Michigan Democrats Are Afraid of Possible Chief Craig Run for Governor

Police Chief James Craig announcing his retirement.

You may hear disrespectful grumblings from Michigan Democrats directed toward Police Chief James Craig. That isn’t coming out of a place of hate; they’re terrified.

Though biased media fawning of Gretchen Whitmer shields her approval numbers from sinking to the reality of her job performance, there are many troubles for other Democrats. Out of all the radical crazies in the nation, we’re saddled with one of the nuttiest with Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib, who recently said police cannot be reformed and need to be abolished.

There is expressed frustration among moderates, who would love to see centrists push out progressives. While dealing with that internal struggle, the last thing they need is a Republican who can siphon votes from voters who have a more practical sense of the world.

In 2019, Gina Barr (my sister) ran for chair of the Michigan Republican Party. Had she won her close race, she would have been the first black woman to hold that position, same as Lavora Barnes, who won the Democrat chair race. After Barr lost, she was told by Democrat Party insiders what she instinctively knew. “We were watching your race closely. We were very concerned about you!”

They know it’s not impossible to make an appeal to the large chunk of black voters in cities like Detroit. You don’t need to win Wayne County. You just need to show up. Voters can be persuaded. Many of the values taught in churches ring true with conservatism. Republicans need someone on the ground to make that case and make a serious effort.

In 2014, the MIGOP opened a consistent office in Detroit and hired Wayne Bradley as their Director of African American Engagement. Gina Barr got her political start working beside him. The office added much-needed support to Rick Snyder during his reelection. In 2016, the Barr was promoted to a Regional Director and oversaw three offices in Wayne County. MIGOP’s downriver office was among one of the top call centers in the nation. This strong political infrastructure, partnered with Donald Trump’s willingness to make a serious pitch, earned him 10,000 more votes than Mitt Romney had in 2012. That was enough to beat Hillary Clinton.

Donald Trump Jr in the Detroit field office, discussing Christian persecution in the Middle East with missionary, Keith Barr.

That same infrastructure didn’t remain consistent throughout the following campaign cycles. Though the Trump campaign did open an office in 2020 and made many stops in the Metro Detroit area, it wasn’t enough to overcome election changes in a covid world and the flood of Democrat turnout. Though, Trump did increase his Detroit numbers from 2016.

Republicans had high hopes with John James and put him up as their Senate candidate in the last two elections. Neither panned out, but Chief Craig has something James did not—street cred. James is a respectable businessman, but Craig has been a public figure in Detroit for years. That brings a certain name ID that’s essential for any Republican hoping to make a dent in Wayne County. National news coverage isn’t necessarily going to have the right reach, especially Fox News. Voters aren’t going to consider someone they don’t know, especially someone outside of their preferred party.

John James, photo by Darlene Dowling Thompson

Craig is not a politician, but he’s been a public servant for 44 years. Though some political insiders knew his true affiliation, most Detroiters do not. That’s a good thing. It means he served them beyond politics, and they know him first as a servant rather than a political operative.

The Democrats’ best bet would be to impersonalize Craig. Jonathan Kinloch, chairperson of the Wayne County Board of Canvassers, did that on Fox 2 Detroit. “Chief Craig is not the one. At the end of the day, Chief Craig is talking about running as a Republican.” Kinloch said Craig will be “covered with a blanket of Donald Trump.” Democrats raise up Trump as their poster boy for racism, so they’ll imply—if not outright say—Craig is a coon or a sellout. Well, Craig doesn’t strike me as the type to entertain that sort of foolishness. Fragile young Democrats, who claim to be oppressed over microaggressions, may try to paint Craig as a prop, but since this man is old enough to remember life before the Civil Rights Act passed, they’ll come off looking like racist morons. They won’t be able to resist themselves though.

Democrats also have an issue because they have a social hierarchy of inclusion. “Black man” normally trumps “white woman.” Therefore, they must delegitimize Craig’s blackness. I don’t think that’ll work, not well enough. And if they push too hard, they risk alienating many of the suburban white women voters who deepened the blue in counties like Oakland.

There are Democrats who will never vote Republican. Some won’t even notice Craig is on the ballot and will vote straight party. Craig doesn’t need to win Detroit, because he’s going to have massive appeal across the rest of the state. He has enormous national fundraising potential to make that happen. Craig only needs a couple of percentage points in Detroit.

It’s not a clear shot. Craig was unwilling to talk politics at his press conference yesterday, but that day will come. Republicans will have to assess whether he has the principles necessary to obtain the nomination. Craig will also have to prove himself as an effective campaigner. GOP insiders were ecstatic when former Justice Robert Young retired from the Michigan Supreme Court to run for Senate, but he couldn’t quite pick up steam.

Most importantly, GOP activists have been consumed with election integrity. Republican legislators are working on solutions to strengthen the integrity of our elections, but voters have expressed a sense of hopelessness since the November election. Some genuinely believe there is no point in voting. Doorknockers in Georgia’s special senate election said this attitude stifled turnout. The Michigan Republican Party has a long way to go to build back trust and enthusiasm to vote.

Is Craig the candidate to rebuild GOP enthusiasm? If they were wise, they’d listen to the angry and panicked murmurs of Democrat operatives. I’m not a poker player, but I’d call that a “tell.”

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