James Craig teases run for Michigan governor: End Whitmer 'rule'
JACKSON Recently retired Detroit police chief James Craig teased his likely gubernatorial run Tuesday, touting conservative bonafides while explaining his transition to becoming a Republican in a speech at a birthplace of the GOP.
Craig, 65, was raised in Detroit as a Democrat. But while serving as a police chief in Los Angeles, Maine and then back in Detroit, he found himself supporting school choice and gun rights while increasingly voting Republican, he told a crowd of roughly 100 spectators.
The truth is, Ive been a Republican for many years now, Craig said at the under the oaks park in Jackson, where anti-slavery activists helped christen the Republican Party with a state convention on the same date in 1854.
In what was billed as his first political speech since retiring as police chief on June 1, Craig appeared to read prepared remarks from a teleprompter. He did not take questions from reporters, ducking into a black SUV after taking a few selfies with supporters.
Craig stopped short of announcing his expected candidacy but offered the GOP crowd several pieces of red meat, describing himself as two-time voter for President Donald Trump who opposes abortion and is a staunch supporter of gun rights.
Read more: https://www.bridgemi.com/michigan-government/james-craig-teases-run-michigan-governor-end-whitmer-rule