Retired Detroit Police Chief James Craig said, in a televised interview, that he’s running to unseat Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Craig, a Republican, made the announcement during a Wednesday interview on the Fox News show, "Tucker Carlson Tonight." He also announced he was forming a gubernatorial exploratory committee.
"I can't help but think about the small businesses who are suffering through the pandemic — and now we want to give … handouts and businesses can’t even hire employees," Craig said. "I've got to tell you — I'm running, because when I look at politicians across the country — when I look at Governor Whitmer, she follows different rules — she just does.
"This is about leadership — you can't take that away from me — I'm a fighter.
"We launched today the Chief James Craig For Governor Exploratory Committee," he added.
And Craig noted he protected Detroit from destructive riots that hit other places like Philadelphia, New York, and Los Angeles in 2020.
"We know what happened last year when other cities were burning — Portland, Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago — Detroit did not burn," he said.
In a campaign style video posted on YouTube, Craig said: "This is about leading from the front, keeping people safe, which is a core responsibility, solving problems, that’s what Michigan needs."
Craig retired in June and had been signaling his intention to run for months, The Epoch Times reported. He has criticized Whitmer’s COVID-19 restrictions by saying America is not a "monarchy."
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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