Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate John James has recently talked about the possibility of becoming the first Black governor in the state, but was met with a controversial reception. Many liberal-leaning Michigan voters criticized James, saying that he’s not the right candidate, regardless of his skin color.
Reporting on an interview in Washington, D.C., MLive revealed that John James described himself as “the result of the American dream,” and that if he became the first Black governor in Michigan, this would reflect the work of many who came before him.
James talked about his family and said that since he was a child, his mother told him that “As a Black man, you’re going to have to be twice as good to be considered half as worthy.” Should he be elected, James promised to “fight for those who can’t fight for themselves.”
Michigan Liberals Criticize John James
While commenting on the interview on Reddit’s r/Michigan, the more liberal-leaning users of the forum criticized John James, declaring him unfit to serve as governor. One of them wrote: “I don’t get why the Republicans keep parading this loser out there. Michigan is ready for a Black governor without question, but this guy isn’t the right person for the job.”
Someone else asked: “And we want to waste that historic honor on a Trump lap dog?” Others agreed: “He wouldn’t be a real governor if elected. His decisions would be dictated by Trump.”
Most people were not really trusting that he would win, though: “He has lost every state wide election and had to settle for a small rich conservative area of north detroit to get into the house of reps and now thinks he has a chance to be governor? what a clown.”
Others called out his association with U.S. President Donald Trump: “John James admitted he supports Trump ‘2000 percent.’ That’s a hard pass for me. But James is a strong fighter for anyone who loves Trump and/or wants [abused] 12 year olds to be forced to give birth.”
Recent polls show Democratic candidate Jocelyn Benson leading the race, but there’s still a possibility that the time for Michigan’s first Black governor will come in 2026.
