It’s said that all politics is local. But these days, that doesn’t appear to be so true. Instead, a lot of it is national because that’s where the drama is — much of it at the hands of President Donald Trump. 

The Republicans who disagree with the president are more likely to lose during an election year. 

That’s why Trump’s endorsements for U.S. Senate candidate Mike Rogers and gubernatorial candidate John James matter so much. But who are these candidates outside of Trump’s endorsement? What do they stand for? And, what do they need to do to win come November?

Dennis Darnoi is the founder of Densar Consulting, based in Farmington. He often promotes Republican candidates. Darnoi spoke with host Robyn Vincent about the Republicans advancing to the general election in both the Senate and governor’s race.

Editor’s note: Our guest mischaracterized Abdul El-Sayed’s work on medical debt. As Wayne County health director, El-Sayed launched a program that set aside $7 million to erase up to $700 million in debt for 300,000 residents, buying it from providers at a bulk discount. Bridge Michigan reported in June that about $57.4 million has been settled so far, for roughly 83,000 residents, and that El-Sayed has overstated the program’s results on the campaign trail. The program is still active. Our guest also referred to a “$40 trillion budget deficit.” That figure describes the national debt, which is approaching $40 trillion. The federal deficit for fiscal year 2026 is projected at roughly $2 trillion.

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In November, voters will choose a new governor.

On the Republican side, the race is shaping up around Congressman John James and businessman Perry Johnson, who’s spending heavily out of his own pocket. 

Last week, one of their competitors became the first to drop out: former House Speaker Tom Leonard. He was running what most observers considered the most substantive policy campaign in the field.

As Speaker of the House, he ended Michigan’s driver responsibility fees, he worked with former Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan on auto insurance reform, and he pushed to expand Michigan’s open records law to the governor’s office.

He says he left the governor’s race because it had gotten too negative — that he wasn’t willing to compromise who he was to win. It’s a striking claim. It’s also one worth examining. Leonard spoke about all that and more with The Metro‘s Robyn Vincent.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

Subscribe to The Metro on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

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