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Garrett Soldano believes survivors of rape who become pregnant should give birth, aligning with efforts to end legal exceptions for victims of crime. A minority of Americans believe abortion should be illegal in all cases, and exceptions for rape and incest have enjoyed broad support historically. But anti-abortion activists who hope a conservative-majority Supreme Court will roll back abortion rights are pushing for laws to prevent abortion in all circumstances.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's reelection campaign reported Monday that it raised an additional $2.5 million over two months but that it also transferred out $3.8 million it cannot spend because Republicans' longshot recall efforts failed.

Perry Johnson, a “quality guru” who founded a company that certifies if businesses are meeting industrial standards, filed papers Thursday to run for Michigan governor.

LANSING, MI -- Garrett Soldano is the first Republican gubernatorial hopeful to submit signatures to get on the ballot in 2022. When 2021 campaign finance filings are available, Soldano said they will show his campaign raised $1.2 million in the last eight months. Related: Republican gubernatorial hopeful Garrett Soldano models transparency platform off Whitmer’s promisesAnother potential game-changer is the endorsement of former President Donald Trump. Soldano also addressed accusations from the Michigan Democratic Party that he hocked supplements as a way to fight off COVID-19. READ MORE ON MLIVE:State board approves language for election audit, $15 min.

Republican gubernatorial hopeful Garrett Soldano unveiled a set of transparency and anti-corruption proposals that might sound familiar to Michigan Democrats. Soldano, a Kalamazoo chiropractor, said his “Michigan Sunshine 2.0″ platform is modeled after reforms Gov. Related: Whitmer campaigned on transparency, but Michigan still lags the nation“This is a bipartisan issue,” Soldano said. He also criticized non-disclosure agreements signed by Whitmer and state lawmakers regarding potential development projects that could benefit from a new $1 billion incentive package signed into law last year. Maeve Coyle, communications director for Whitmer’s re-election campaign, said the governor has taken multiple actions to improve transparency in state government.

A new poll offers some insight on where Michigan voters stand in the state’s upcoming election for governor.

The race to be Michigan’s next governor is heating up.

While most Republican gubernatorial candidates gather at the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference later this month, Garrett Soldano will be up north for a different event: a grassroots rally in Antrim County. “The GOP establishment has already attempted to rig the primary in favor of their hand-picked candidate,” Soldano said in a press release. It takes place from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 25, at Friske Farm Market in Ellsworth, Michigan. The semi-annual event takes place on Mackinac Island features nationally prominent speakers. The primary election to land on a Republican gubernatorial candidate takes place next August.

But candidate Garrett Soldano, the party’s current fundraising leader, won’t be attending. He’s a political newcomer with grassroots clout and views the conference as being for the political elite. The straw poll usually includes questions that end up ranking primary candidates for an important office. And I don’t see how the party straw poll won’t be rigged,” Soldano said. Tudor Dixon plans to attend, but a spokesperson said she would not participate in a straw poll due to concerns it would be rigged.

Michigan campaign finance law caps individuals’ donations to candidate committees, with the max being $7,150 for the governor’s race. Michigan campaign finance law caps individuals’ donations to candidate committees. Whitmer and Governors under threat of recall are exempt from campaign finance limits to defend themselves,” Fisk said. Read more: Oversized donations to Whitmer prompt campaign finance complaintGarrett Soldano out-raises other Republican candidates for governor at $625kRepublican Garrett Soldano announced a gubernatorial run this week. His total includes a $25,000 loan from his own pocket, listed on campaign finance paperwork as a debt owed by the committee.

Kalamazoo chiropractor Garrett Soldano raised nearly $625,000 since launching his run for governor, topping the field of Republican candidates vying to face Democrat Gretchen Whitmer next year.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has raised $8.6 million for her reelection bid so far this year, breaking a record for the most money raised by a...

Kalamazoo County Chiropractor Garrett Soldano far outraised the rest of the Republican candidates vying for the chance to run against Gov. “The party bosses think they get to decide who the next Republican nominee for Governor will be, but they’re wrong -- that’s up to We the People. In total, her campaign has raised $14.2 million this cycle -- topping the $13 million she raised in the entire lead-up to her successful 2018 election. The two biggest Republican candidates -- then-Lt. Gov. Here’s how much other 2022 Republican gubernatorial candidates raised this year:- Pastor Ralph Rebandt raised $170,221, much of it in loans from himself.

Tudor Dixon, a Muskegon County Republican, is a married mother of four, a cancer survivor, and a TV news host, according to her website.

A year ago, Garrett Soldano would have laughed at anybody who suggested he run for governor out of his house. It was a Facebook group he started, Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine, that would end up putting Soldano on that path. In the process of opposing the orders, Soldano connected with people all over Michigan and after a lot of reflection, decided to run for governor. He went to school to be a chiropractor because he wanted to help people, he said, and became a small business owner when he started Soldano Family Chiropractic Center in Kalamazoo. Former President Donald Trump was among his inspirations to run for office, Soldano said, citing him as a leader who ran and won office without having previously been a politician.

click to enlarge Steve NeavlingA scene from a Stand Up Michigan rally in Lansing on May 14. This kind of crap, having a swarm of people come from places with higher rates of Covid puts our area at higher risk [than] we are now. I WONT BE A PART OF IT.Its unclear whether Stand Up Michigan received a permit to hold the festival. Neither the city manager nor the police department responded to calls fromMeanwhile, the River County Chamber of Commerce of Newaygo County has postponed its Memorial Day Weekend Festival to July because of the state's stay-at-home order.Gov. It was one of four private groups, featured in a Metro Times story , that was filled with violent and sexist rants.