Capitol News

Republican gubernatorial candidate John James has renewed his claims regarding the 2020 election, stating at a private event in Kent County that he was "screwed" in his U.S. Senate race and promising "consequences" if elected governor.

The comments, first reported by The Detroit News, were made during a closed meet-and-greet at the Kent County GOP office. According to an audio recording obtained by the newspaper, James responded to an attendee’s question about alleged corruption in Michigan's voting system and investigations by Republican state senators that found no evidence of systematic fraud. “How about this: Get you a governor who was screwed in 2020 and you’ll get consequences for those who did you wrong,” James said.

James lost his 2020 Senate campaign and refused to concede for more than three weeks, challenging the results and calling for delays in certification. He had previously declared victory on Election Night despite the final count showing otherwise.

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel criticized James' recent statements, saying, “It’s been nearly five years since he lost his second campaign for the U.S. Senate, but sore loser John James still can’t accept the fact that the people of Michigan rejected him.” Hertel added, “Now running for governor, James is repeating Trump’s election denial conspiracy theories and dangerously suggesting there will be ‘consequences’ if he’s elected. Michiganders have rejected James’ extremism twice before, and if he somehow makes it out of his messy primary and to the general election, James will lose statewide again.”

James’ remarks come as debates continue over election integrity in Michigan and nationally. State-level investigations into the 2020 vote have not found evidence supporting claims of widespread fraud.