Republican Congressman John James and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson have secured their party nominations for Michigan governor and are now setting their sights on November.
Benson celebrated historic Democratic voter turnout in the primary, earning more than 1.2 million votes. James secured roughly a third of that total, with more than 466,000 votes.
When asked whether the gap in primary numbers was a concern heading into the general election, James pointed to past cycles as context.
"Is that a concern moving forward to November and how you energize Republicans all across the state to get them? Because based on the primary numbers that we saw, that would be hard to compete," I asked.
"Yeah, Republicans have always answered the call, and different cycles have different numbers. If you look back to the previous midterm, Gretchen Whitmer had lower numbers in her primary, but she eventually won, of course," James said.
WATCH: John James says it's time to "save Michigan" in 2026 gubernatorial race
Democratic turnout was also boosted by a competitive Senate primary between Haley Stevens and eventual nominee Abdul El-Sayed, which drew more votes than the governor's race. Benson and El-Sayed have since campaigned together.
James said he is focused on defeating what he calls their "radical socialist" ticket.
"Do we consider her a radical socialist in this race?" I asked.
"Well, someone who certainly has radical positions, like aligning herself with Abdul El-Sayed, saying she'd be honored and proud to run with him. Also, her positions of not being a fan of voter ID," James said.
On the Republican side, James has campaigned alongside Senate nominee Mike Rogers, and said the two are aligned heading into the fall.
"Mike Rogers is a good friend, and he is best for the state. Mike Rogers and I are focused on having the strongest ticket to have the strongest solution to make sure that we benefit the state for long-term," James said.
Both James and Rogers have been endorsed by President Trump. With Michigan voters expressing concern about the effects of inflation and tariffs, I asked James whether he would be willing to break with the administration if it meant better outcomes for the state.
"I've always said that I can agree with the president without worshiping him, I can disagree without attacking him, and I'll always put Michigan first," James said.
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