As he promised during a bizarre appearance on ‘Let it Rip’ last week, former frontrunner James Craig has officially transitioned his failed governor’s race to a write-in campaign, further complicating a Republican gubernatorial primary that Bridge Michigan described as “pure chaos.”
Craig, along with sub-quality ‘guru’ Perry Johnson and three other candidates were previously struck from the ballot after they got caught submitting tens of thousands of fraudulent signatures sourced through forgery and the exploitation of dead voters.
Speaking to reporters after filing his paperwork, the retiree walked through a number of hurdles he’d have to overcome between now and August, such as “problematic” fundraising, a “pare[d] down” operation with less staff, and a still-crowded primary with several named candidates on the ballot.
However, these are issues that always plagued his campaign.
Even when he was running a traditional race, Craig’s campaign never “moved out of first gear” and his fundraising “fell off a cliff” compared to his previous quarter, with “donations of $200 or less decreas[ing] 300% from July to October 2021.” He also failed to demonstrate any fiscal responsibility when money was easier to come by, spending “more than $900 per day” on “executive protection services,” an “unusual use of donor dollars” compounded by the fact that he never held any “large, public” campaign events.
And long before he was struck from the gubernatorial ballot, Craig’s campaign was noted for having “been plagued by staff shake-ups” in the midst of a disastrous campaign reboot, fundraising mailers attacking Michigan State Police as “weak-kneed…underlings,” accusations of sabotage, and “unusual” spending – all while running on a platform that “lack[s] specific policy” solutions.
MDP spokesperson Rodericka Applewhaite issued the following statement:
“Write-in candidate James Craig is citing the issues with his new effort to get elected as if they aren’t simply compounded tenfold from his disastrous run in the Republican primary. And as a direct result of MIGOP insiders spending so much time propping up his flailing campaign, Craig’s sustained presence will only cause this bitter and messy primary to get even more volatile with just nine days to go before voters begin to cast their ballots.”
