The Week That Was: Michigan GOP Has Doubts About John James’ Chances of Winning the Governor’s Race

Pollster Ed Sarpolus said Friday morning that the Michigan Republican Party doesn’t believe GOP Congressman John James can win the 2026 governor’s race.

“Right now, Republicans want him out of the state, off the ballot — even the DeVos family is wavering,” Sarpolus, executive director of Target Insyght in Lansing, said on a live podcast, The Week That Was. (The discussion begins at the 43:46 mark of the video below.)

Sarpolus said he’s skeptical of a recent Republican poll that showed James not only leading his party in the primary but also ahead in a three-way general election race.

Sarpolus and guest Beverly Watts, a public relations specialist, both said Republicans are looking for an alternative candidate to James.

Some other Republicans in the race include Pastor Ralph Rebandt, Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, former House Speaker Tom Leonard and former Attorney General Mike Cox.

Others on the show included host Saeed Khan; attorneys Steve Fishman and Joel Sklar; veteran journalist Nancy Derringer; and Deadline Detroit co-founder Allan Lengel.

Fishman, a criminal defense attorney, discussed the gambling indictments unsealed Thursday in New York, one of which names former Detroit Pistons star Chauncey Billups.