Spectacle in Michigan race threatens GOP’s bid for governor

By BRIAN SLODYSKO, SARA BURNETT and THOMAS BEAUMONT
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Republican primary for Michigan governor is shaping up as a battle of whose personal baggage is the least disqualifying. In an otherwise favorable election year for Republicans, the spectacle surrounding the Aug. 2 contest could hobble the party’s effort to defeat Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. In a politically consequential state., the Republican candidates include someone charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection and a businessman accused in court of using racial slurs and sexually harassing employees. Another candidate acted in low-budget horror pictures and still another hawked supplements he falsely claimed treated COVID-19. Republicans say Whitmer is still vulnerable given inflation and her ties to President Joe Biden, whose approval ratings are low.