Michigan Republicans at CPAC criticize Biden, Whitmer

A few Michigan Republicans took the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Florida over the weekend, including gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon, Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido, Republican National Committee Chair Ronna McDaniel and congressional candidate John James.

Dixon took jabs at Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, saying she “needs to be defeated.”

“She wants to defeat America. That’s what she wants to do. She wants to crush Americans, she wants to crush the people of Michigan,” Dixon said.

Dixon also spoke about transparency in the education system and parental rights, saying parents need to be able to assess their students’ curriculum to “make sure they aren’t teaching [critical race theory].”

Parents already have access to information about their child’s education, but far-right parents have been protesting at school board meetings for over a year about critical race theory, the 1619 project and other comprehensive American history studies about racism being taught in K-12 classes.

Dixon is one of 13 Republican hopefuls who have formed committees to go up against Whitmer in the November elections. The Republican Party primary election will be on Aug. 2. 

James, who has unsuccessfully run for the U.S. Senate twice and is now running for the U.S. House, used his stage time to criticize President Joe Biden, calling him “dangerously inept.”

“[Foreign leaders] see leftist politicians are too tied up in woke politics and culture wars to lead us all effectively,” James said. “They see liberals spend more time fighting for control over the Americans than they do fighting for the prosperity of the American people.”