LANSING, Mich. — Former Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidates Ryan Kelley and Ralph Rebandt said Wednesday they were considering seeking their party's nomination for lieutenant governor, opening the door to a potential fight at the Aug. 27 GOP convention.
Tudor Dixon, the Republican nominee for governor who won the Aug. 2 primary election, is expected to announce her pick for her running mate later this week. Dixon will challenge Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in the Nov. 8 general election.
At the upcoming convention, GOP delegates will consider Dixon's selection for lieutenant governor, but some Republicans are already planning to try to overrule her in an attempt to advance a candidate aligned with the grassroots, right-wing faction of the party.
Kelley, a real estate broker from Allendale, had previously said he wasn't interested in seeking the lieutenant governor nomination. But in a presentation on Facebook Wednesday, he suggested he might reverse course.
"I have somewhat reconsidered that for a variety of reasons that I'll share soon," Kelley said.
The former candidate said "a lot of people" had been asking him about running for lieutenant governor or for chairman of the Michigan Republican Party.
"I haven't decided on those," Kelley said.
Kelley got 15% of the vote in the five-candidate primary race for the Republican nomination for governor, finishing in fourth place. Dixon won with 41%.
Kelley gained national attention when he was arrested at his home on June 9 and charged with four misdemeanors tied to his alleged actions during the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. He has pleaded not guilty.
Rebandt, a pastor from Farmington Hills, finished in fifth place in the primary with 4% of the vote.
In an interview Wednesday, Rebandt said he's been hearing from delegates and county party chairs about the possibility of him running for lieutenant governor. Rebandt said while he supports Dixon, there's a "system of checks and balances in place" that gives delegates the "final say" on her running mate.
"She may even pick me," Rebandt said.
In a statement Wednesday, Dixon said she needs a lieutenant governor who "will work with me to achieve a family-friendly Michigan where safe communities with excellent schools have opportunities for all to succeed."
"There will be an announcement in the next few days," she said. "My choice will share my vision for Michigan and will bring complementary skills to help us succeed in November and over the next four years."
Under Michigan Republican Party rules, Dixon has to submit her selection for lieutenant governor by 5 p.m. Friday. At the Aug. 27 convention, delegates have to cast "an affirmative vote" to approve her pick. It's unclear how that vote will happen.
"The party has a process in place where delegates will vote for who they want to be the next lieutenant governor," said Gus Portela, spokesman for the Michigan Republican Party. "It’s a process that is similar to our endorsement convention in April."
At the April endorsement convention, votes were cast by delegates at stations and then tabulated.
If Dixon's lieutenant governor pick doesn't get "an affirmative vote," she'll be able to address the convention, resubmit her choice or submit a new candidate for consideration, according to the party rules.
If the second nomination doesn't receive an affirmative vote, then nominations may be submitted from the floor of the convention.
Longtime Republican consultant John Yob tweeted Wednesday that Kelley "would be difficult to defeat" if he sought the lieutenant governor spot at the convention.
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