Four Republican candidates, Aric Nesbitt, Perry Johnson, Mike Cox, and the Rev. Ralph Rebandt, went after each other's tax plans, school talking points, and economic visions last night at a manufacturing-focused forum in Auburn Hills hosted by the Oakland County Republican Party. The showdown, the first high-profile Republican face-off since the last Tuesday filing deadline, zeroed in on rival blueprints to cut or eliminate Michigan's income tax and to revamp property taxes. Hanging over the stage was the absence of U.S. Rep. John James, a leading contender, as the field tries to sort itself out before the August primary.
Candidates Clash on Taxes and 'Wokeness'
Nesbitt, who announced his campaign in January 2025, wrapped his pitch around rolling back state regulations and, in his words, getting "the wokeness and DEI junk out of our schools," while calling for a repeal of what he labeled the "green new scam." Johnson and Cox each backed the idea of eliminating Michigan's income tax as a long-term goal, with Johnson tying the move to business-style efficiency and Cox arguing that tax cuts are needed to keep families from leaving the state. Rebandt cast himself as an outsider armed with "moral courage" and said his lack of Lansing ties would make him a different kind of governor. According to CBS News Detroit, those themes dominated much of Thursday night's exchanges.
Venue, No-Show and Media Panel
The forum took place at Visioneering, a tooling and composites manufacturer in Auburn Hills that county Republicans leaned on as a backdrop to highlight Michigan's manufacturing base. FOX 2 Detroit shared event details and broadcast information for local viewers. James, who has been treated as a front-runner by many Republicans, stayed off the stage; Axios Detroit reported his participation had been uncertain and that his campaign signaled it would look at debates once the field settled.
Filing Deadline, Petitions and Ballot Access
The forum came just after the last Tuesday candidate filing deadline that largely locked in the primary lineup and shifted attention to petition challenges and ballot certification. Bridge Michigan reported that several Republican hopefuls, including Johnson, Nesbitt, Cox, and Rebandt, formally submitted nominating petitions during the week of last Tuesday and that the Board of State Canvassers will still have to test those signatures for validity. Johnson's return to the process after a 2022 disqualification surfaced repeatedly as a talking point for rivals and local watchdogs.
Why the Night Mattered
The volley of talking points offered the clearest contrast so far on economic policy heading into the August primary and handed each campaign fresh soundbites for TV ads and mailers. Vance Patrick, the Oakland County GOP chair, opened the evening by centering the conversation on jobs and manufacturing, saying Michigan "needs manufacturing," according to CBS Detroit. For now, the candidates who did show up will keep swinging at each other over taxes while the broader primary fight, and the question of whether a tax-free Michigan is politically realistic, plays out over the coming months.
