'I'm Deceiving Voters? What About That $4,747 Check, Perry?'

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 05/08/2026) U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) fired back at gubernatorial candidate Perry Johnson’s claims he violated election law for implying he’s the incumbent governor and not a candidate on his campaign material.

Ads for both gubernatorial candidates U.S. Rep. John James and Perry Johnson allegedly give the impression that both are the incumbent candidate, according to court filings in a lawsuit.

In a Thursday court filing, James’ attorney argued Johnson did the same thing in the mock check sent as part of a mailer.

The check closes with the words “Perry Johnson, Governor.”

Perry Johnson's camp filed a complaint about James' logo showing an American flag and helicopter, along with the phrase “John James Governor,” implying that its current position. It is not.

“… If James’ logo violates Section 944, then why doesn’t ‘Perry Johnson, Governor’ violate section 944, too?” reads the 47-page court filing from James’ attorney, Robert L. Avers of Dickinson Wright in Ann Arbor.

“… Allowing one candidate to silence another through court order would irreparably damage our democracy and erode public trust in our elections, which is why courts have long held that ‘the remedy for misleading speech, or speech we do not like, is more speech, not enforced silence,’” the Avers’ filing reads.

Section 944 refers to MCL 168.944, which makes it a misdemeanor for candidates to claim they are an incumbent when they are not.

A message to Johnson’s campaign was not returned on Monday.

Ingham County Circuit Judge Wanda Stokes is expected to hear arguments on Johnson’s request for a temporary restraining order at 8:30 a.m. May 14 in Lansing.

Perry’s lawsuit alleges James violated election campaign law by falsely implying he’s the incumbent by referring to himself as “John James Governor” in television advertisements, digital media, social media and other campaign materials.”

In addition to arguing that Johnson committed the same alleged offense as James, Avers argues that Johnson’s lawsuit is not likely to succeed on the merits, in part, because Michigan courts “consistently reject efforts by private citizens to weaponize civil litigation in an attempt to enforce criminal laws against others.”

Avers also argues that the district court should hear the case and the relevant statute is “clearly unconstitutional” because it violates the First Amendment’s right to free speech.

In the court filing, James’ attorney calls Johnson a “perennial political candidate,” who largely self-funds his campaigns, and he argued that Johnson “did the same thing he claims James did here” in 2024 when his campaign literature touted himself as “President.”

James’ and Johnson’s campaigns and their respective supporters have challenged the others’ efforts to make the Republican primary ballot.

On Thursday, an attorney representing a pro-James group, Mission Michigan, filed a complaint with the Bureau of Elections alleging Johnson’s petition signatures are invalid, and a longtime Southeast Michigan Republican filed a complaint challenging James’ nominating petitions.

Johnson, who promised his petition signatures are valid, was disqualified in 2022 amid a fraudulent signature scandal that kept five GOP hopefuls off the ballot.

In a statement Monday Johnson said his campaign submitted more than 29,000 signatures on April 21 and his campaign is “extremely confident we will be on the ballot in August.”

He added: “The weak challenge by the desperate John James campaign is nonsense.”