Capitol News

Republican gubernatorial candidate John James has not confirmed his participation in the first Republican primary debate scheduled for Wednesday in Sparta, according to event organizers. The debate is the first of three planned by the Michigan Republican Party.

Organizers report that James's campaign has yet to respond to invitations for the debate, which will take place tomorrow. Additionally, he has not replied to questions from several media outlets, including MLive, Michigan Public Radio, Gongwer, and The Detroit News, regarding his attendance at the debates.

James’s absence from public forums comes amid ongoing questions about his legislative record. He has faced scrutiny over his vote to cut Medicaid and for not supporting an expansion of Affordable Care Act subsidies aimed at lowering health care costs. There have also been calls for him to address why he has not advocated for releasing files related to Jeffrey Epstein.

While Congress is out of session this week due to a government shutdown led by House Republicans, James is expected to attend a fundraiser in Grand Rapids on Thursday evening. The location of the fundraiser is approximately 20 minutes from Sparta, where the debate will be held. In addition, James owns a $2.7 million home near Grand Rapids.

In 2018, during his U.S. Senate primary campaign against Sandy Pensler, James was vocal about holding debates. At that time he stated that “Michigan primary voters deserve to hear from the candidates.” His then-campaign manager Tori Sachs commented: “if Sandy Pensler is afraid to defend his views in the primary, voters have one more reason not to support him,” and “it’s high time Mr. Pensler agree to debate.”

Michigan Democratic Party Chair Curtis Hertel addressed James’s lack of response regarding this year’s debates: “Just like he’s dodged questions on his vote to cut Medicaid, John James is now avoiding questions on whether he’ll participate in his own primary debates—even as he’ll be in the area and he’s aggressively pushed for debates in the past,” said Hertel. “To borrow from his former campaign manager, it’s high time Mr. James agree to debate.”