(WXYZ) — Brand new drama in the Republican Primary race for Governor.
An endorsement from former President Donald Trump could be a game-changer with two and a half weeks to go. But it may not be happening.
Four of the 5 candidates on the ballot did a TV debate Friday morning at WKAR TV’S “Off The Record” in East Lansing. The issue came up after the debate when candidates did “scrum” interviews with the media.
The bombshell came from Candidate Ralph Rebandt who said, “Our people have said that he's probably not going to endorse before the primary. It would leave us to stand on our own merits.”
Candidate Garrett Soldano told reporters, “I would love his endorsement. Absolutely. 100%” and said it would catapult him to the top.
Candidate Kevin Rinke took a different stand saying, “I do not believe a Trump endorsement is going to decide the race. And I think at the appropriate time that the President is going to endorse.”
The perceived front-runner Tudor Dixon declined to participate in the debate. Her campaign said she was attending a memorial service for her father. She was not here but was politically attacked here by her opponents.
Soldano said, “She’s an establishment candidate. The DeVos Empire has went into her campaign. She's bought and paid for in the DeVos Empire right now is backing people that are running up against Trump endorsed candidates, and I think that's hot garbage.”
Rinke is coming out with a new TV ad that calls Dixon a “RINO”, Republican in name only and he told reporters, “I think this, Tudor Dixon has pandered to President Trump and she's misrepresented her loyalties.”
Ryan Kelley did not talk with reporters after the debate. The Trump question did not come up during the debate.
Kelley has been charged with 4 misdemeanors in the January 6th insurrection at the U. S. Capitol and said during the debate, “They're trying to silence me kicking me off. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn silenced on Tik Tok arrested by the FBI. Now there's a lawsuit it's trying to keep me off the ballot claiming insurrection. Because I continue to tell the truth.”
The next and final debate is Wednesday at 7 p.m. hosted by FOX 17 and Scripps Stations in Detroit and Lansing. It will air to a statewide audience including on stations in Cadillac, Marquette, and Alpena.
