LANSING — Republicans were already facing a crowded and messy primary in the gubernatorial race, and Kevin Rinke’s announcement this morning only creates more problems for them. Political insiders and the MIGOP have tried and failed to coronate James Craig, and now Rinke promises to dump at least $10 million into the election adding more upset to the unsettled primary.
Rinke plans to self-fund his candidacy to buy this election to force his extremist agenda on Michiganders. Like the rest of the field, Rinke is entirely focused on relitigating the past rather than moving Michigan forward.
Between his issues page and intro ad, Rinke made the baseless claim that “2020 election was rife with administrative problems, leading to a tainted election” and pledged to “audit the voter rolls” – an extreme step that even the most vocal candidates on this issue like Garrett Soldano and Ryan Kelley have yet to take in their crusade to undermine public trust in the electoral process and limit Michiganders’ freedom to participate in democracy.
Like the rest of the field, Rinke will have to answer questions about whether he supports legislation that helps move the state forward, like the recently passed bipartisan infrastructure plan.
MDP spokesperson Rodericka Applewhaite issued the following statement:
“The MIGOP already had a messy, divisive, unsettled primary on their hands and Kevin Rinke’s entrance into the race only complicates that further. Though he plans to set himself apart by trying to buy this election, he stands with the rest of the field in his extreme views and his sole focus on relitigating an election that happened over a year ago over issues that matter to Michigan families. Michiganders deserve a governor that’s actually going to fight for working families and the issues they care about, like the recently signed infrastructure law that will invest in fixing local roads and create good-paying jobs.”
