Michigan businessman Kevin Rinke on Monday formally launched his campaign for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2022.
Rinke, who enters a crowded and growing GOP field, has pledged to self-fund his campaign, unlike his other Republican opponents.
In a video announcing his candidacy, Rinke compared Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer’s leadership to a Yugo, a car known for its poor design.
“Gretchen Whitmer has taken us for a bumpy ride. Her failed leadership is as disastrous as her corrupt ideology. Now, we face a choice between Freedom and Failure. I’m running for Governor because in Michigan, we don’t get taken for a ride. We drive,” Rinke said in a tweet.
Gretchen Whitmer has taken us for a bumpy ride. Her failed leadership is as disastrous as her corrupt ideology.
Now, we face a choice between Freedom and Failure.
I'm running for Governor because in Michigan, we don't get taken for a ride. We drive.
👉 https://t.co/Gq8ZkIr5s7 pic.twitter.com/zX1JM9hiRM
— Kevin Rinke (@KevinRinke) November 22, 2021
“Next November, we face a choice to either drive Michigan into the ground or blaze a bold new path of freedom and opportunity,” Rinke continued in the video, insisting Whitmer rules like “a queen.”
In the GOP contest, Rinke will take on multiple heavyweights who have established their campaigns over the past couple of months, like former Detroit police chief James Craig and conservative commentator Tudor Dixon.
The competition between a potential GOP nominee and Whitmer is expected to be a tight contest, largely due to numerous headlines that Whitmer has made over the past year.
Recently, Whitmer’s administration has been slow to contain the Benton Harbor water crisis. Instead of working to solve the problem, she traveled to a bar in Washington D.C. and spent time with Vice President Kamala Harris.
Benton Harbor has been affected with lead issues since 2018—the entirety of Whitmer’s term.
Additionally, Whitmer may be forced to return millions in potentially illegal campaign contributions that exceeded individual donation limits. Whitmer recently collected some donations as high as $250,000—blowing past the $7,150 individual limit—by claiming she was under threat of recall, despite no real recall threat forming.
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Cooper Moran is a reporter for The Star News Network. Follow Cooper on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected].
Photo “Kevin Rinke” by Kevin Rinke. Background Photo “Michigan Capitol” by San906.
