Why Self-Funded, Successful Businessman and Outsider, Perry Johnson Is Only Candidate To Defeat Michigan’s Crooked Sec of State Jocelyn Benson in Governor’s Race

The Gateway Pundit Endorsement: Perry Johnson for Governor of Michigan

Self-funded businessman and political outsider Perry Johnson has emerged as the strongest Republican candidate capable of defeating Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for governor of Michigan in November.

A Man of The People

Unlike his primary opponent, U.S. Rep. John James (R), Johnson has drawn a clear and public line against the rapid expansion of AI data centers. He is not simply repeating talking points — he is standing with the communities being overrun by constant noise, heavy truck traffic, falling property values, and the loss of local control.

Johnson recently appeared alongside Libertarian-leaning State Rep. Steve Carra in a Dowagiac neighborhood to highlight the real damage these projects are inflicting on residents. Carra has paid a steep political price for opposing AI data centers. Two organizations tied to Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest utility, have reportedly already spent nearly $290,000 attacking him in the Republican primary. Faithful Conservatives for Michigan has spent approximately $138,700, while Citizens for Energizing Michigan’s Economy has spent roughly $149,800 promoting his primary opponent, Luke Lori.

I stood in a Dowagiac neighborhood with my friend Rep. Steve Carra, and you don’t have to be an engineer to understand what’s happening. You can hear it.

Families who worked their whole lives to buy a home are now living with constant noise, lower property values, and heavy… pic.twitter.com/lRRZuVcvBf

— Perry Johnson (@PJQualityGuru) July 24, 2026

According to Carra, he first learned of Consumers Energy’s plan to target him when House Speaker Matt Hall called him into his office to deliver the message. Perry Johnson learned of the situation and immediately stood with Carra. Johnson does not need Consumers Energy, DTE, or any other special interest to fund his campaign. Like President Trump, he is a successful self-funded businessman who answers only to the people of Michigan. And like President Trump, Perry refuses to take a penny of taxpayer dollars to fund his salary.

John James Is Weak on Election Integrity

Representative John James was the subject of a critical piece I wrote in November 2020 about then- US Senate candidate John James asking for donations for his legal defense after the crushing results of the highly questionable November 2020 election. As soon as he raised a substantial amount of money from everyday Americans who wanted to see justice for the voter fraud committed that they believed gave Joe Biden and Gary Peters inconceivable victories in Michigan, James conceded and thanked Gary Peters for a hard-fought race.

James had been leading Peters for much of Election Day before ultimately losing by a narrow margin. According to the Michigan State Police report tied to the GBI Strategies investigation, Gary Peters and Joe Biden were the primary funders of the fraudulent voter registration scheme uncovered in Muskegon only one month before the 2020 election. During a nationwide address last week, President Trump referenced that massive registration fraud investigation — which was covered up by Jocelyn Benson, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and local media — and called on the FBI to reopen the case and complete a full investigation.

Perry Johnson is Strong on Election Integrity and Is Receiving  Endorsements from Republicans, Independents, Libertarians and More

Although James proved that day he was a quitter and never took a stand against voter fraud again, President Trump, likely due to bad advice from advisors, endorsed James for the governor’s race. The ill-advised endorsement apparently hasn’t affected Michigan voters, as support for Perry is growing by leaps and bounds. A groundswell of support for Perry Johnson from former Republican gubernatorial candidates, grassroots, establishment Republicans, Democrats who don’t trust Jocelyn Benson and don’t want corporations running their state, and Libertarians has been noticeable, especially on social media, where we’re seeing one endorsement after another, while Johnson’s endorsements are curiously nowhere to be found.

Perry Johnson Won’t Owe Favors To Special Interests

That independence is why we are proud to endorse Perry Johnson for governor. He can walk into the office on day one and begin auditing state government, cutting wasteful spending, and working with the Legislature to eliminate the state income tax and reduce property taxes — without spending his time paying back donors. His only obligation will be to the citizens of Michigan.

Democratic Candidate for Governor Jocelyn Benson’s Conflict of Interest

Johnson’s willingness to confront powerful special interests stands in sharp contrast to Jocelyn Benson. Benson’s husband, Ryan Friedrichs, serves as a vice president at Related Companies, the firm developing the massive Oracle/OpenAI “Stargate” AI data center in Saline Township. Expert estimates suggest Friedrichs could have stood to gain as much as $70 million in commissions tied to the project, raising serious questions about whether Benson can fairly represent Michigan families when her own household is financially connected to the industry that is transforming rural communities against their will.

Friedrichs was previously at the center of a serious scandal while serving as Detroit’s Chief Development Officer under Mayor Mike Duggan. In 2019, government emails tied to a controversial city-backed nonprofit were deliberately deleted on orders that ran through him. Michigan’s partisan Attorney General Dana Nessel opened a criminal investigation into the destruction of public records, but the probe closed in 2021 with no charges. Friedrichs was disciplined by the city and soon left for a private-sector job with Related Companies — the same company now pushing data centers onto Michigan communities.

Perry Johnson Wants To Give Michigan’s Youth A Reason To Stay in The Great Lakes State

Perry and his wife Di have said one of the main reasons he is running is simple: they do not want their children forced to leave Michigan to find opportunity. They want the next generation to be able to work hard and achieve the American dream right here at home.

For these reasons, we proudly endorse Perry Johnson for Governor of Michigan — the only candidate we believe can defeat Jocelyn Benson and put Michigan families first.