John James

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Three Republican candidates for governor debated affordability solutions, data center policy and other issues Thursday while trading personal attacks less than a month before the Aug. 4 primary.

U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, businessman Perry Johnson and former Attorney General Mike Cox are all running to replace term-limited Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. The winner will square off against Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson or Genessee County Sheriff Chris Swanson in November.

In back-to-back primary debates between the GOP candidates, sparks and accusations were flying, with the majority of blows both nights aimed at James.

Republicans debated on Wednesday, July 8, and Thursday, July 9, in Detroit and Grand Rapids venues.

Those meetings mark the first time the candidates have faced off since President Donald Trump endorsed James and state Senator Aric Nesbitt, R-Porter Township, suspended his campaign.

James brought up that endorsement at least four times during the hour-long Fox 2 debate in Detroit on July 8, though less during Thursday’s WOOD-TV 8 debate in Grand Rapids.

He also told viewers multiple times across both debates that, “I’m going to be focused on you. My opponents are going to be focused on me.”

That quickly proved true, with James ahead of his opponents in the polls. Cox on Wednesday called it “pent up” frustration at James for missing previous forums.

On Thursday, the trend largely continued, though candidates got through a first question on affordability before focusing on the offensive.

Affordability, data centers top of mind during policy conversations.

Candidates began the debate by sharing how they would make Michigan more affordable.

James described a three-point agenda that included expanding healthcare price transparency, reversing regulations that increase home construction prices and repealing Whitmer-era legislation that allowed the state to oversee utility-scale clean energy projects.

He also pledged to keep the Line 5 pipeline open and reform the state’s environmental regulatory agency.

“I mean, you can spit on your way to the garbage can and create a new wetland,” James said.

Cox spoke about his record as attorney general and the importance of increasing competition in healthcare, with too many consolidated hospital systems.

Johnson reiterated what has become his campaign’s focal point — eliminating the state’s income tax — and he joked that Michigan will soon be referred to as “Taxigan.”

All three candidates at one point spoke about the importance of cutting income taxes, thought Cox insisted during both debates that he was the first candidate to propose it.

When asked how they would eliminate taxes without cutting essential state services, Cox said, “Prosperity heals a lot of what ails us.”

He also spoke about property tax reform and the need to move of all millage elections to November, eliminating “sneaky May and August elections” with lower voter turnout and stopping the approval of some millages.

Johnson took the question as the first of several opportunities to speak about the benefit of a self-funded campaign.

“I can lean our government with no one leaning on me,” he said.

James said he would make up the loss from an income tax cut by eliminating legislative earmarks and unspent general fund dollars, which his campaign website describes as adding up at least $3 billion. That includes over $1 billion in earmarks or “pork projects,” meaning items requested by lawmakers to benefit their districts.

Those totals don’t appear to fully reflect the state of Michigan’s budget at this time. The latest spending plan, for example, only included $125.3 million in earmark spending, according to initial totals.

The trio also largely stayed on topic when asked questions about data centers in Michigan.

Johnson called for a one-year moratorium on data center development, describing how artificial intelligence is moving at exponential rates.

Both James and Cox called for guardrails before the facilities are built, with James highlighting the importance of local control, preventing pollution and building up AI-proof jobs, like skilled trades.

Cox said any new electric costs created by data center companies should be paid by them.

The trio spoke during both debates about education policy, including James and Cox sharing how they would each opt Michigan into the federal K-12 education freedom tax credit.

The President Donald Trump priority allows individuals who donate up to $1,700 to a scholarship granting organization to receive a dollar-for-dollar federal income tax credit in exchange.

As of June 9, 27 states have opted in, a requirement to claim the funds. Michigan has not yet signed on. If Michigan doesn’t opt in, advocacy groups say taxpayers can still claim the credit, but the funds contributed to SGOs will end up going to scholarships in other states.

Michigan’s state Board of Education has opposed the plan.

James again pitched a “parents bill of rights,” which he has previously described as access to all school lesson plans and an opt-in for “controversial subjects.”

Debates dominated by personal attacks

Ahead of Thursday’s debate, a mobile billboard truck promoted by James-supporting super PAC Mission Michigan flashed criticism of Cox and Johnson as it cruised the streets of downtown Grand Rapids.

But inside, the majority of attacks were focused on James.

Cox criticized James for multiple statewide runs in recent years. “You don’t want to be governor, you want to be president,” he said.

Cox also reiterated comments about how James’ family business, Renaissance Global Logistics, received nearly $2 million in state tax incentives. The Michigan Economic Development Corporation, which gave the incentives, later scrutinized job creation claims.

James served as CEO of the auto parts supply chain company, and as president of parent company James Group International, before his election to Congress.

Earlier this week, Cox also told reporters at an event in Detroit that James’ company operates with Changan Automobile, whose corporate parent has been designated a “Chinese military group” by the Pentagon.

James pushed back against Cox during both debates.

On Wednesday, he said the company is focused on exports, and viewers “didn’t come here to see a bunch of grown men bicker.”

He also spoke about the jobs his company has created.

James said Johnson has also outsourced jobs via a subsidiary of his company, Perry Johnson Outsourcing, which Johnson denied.

He said on Wednesday the company exists “solely in India for India,” also attempting to wager James $5 million on the topic. On Thursday, he said it functionally “doesn’t exist,” with no revenue.

Johnson criticized James on both Wednesday and Thursday for accepting campaign funds from data center developers, including funds from executives connected to Walbridge, the Detroit-based construction firm behind data center projects like the hyperscale facility now under construction in Saline Township.

The donations include from Walbridge CEO Michael Haller and his wife, who maxed out contributions to James’ gubernatorial campaign in 2025.

In response, James told Johnson, “I know when you were born, Black people could still be bought and sold in this country, but no one owns me.”

In a post on social media after the debate, Johnson called on James to apologize and retract the statement.

The comments come as Johnson’s campaign this month ran an ad calling James a “DEI candidate.”

When asked about the ad, Johnson said it stemmed from a series of awards the James Group has won for diversity.

He said “I don’t think there is any relevance whatsoever” to James’ race, describing himself as “colorblind.”

James also went on the offensive slightly more on Thursday, criticizing Johnson for his brief run against Trump during the 2024 general election.

He said Johnson had “more dollars than sense” and called his run a vanity campaign.

In response to Cox talking about James’ unsuccessful U.S. Senate campaigns, the congressman retorted that Cox hasn’t won an election since “before the iPhone was invented.”

Comparatively, a Democrat opponent was mentioned by the trio only once during the debate.

Johnson said it’s necessary to look ahead to November, and he described himself as the only candidate with the potential to beat Benson.

When asked if he would coalesce around the Republican primary winner after the debate, Cox said he believes Benson would rip James apart.