• Trump’s endorsement power in GOP primaries
• John James wins Michigan’s Republican governor nomination
• A general election clash with Jocelyn Benson
• The brutal, money-soaked primary fight with Perry Johnson
• Trump’s broader record in 2026 races
Donald Trump’s grip on Republican primaries got a fresh test in Michigan, and this time it held. Rep. John James, a two-time Senate nominee and Trump-backed candidate, came out on top in the GOP governor’s race, clearing the way for a heavyweight general election battle.
James, a West Point graduate and Army Ranger who flew Apache helicopters in Iraq, defeated businessman Perry Johnson for the nomination. The win sets him up against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, the Democrat who now becomes the next big obstacle in the race to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
The primary was anything but polite. Johnson, who poured millions of his own money into the contest, went after James hard, calling him a “DEI candidate” and accusing him of playing the “race card.” James fired back by calling Johnson “desperate,” and the fight turned into a sharp, personal brawl instead of a sleepy nomination race.
Even with the cash edge, Johnson couldn’t shake James loose. James leaned on his military background and argued that voters were looking for more than a giant ad budget, saying “nobody outworks a ranger,” and “money isn’t the only thing. People want someone who resonates with them, someone who has the proven leadership capability to turn the state around.” That message clearly found traction with Republican voters.
The field had been deeper earlier, with former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and state Senate Republican leader Aric Nesbitt also in the mix. Both later stepped aside, though their names still stayed on the ballot, leaving James and Johnson as the main event heading into Tuesday night.
Trump had already put his thumb on the scale for James last month at a Michigan rally, and the endorsement mattered. For Trump, the race was one more chance to show that his backing still carries serious weight in GOP politics, especially in battleground states where every vote and every headline matter.
That bigger picture has been playing out across the country all spring and summer. Trump-backed candidates have knocked off incumbents in places like Indiana, Kentucky, Texas, and Louisiana, showing that his seal of approval can still move voters when the matchup is tight and the stakes are high.
Still, the streak has not been perfect. In Iowa, Trump’s late endorsement of Republican Rep. Randy Feenstra fell short in a race to replace retiring GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds, where businessman Zach Lahn pulled ahead with support from MAHA-aligned activists and Turning Point USA. It was a reminder that endorsements can help, but they do not always overpower money, timing, and local dynamics.
Even so, Trump’s influence kept showing up in runoff races and crowded primaries. In Georgia and Alabama, his candidates won two of three top runoff contests in June, and in South Carolina he scored a clean sweep when Lt. Gov. Pamela Evette and state Attorney General Alan Wilson both benefited from his backing, with Wilson cruising to a landslide.
He also notched wins in Louisiana, where Sen. Bill Cassidy was defeated as he sought renomination, and in Arizona, where Rep. Andy Biggs rolled to a dominant victory in the governor’s primary. Michigan now adds another chapter to that run, and James enters the fall with Trump’s backing, a rough-and-tumble primary win, and a Democrat waiting on the other side who knows how to fight just as hard.
