Republican Field Complete; Every Candidate Wants To Eliminate A Major Tax

(Source: MIRS.news, Published 04/15/2026) With U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) announcing plans to eliminate Michigan's 6% income tax, the entire six-person Republican field is now on record supporting getting rid of a major state-levied tax.

James, Perry Johnson, Mike Cox and Tom Leonard all support eliminating the state's 6% income tax, which is projected to generate $13.6 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2026.

Sen. Aric Nesbitt (R-Lawton) and Ralph Rebandt want to eliminate the state's 6 mill property tax, which generates around $2.8 billion for the state budget. Both would like further cuts to the local property tax, but realize that would take a local ballot proposal.

James became the latest to get on board with the tax elimination message, something even long-shot candidates Anthony Hudson and Karla Wagner were advocating for until they dropped out of the GOP primary to run third-party (Hudson) or as an independent (Wagner).

“Michigan families are not the problem. Lansing is the problem,” said James. "We have identified more than $3 billion in wasteful government spending. That money belongs to the people who earned it. My plan is simple: cut the waste, reward the work and eliminate the income tax, so Michigan families keep what they earn."

James pointed to several examples he called government failures, including economic development subsidies, unemployment fraud and state contracts, and said he would order a comprehensive audit of state spending if elected.

The plan calls for phasing out Michigan’s 4.25% income tax after restructuring the budget to maintain essential services. James argued the current tax structure contributes to population loss and makes Michigan less competitive compared to other states.

Johnson Says No New Taxes

James's announcement came on federal and state income tax filing deadline day. Republican Perry Johnson reiterated that there will be no new taxes to make up for the state revenue lost by eliminating Michigan's income tax under his “$4,747” plan if elected governor.

During a bus stop at Kelly's Restaurant in downtown Lansing, Johnson was adamant that even if the state loses $13 billion by getting rid of Michigan's nearly 60-year-old income tax, he would not advocate for any new taxes. The quality control professional is also campaigning to reform the state's property tax.

Asked if his pledge of “no new taxes” included not raising current taxes, Johnson reported “no new taxes.” In Tennessee, which does not tax income, the state's sales tax runs between 9% and 10% depending on the municipality. Florida also doesn't have an income tax. Its sales tax is a base 6% with a local option that runs another .5% to 1.5% for an average of 7%.

“When we're talking about eliminating the income tax, we're not talking about the impossible,” said Johnson, noting that the budget when Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took office was $56 billion. If spending increased at the rate of inflation, it would be about $65 billion. The budget she proposed for Fiscal Year 2027 is $81 billion.

“You have to be bold. You have do bold things, just like (former President Ronald) Reagan did when he knocked down the federal income tax to 28%, and I'm the perfect guy for that,” Johnson continued. “If you had a heart operation for your mother, are you going to hire an attorney off the street? Are you going to hire a dentist? No, you're going to hire a heart surgeon. So, if you want to cut the waste, become more efficient, spending less money, why not hire a guy that spent his entire life doing that?

“This is what I do for a living.”

Leonard, Cox: Welcome To The Club

Meanwhile, Cox and Leonard responded by basically saying to James: Welcome to the club.

Cox announced his intent to eliminate the income tax last year on this day. He started talking publicly about it since January 2025 when he launched his campaign.

“JJ has no thoughts of his own. Nor do Perry or Aric,” Cox said. “But, in their defense, neither do (independent candidate Mike) Duggan nor (Democrat Jocelyn) Benson … Leonard and I are the only ones who actually try to have ideas.”

Leonard, as the House speaker in 2017, took heat when he put an income tax cut vote on the board, only to see it fail when 10 Republicans joined Democrats in voting them down.

“Glad to see others finally catching up,” Leonard tweeted in response to the James news. "I just wish they had been with me 10 years ago when I battled my own governor and forced every lawmaker to go on record with a tax cut vote.

“Now I look forward to seeing them stand with me on ending utility monopolies, protecting people from forced vaccinations, advancing constitutional carry and taking on AI data centers.”

Impact Of Eliminating Income Tax

Eliminating the income tax with no revenue replacement would require “large-scale reductions to state services,” not something that can be addressed by “efficiencies,” said Bob Schneider of the Citizens Research Council (CRC).

About a quarter of the $21.3 billion School Aid Fund would be wiped out with the income tax and two-thirds of the General Fund, which funds corrections, most local government grants, universities, public health programs and numerous other services.

Leonard's plan would be to gradually eliminate the income tax over five years.

Johnson Ticketed In Front Of Kelly's

Johnson's stop in Lansing was brief as he's been touring across the state in recent weeks in a charter bus with his campaign logo plastered on the side. Former Michigan Republican Party Co-Chair Meshawn Maddock has been campaigning with him. Also at the event was Rep. Matt Maddock (R-Milford), general consultant John Yob and several news reporters.

A media scrum in front of the bus was cut short after a city of Lansing parking enforcement officer started writing him up for obstructing traffic. The officer told reporters that she'd have to mail the ticket to the address connected to the bus's license plate since it moved out of the way before she could give it to him.

City of Lansing spokesperson Scott Bean said this type of ticket will run $25 if paid within 14 days, $35 after that.

“Fix it guru got fixed by Lansing parking enforcement,” Bean quipped.

Added Lansing Mayor Andy Schor, “There is no Democrat or Republican parking officer. Just the law!”

James Releases First TV Ad

U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Township) announced the launch of the campaign's first television ad, a 30-second spot that introduces himself as a retired military person, who has gotten the “crap knocked out of” him at West Point.

“Whenever I get knocked down, I ask God to pick me back up. He never fails,” James says in the ad. “It's time for Michigan to get back up. The best is yet to come.”

The ad, titled "He Never Fails," shows James at West Point, in combat in Iraq and building jobs in Detroit. AdImpact has the two-week James buy at $350,000, about half of which is in the Grand Rapids media market, 20% in the Flint market and 12.5% in Traverse City and Detroit markets.

Michigan Democratic Party (MDP) spokesperson Derrick Honeyman referenced a line in the ad about Washington D.C. being “full of crap.”

“John James rants against Washington, but he’s been an ardent backer of Trump’s cost-raising agenda and continually sold out Michiganders while he’s been in D.C.,” Honeyman said.

Leonard Turns In His Signatures

Former Speaker Tom Leonard, accompanied by his wife and three young children, was the first candidate to formally submit petition signatures to qualify for the ballot in the governor's race. Leonard said he turned in a little more than 25,000 signatures, five thousand less than the maximum.

He said about half of his signatures came from volunteers and the other half from paid circulators, who collected signatures from the Upper Peninsula to Southeast Michigan.

“We are just getting started,” Leonard added. “We’re going to keep earning support the same way we earned these signatures, by showing up, listening, and offering real solutions for Michigan families.”

In other news:

- The Republicans' 2022 gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon attended Johnson's Grand Rapids event along with Kent County Republican Party Chair Rusty Richter. Earlier in the week, Johnson was with Dixon's top primary opponent from 2022, Kevin Rinke.