One of the Republican gubernatorial candidates, former state Attorney General Mike Cox, stopped at a mid-Michigan donut shop to make his case to voters Tuesday evening. He responded to President Donald Trump's endorsement of Congressman John James in the race and says his campaign has momentum.
"What separates me is that I've won twice statewide, just like the president," Cox told WCMU. “John James has run a number of times, hasn't been able to close the deal with voters statewide,” he said referring to James’ two unsuccessful bids for U.S. Senate.
On the issues, Cox, like many other state Republicans, said he would support ending the state income tax, and expressed support for state Senate Republican efforts to end the Michigan Economic Development Corporation.
The MEDC is the state's arm for corporate incentives, and business programs. Senate Republicans introduced legislation last year to end it, Cox said he’d back it.
“You buy or rent jobs, they don't stay bought and they don't stay rent, and they leave,” he said. “Instead of trying to pick winners, we ought to just try and lower the burden on everyone.”
John James said Trump’s endorsement was “is igniting a movement across Michigan,” in a statement. Still, some Republicans are undecided. Mary Moylan is the chair of the Gladwin Republicans. She said she hasn’t chosen a candidate yet but will back any Republican that wins.
“If a Dem wins, we might be leaving the state as well, because it's becoming too much like California and Illinois,” she said. Moylan says Democratic leadership isn’t sticking up for regular people.
“They're interested in trying to bribe big companies to come. They've wasted millions and millions of our tax dollars,” she said. “Small businesses all over the state… feel abandoned by the government, too many restrictions, too many bureaucrats.”
Cox was the Attorney General from 2003 to 2011. He unsuccessfully ran in 2010 for governor.
The primary is Aug. 4 with Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson as the front runner in the Democratic primary, according to several polls.
