Congressman John James

With the name recognition and financial backing of the DeVos family, many people have assumed GOP Congressman John James will be the Republican nominee for Michigan governor in 2026.

But not everyone is buying into that.

U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain, who attended the Mackinac Republican Leadership Conference on Mackinac Island over the weekend, told the Detroit News she thinks the primary is "up for grabs."

"I don't really care what the polls say," McClain said. "There is not a clear front-runner."

Craig Mauger also reports that a straw poll was taken at the conference, where James finished fourth. Mauger notes the poll reflected the preferences of those at the conference — many diehard Republican activists — and likely not the opinions of broader GOP primary voters

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