Though Michigan’s election results were certified years ago and subsequently been backed up by more than 250 audits across the state since, all 12 GOP gubernatorial candidates have either stoked distrust around our democratic processes or committed to support legislation that will make it harder for all Michiganders to vote.
James Craig is no exception. He has extensively exploited these lies to appeal to election conspiracy theorists and push a wrong-for-Michigan agenda to make it harder to vote.
After originally refusing to answer repeated questions surrounding his belief that fraud was a factor in 2020, Craig penned an op-ed validating election conspiracy theorists with his call for “an extensive audit of the election results” on the same day a sizable number of right-wing fanatics descended on Michigan’s statehouse to demand a forensic audit.
Craig has also refused to acknowledge the fact that the Republican-led Senate Oversight Committee released a 55-page report definitively stating that there was “no evidence of widespread or systematic fraud.” Presented by Committee Chair Sen. Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan), the report additionally referred to the 2020 crusade as “a nationwide conspiracy to steal the election” in which its supporters “place all other statements and actions they make in a position of zero credibility.”
Instead, Craig doubled down on the lie, expressing support for an Arizona-style “audit” in Michigan, despite the multi-million dollar sham exercise reinforcing the fact that there was no evidence of fraud and actually netting more votes for President Biden than in the certified results.
Additionally, Craig has remained silent in the face of disturbing accounts from law enforcement surrounding the violence they suffered during the January 6th insurrection that killed five and injured 140 officers, even as Michiganders like Michael Foy faced several charges for “str[iking] Capitol Police at least 10 times with a hockey stick wrapped in a President Donald Trump flag.”
MDP spokesperson Rodericka Applewhaite issued the following statement:
“Based on his anti-voter track record, expect James Craig to be one of the many Republican gubernatorial candidates angling to relitigate the past as he fails to offer any proactive plans to move Michigan forward. Throughout his run for governor, he has amplified election conspiracy theorists that have proudly embraced baseless lies and violence all in the name of upending democracy due to iron-clad facts that they don’t like. Michiganders deserve a leader that will fight to protect their right to vote, not let it get stripped away because it suits their dangerous agenda.”
