Lennox

Michigan Republicans face a simple question in the Aug. 4 primary.Do they want to nominate a candidate for governor who gives them the best chance of winning in November? Or do they want to replay a political script that has already produced the same ending?

If the answer is the latter, then John James is the obvious choice.James is one of Michigan’s most recognizable Republicans. He is also one of the party’s most familiar statewide losers.He lost a U.S. Senate race in 2018. He lost another in 2020. Republicans were told each time that his biography, fundraising ability and military service made him uniquely positioned to win.

It never happened.

James eventually won election to the U.S. House, but both victories were closer than many Republicans expected.

It might have been different had James acknowledged the obvious lessons from those two defeats. Voters are generally willing to forgive losses if a candidate demonstrates humility, adapts and explains what will be different the next time.

James has done none of that.

Instead, he has campaigned as though the gubernatorial nomination were inevitable. That comes across as arrogance. He should be willing to explain why his two statewide campaigns failed and what he learned from them.

If James loses the primary, his campaign will become a case study in how not to run as the presumed front-runner.

More than a year ago, he held every advantage. He enjoyed universal name recognition and an established fundraising network. Had he campaigned aggressively from the outset, he likely could have cleared the field by last fall.

Instead, he largely acted as though the nomination were a mere formality.

That raises an obvious question. If he wasn’t campaigning, what was he doing? James has the worst attendance record of any member of Michigan’s congressional delegation. He also wasn’t crisscrossing the state’s two peninsulas, stumping at rubber-chicken dinners and other county GOP events.

The Republican nominee will face a formidable Democratic opponent in Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, who also benefits from favorable political winds.

There is another question Republicans should insist James answer.

If elected governor, will he serve all four years?

It is a fair question because James has approached every campaign as a stepping stone to the next one.

After losing two Senate races, he ran for Congress. Before completing his second House term, he launched a campaign for governor. If elected, would anyone be surprised if a presidential or vice presidential campaign in 2028 beckoned? No one knows.

There is nothing inherently wrong with ambition.

But voters deserve clarity.

If James sees the governorship as the culmination of his public service, he should say so. If he intends to devote all four years to Michigan, he should make that commitment plainly and unequivocally.

This year presents Republicans with a genuine opportunity.

That opportunity should not be squandered simply because one candidate entered the race with the highest profile.

Why should Republicans believe a third statewide campaign will succeed where the first two failed?

Michigan Republicans have seen this movie before.

They should think carefully before buying another ticket.

Dennis Lennox is a political commentator and public affairs consultant. Follow @dennislennox on X.