Republican presidential candidate Perry Johnson considering Senate run in Michigan

Republican presidential candidate Perry Johnson considering Senate run in Michigan

September 28, 2023 06:35 PM

Long-shot Republican 2024 presidential candidate Perry Johnson is being pushed to instead run for Senate in Michigan.

Johnson appears to be the lowest-polling Republican currently running, failing to register on most polls. However, he has persistently pursued the presidency, using innovative fundraising tactics to get the 40,000 individual donors needed to qualify for the first Republican debate. He was still barred due to his poll numbers, leading him to file a complaint with the Federal Election Commission. Failing to make a dent in the Republican electorate so far, Johnson signaled that he might divert his efforts and run for Senate in Michigan instead, though he clarified that his focus is currently on the presidency.

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“Obviously, it’s no secret that I’ve had a lot of calls to run for this seat because they do want to win this seat. But at this point in time, my focus is right on the presidential [race], and, believe me, that’s taking all my time and energy at this point,” Johnson said Thursday in an interview with Fox News.

Perry Johnson
Republican presidential candidate and author Perry Johnson speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s fall banquet, Saturday, Sept. 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa.

Bryon Houlgrave/AP

“As you can imagine, I get inundated with calls because of the fact that Michigan has an open seat,” he continued. “It’s literally a seat that Republicans have not had in Michigan in a long time.”

If he were to run, he would compete in the Republican primary against former Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI), who served as House Intelligence Committee chairman for four years. He launched his campaign earlier this month. The Democratic front-runner is Rep. Elissa Slotkin (D-MI).

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However, Johnson isn’t quite done with his presidential ambitions just yet. Though he acknowledges it’s a tough road, he has one last Hail Mary strategy to be elevated to the national stage.

“Right now, I think the plan is to go all in, in an individual state,” he explained. “If you’re not on the debate stage, that has to be the approach you take. … The issue is to get to 4% nationally.”

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