MI GOP Concludes Debate Series, Audiences Point To Cox, Rebandt And Nesbitt For Shining Moments

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 11/20/2025) (TRAVERSE CITY) – When asked how the 2026 Republican nominee for governor will take on Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson's massive name I.D., candidate Mike Cox says he's "willing, able, and I will beat the shit out of them."

Cox served as Michigan's attorney general from 2003 through 2010. His law firm filed the first complaint against the University of Michigan for football players who said they were sexually abused by former sports Dr. Robert Anderson, leading to a $490 million settlement to more than 1,000 individuals announced in January 2022.

"Vote for someone who actually took on big fights like illegal immigration before it was cool, like (diversity, equity and inclusion) before it was cool . . . I soon beat Barack Obama in the United States Supreme Court in 2012 to allow local police officers to arrest illegal aliens," Cox said.

Cox spoke to more than 300 attendees Thursday night at a debate hosted by the Michigan Republican Party at the Great Wolf Lodge in Traverse City.

Thursday was the final installment of a three-part debate series hosted by the state party for gubernatorial candidates, which also raised money for the party.

On the stage were Cox, Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton), 2017-18 House Speaker Tom Leonard, Farmington Hills pastor Ralph Rebandt, Ax MI Tax ballot initiative executive director Karla Wagner and Genesee County trucker Anthony Hudson.

Cox's comment about how he's going to "beat the shit" out of Benson – the current Democratic front-runner for governor – and independent hopeful Duggan stood out as "pretty good" to Jeff Strasser.

Strasser is the vice chair of the Oscoda County Republican Party. In addition to Republican politics, Strasser worked union construction jobs most of his life, and when times were slow, he did professional moving and security work.

He liked how the debaters made calls for tax reductions, whether it be to Michigan's income or property taxes.

"It's crippling people with losing homes and stuff. I definitely enjoyed hearing from Mike and Ralph. They're two of my better picks that I'm going for right now," Strasser said to MIRS. "I like that (Mike) has actually been in the job somewhat before. He has some working experience, and to me, experience is everything."

Additionally in attendance was Jennifer Smeltzer, a Bear Lake Republican who's worked for Northern Michigan legislators.

She sees Nesbitt and Leonard as chasing U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) – who did not participate in the series – for the top spot to likely become Republicans' nominee in 2026. However, she was critical of how the event included a heavy presence of the U.S. Jack Bergman (R-Watersmeet) staffers, and there being not enough questions on specific issues she was hoping to see addressed.

Smeltzer said just this past week, a young female parking attendant was killed in Grand Traverse County.

"Where were the questions about policing, and how do you balance that, and where? What do we do to retain and attract policing?" Smeltzer said. "Multiple candidates are saying something about reducing the sales or reducing income tax or property tax . . . how are you going to fund essential services in the state of Michigan? What does that actually translate into? They all mentioned other states that don't have property taxes, but they have higher sales taxes. They have taxes on natural resources."

She also wants to hear the Republican candidates for governor discuss housing issues, as the west side of Northern Michigan faces challenges with attainable and workforce housing. Nowadays, Smeltzer said, a $2,000 monthly apartment is probably a pretty good deal in the area.

"There's no reason Northern Michigan can't have both, balance tourism, balance some of the stuff with the (population) growth," Smeltzer said. "And yet, all of this housing and stuff that's coming up, a lot of it is being sucked up for Vrbos and things like that."

Although Smeltzer left for her hour-long drive home feeling unsatisfied with the subjects not matching her concerns, she did say Rebandt had the best line.

Specifically, Rebandt called Duggan "a political transvestite."

"Mike Duggan is a political transvestite. He thinks that he could change his clothes and be something else. He has voted Democratic his whole life, and I'm going to call him out on it," Rebandt said.

Another attendant was Steven Zablocki, a Traverse City resident. He is the grandfather of six, currently doing "general handyman service" while hoping to begin selling robots soon.

As folks walked into the event space, he handed out little Jesus figurines. He said Nesbitt was "shining pretty good all the way around," with Rebandt and Cox having "very strong" moments as well.

Nesbitt described his call to take a "blow torch" to state departments, burning down permits and regulations that delay growth and investment in the state. He illustrated a Holland boat manufacturer that spent more than four years and $1.5 million to deal with engineering and legal costs.

"And they still can't get a permit from the state of Michigan to rebuild their freaking docks," Nesbitt said. "Fourth-generation family business. That's wrong. It needs to end."

Zablocki was moved by Nesbitt describing a miscarriage his family experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of emergency mandates, Nesbitt said he was unable to come with his wife into her OB-GYN office, learning from her via text message while he waited in the car that she miscarried their second child.

"Now you're talking, yes you are…Aric lost a part of his family life memories from that, and that's thanks to the idiots – I'm sorry – thanks to those who allowed Michigan to be shut down in such a crazy matter," Zablocki said.

Leonard earned applause when talking about his plan to put people in jail, particularly those in the education system, for transitioning a child's gender without their parents' consent.

Zablocki said he was fired up about property tax elimination and removing "wokeness out of schools," calling it "demonic" to have adults support a youth's gender transition behind parents' backs.

"It doesn't keep me up at night because my children are smart enough to train their children and keep them out of the mess that they're creating in the schools," Zablocki said.