Ted Nugent endorses Michigan State Police captain for governor
Paul EganLANSING — Michigan-born rocker and activist Ted Nugent has endorsed Michael Brown, a captain with the Michigan State Police, in the Republican race for governor, Brown's campaign said in a Wednesday news release.
And another GOP candidate for governor, Tudor Dixon, has picked up the endorsement of the conservative convention CPAC in the battle to take on Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in 2022, American Conservative Union Chair Matt Schlapp announced on Twitter.
The significance of the endorsements remains to be seen, but they show Republican gubernatorial candidates and some party influencers are not ready to concede the nomination to retired Detroit Police Chief James Craig, the presumed frontrunner.
Nugent, 72, a guitarist, writer and singer who is known as the "Motor City Madman" and counts the title song from his 1977 album "Cat Scratch Fever" among his hits, is also a conservative activist who promotes gun rights and has performed at rallies for former President Donald Trump in 2016 and 2020.
"With Mike as the governor at the helm of Michigan, it once again will be the greatest state in the nation,” Nugent said, according to the Brown news release. "Mr. Nugent is proud to endorse ... 'Captain Mike' to beat back the radical Democrats and the failed Gretchen Whitmer."
Brown is from southwest Michigan, where he has served as a Berrien County commissioner.
CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, is an annual political conference attended by conservative activists and hosted by the American Conservative Union. Trump has been a speaker at the conference, which began in 1974 with an address by former Republican President Ronald Reagan.
More:Chief James Craig has broken racial barriers while mostly backing the status quo
More:Michigan State Police captain Mike Brown joins Republican race for governor
"Pleased to announce that CPAC is supporting Tudor Dixon — an inspiring, conservative, new voice in MI politics," Schlapp said on Twitter Tuesday. "Tudor will make an outstanding Governor who will help bring MI back."
Dixon, of Muskegon County, is host of "America’s Voice Live" on weekday afternoons on the Real America’s Voice cable network.
In another development in the Republican race for governor, Kalamazoo chiropractor Garrett Soldano announced Monday he had been permanently banned from YouTube for posting what he said was an FDA meeting with a panel of experts that had also been posted by CNBC.
Soldano has made numerous posts on social media that appear to violate YouTube guidelines about contradicting local health authorities or medical experts from the World Health Organization with respect to the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is yet another example of Big Tech oligarchs silencing conservative voices," Soldano said in a news release. "As a grassroots candidate for governor, we rely on platforms to connect with voters and share our message."
Other Republican candidates for governor who have filed paperwork with the Secretary of State's Office include Donna Brandenburg of Kent County, Oakland County pastor Ralph Rebandt, Ottawa County real estate agent Ryan Kelley, Livingston County evangelist and substitute teacher Bob Scott, document specialist Articia Bomer of Detroit, Lansing businessman Evan Space, and Grand Rapids entrepreneur and U.S. Army veteran Austin Chenge. Oakland County businessman Kevin Rinke has formed what he called an exploratory committee while considering a run.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or pegan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.