Lansing — Republican Perry Johnson’s campaign for governor is suing one of its top primary opponents, John James, contending the GOP congressman’s website and videos mislead people into believing he’s the incumbent.
Johnson’s Wednesday court filing, which is being filed in the Ingham County Circuit Court, focused on a logo frequently used by James’ team that features the words “John James governor,” along with a helicopter and an American flag. James was a helicopter pilot in the military.
Michigan law bans candidates from using materials that give the false impression that they’re the incumbent. A violation is a misdemeanor.
The Johnson lawsuit escalates an intensifying political feud between James, who was once viewed as the frontrunner for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, and Johnson, a businessman who has spent more than $10 million of his own money on TV ads promoting his bid for the state’s top office.
“The repeated use of the phrase ‘John James Governor’ demonstrates a consistent strategy across multiple platforms to fraudulently infer, create the impression or claim he is either the governor or the Republican nominee,” the lawsuit by the Johnson campaign says.
The logo was part of a TV commercial supporting James and is featured at the top of the campaign’s website.
The phrase ‘John James Governor,’ without qualifying language “John James for Governor,” reasonably conveys to voters that James is the current governor, the new suit says.
The James campaign is listed as one of the defendants on the lawsuit along with James himself.
Hannah Osantowske, spokeswoman for the James campaign, labeled the filing a “desperate ploy” that would be “as successful as the $30 million he spent opposing President Trump.”
Johnson, a wealthy Bloomfield Hills businessman, ran for president in 2024 in the Republican primary against Trump.
“We wish him the best in getting on the ballot so he’s eligible to debate John James in the future,” Osantowske said.
Johnson’s lawyer for the lawsuit against James is Republican former attorney general candidate Matt DePerno.
Johnson is asking a judge to order James of Shelby Township to stop printing and distributing any materials that use the phrase “John James governor.”
John Yob, an adviser to Johnson’s campaign, said James “should apologize to voters and the opposing campaigns for attempting to deceive the public trust.”
“The ‘John James Governor’ charade will end in court and then he will have to make the decision whether to face the voters at critical debates such as the press forum and the Oakland GOP debate,” Yob said.
The James campaign recently clashed publicly with the chairman of the Oakland County Republican Party over James’ refusal to participate in the county GOP’s April 30 debate.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, can’t run for reelection because of term limits. Republican voters will pick their party’s nominee through a primary election on Aug. 4.
Former Attorney General Mike Cox of Livonia, former state House Speaker Tom Leonard of DeWitt, state Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt of Porter Township and longtime pastor Ralph Rebandt of Elmira are also seeking the Republican nomination.
