An exchange during the Republican gubernatorial debate Thursday is turning into a bigger conversation about political donations and race.
Businessman Perry Johnson, who is white, accused his opponent, Congressman John James (R-MI 10), who is Black, of bringing race into the debate.
During the debate, Johnson implied James would be beholden to his political donors. James responded with his own snipe at Johnson, who is 78 years old.
“Perry, I know when you were born, Black people could still be bought and sold in this country. But no one owns me,” James quipped. (Johnson was born in 1948, long after slavery was outlawed.)
Now, the Johnson campaign is demanding the James camp retract that comment.
For his part, Johnson, a rich self-funder of his own campaign, said his remark about James' ties to his donors was just referring to the country’s campaign finance system.
“When you have people who are investing an incredible amount of money in your campaign, they’re going to expect something in return,” Johnson said during a press call Friday.
When asked if other Republican candidates should return money from certain funders, including one tied to a southeast Michigan data center project, Johnson said yes.
While Johnson raised concerns about James’ remark, others see racism in Johnson’s campaign materials. That includes an ad labeling James as a “DEI candidate.”
Johnson told reporters Thursday night that he was referencing diversity recognition awards James’ family business had won, and not James’ skin color.
Jimmy Greene, an independent consultant who has worked with many past Republican campaigns -- most recently supporting former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan’s now-suspended independent run for governor -- said he doesn’t buy Johnson’s reasoning.
“You're almost better off at just saying that it's racist, as opposed to using that as an excuse. Because at least it gives your character some definition,” Greene said in an interview.
Still, Johnson maintained Friday that his campaign ads, including ones referencing DEI and trying to tie James to the Black Lives Matter movement, are not based on James' race, but rather focused on ensuring Michigan has quality leadership.
