Trump-Backed Tudor Dixon Will Face Democrat Gretchen Whitmer In Michigan
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Tudor Dixon emerged the winner Tuesday in one of the messiest GOP primaries this election cycle, clinching the Republican nomination for governor in Michigan.
Dixon, a conservative commentator and business owner, will face Democrat Gretchen Whitmer this fall in one of this year’s most competitive races for governor.
Neither Dixon, 45, nor her four GOP competitors have ever held a legislative or statewide office, making the contest a toss-up until the end. Donald Trump’s last-minute endorsement helped thrust her over the finish line.
“Michigan’s Republican ruling-class lined up behind Tudor Dixon because they think she will do the least harm to the Republican ticket in November,” GOP consultant Dennis Lennox told HuffPost. “I don’t think anyone thinks she can win — Michiganders haven’t denied a sitting governor a second term since 1962 — but she will run a disciplined campaign that keeps legislative candidates competitive under a brand new post-redistricting map.”
Dixon campaigned as a culture warrior, promising to enact laws that would prevent what she deems “indoctrination” in schools. After working for her family’s steel company, Dixon founded a subscription news service geared toward students with content promoting American exceptionalism.
She is also a hard-line abortion opponent, supporting exceptions only for the life of the mother. Since the fall of Roe v. Wade, Whitmer has tried to block Michigan’s abortion trigger law that would completely outlaw the procedure, making the role of governor a critical figure in preserving abortion rights.
Tudor Dixon won the GOP nomination for Michigan governor. (Photo: Associated Press)
Michigan’s GOP primary was full of unexpected twists and turns.
Five candidates — including two early front-runners — were disqualified from the ballot after the Michigan Bureau of Elections determined they didn’t have enough real signatures on their petitions. The situation resulted from paid canvassers submitting nearly 70,000 fake signatures for a number of candidates.
Of the remaining candidates on the GOP ballot, real estate broker Ryan Kelley surged briefly after his FBI arrest for allegedly directing rioters into the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Kelley said he didn’t go into the building himself, but has played up his connection to the riot, saying it boosted his name recognition in the race.
Dixon appeared to be softening her position on Trump’s election lies ahead of primary day, sidestepping a question about whether she believes the 2020 election was stolen in an interview with Fox News on Sunday. During a GOP debate in May, she falsely said that Trump won Michigan.
“We have to make sure our elections are secure and what happened in 2020 doesn’t happen again,” she said Sunday, criticizing Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.
After weeks of dead heat, Dixon beat Kelley, businessman Kevin Rinke and chiropractor Garrett Soldano thanks to Trump and support from Michigan’s deep-pocketed and politically influential DeVos family, which includes former Michigan GOP chair Betsy DeVos, who served as Trump’s education secretary.
In a presidential swing state, Republicans may find an opening in November due to President Joe Biden’s sinking approval rating and concerns over rising inflation.
Whitmer’s profile rose during the COVID-19 pandemic and more recently as Michigan — where Democratic statewide officials rule alongside a GOP legislature — navigates the aftermath of Roe v. Wade. She ran unopposed for the Democratic nomination for a second term.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
