Nesbitt Leads The MI GOP’s Conference Straw Poll For ’26 Candidates For Governor

Article courtesy MIRS News for SBAM’s Lansing Watchdog newsletter

(MACKINAC ISLAND) – Among 492 attendees at the Michigan Republican Leadership Conference, Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) led the Midwesterner-run poll as the gubernatorial candidate most attendees preferred.

The biennial event hosted by the Michigan Republican Party has traditionally been a place for party activists to shop around possible candidates ahead of the coming election year. Nesbitt led with 29.2 percent, former House Speaker Tom Leonard was preferred by 23.5 percent and Mike Cox, the state’s attorney general from 2003 through 2010, was backed by 18.5 percent of attendees.

In fourth place was U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) with 13.8 percent support. Earlier this year, James was perceived by many as a frontrunner for Republicans’ 2026 nomination for governor. He attempted to run for the U.S. Senate in the 2018 and 2022 election cycles, receiving endorsements by President Donald Trump each time.

Now he represents one of Michigan’s most competitive Congressional districts, the 10th U.S. House district containing southern Macomb County and the Rochester area in Oakland County. On Friday, MIRS reported that as conference attendees arrived on Mackinac Island, there were no “John James for Governor” banners or T-shirts to be seen, while Nesbitt, Leonard and Cox each had flocks of campaign volunteers welcoming visitors excitedly.

During Saturday afternoon, the James camp hosted a reception at the Gate House restaurant, providing free alcoholic beverages, fried cheese curds and sliders. MIRS spotted several folks in Cox T-shirts grabbing small food plates.

“Look, I haven’t met anybody who says they support John James for governor,” said political commentator Dennis Lennox during the reception. “I mean, there’s a bunch of people here, but they’re here because it’s an open bar, and it’s free food.”

Kaitlyn Buss, The Detroit News’ assistant editorial page editor, said James is receiving criticism from a lot of different corners.

” . . .That he’s maybe not getting out there as much as he needs to be, and they keep riding on this name ID and polling such as it is, but that’s not going to be enough as we keep going forward. He is going to have to get out there,” Buss said.

James Friday did not participate in a 3:30 p.m. “MI Issues” panel that Buss co-moderated with WOOD TV political reporter Rick Albin. The panel featured Cox, Nesbitt, Leonard and 2022 candidate for governor Ralph Rebandt, the police chaplain who entered the 2026 lineup Thursday.

Also, there were two other 2022 candidates seriously looking at getting into the latest race for governor, Bloomfield Hills millionaire Perry Johnson and Kevin Rinke, who ran his family’s General Motors dealerships.

“I have been through many campaigns since 2008. I’ve never lost an election: close elections, primaries and general elections, and unless you’re unopposed, I always run like I’m behind. And that would be my advice. Don’t take anything for granted,” said Sen. Jim Runestad (R-White Lake), chair of the Michigan Republican Party, on the poll’s warnings.

When asked about not attending the “MI Issues” panel, James said during his reception that he wished he could multiply himself, but he’s right now going around the state talking to people. MIRS asked James how, if Republicans gave him the nomination for governor, he would address independent candidate for governor Mike Duggan, Detroit’s mayor. James said “more votes.”

“The focus of this race is always on the people, and that’s the reason why we’re here, because this race is about the people, and I think that if you’re able to articulate that message well, then the people will give you a shot,” James said. “I think Michigan right how is looking for someone who could deliver on five critical items: academic excellence, economic mobility, public safety, government accountability and healthy families. These are reasons that even in blue states, Republican governors get elected.”

During the “MI Issues” forum, Nesbitt talked about it being tough to make it in Michigan right now, where the whole goal is to make things easier for families, workers and small business owners.

“We can do a full DOGE of our state government on regulations, line by line, on our permitting, on our spending . . . who else here has gotten a 50 percent pay increase the last five years? I don’t see them, but your state government has, lower the cost of government, lower the cost of insurance, lower the cost of energy,” Nesbitt said. “That’s how you make it easier for families and workers to make it right here in Michigan.”

In other results from the straw poll:

– Secretary of State candidate Melissa Yatooma won the straw poll over fellow candidate Amanda Love, a Clarkston School Board member, 38.5 to 29.7 percent. Macomb County Clerk Tony Forlini, who is not an official candidate, received 14.3 percent as a write-in candidate and Timothy Smith of Muskegon got 8.6 percent. Another 8.8 percent were undecided or voted other.

– For Attorney General, Kevin Kijewski, who successfully represented one of the 15 GOP electors who had charges thrown out of court earlier this month, won the straw poll with 52.6 percent of the vote. Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd was second with 33.5 percent and attorney Matt DePerno finished third with 7.5 percent. Another 4.8 percent preferred other.

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