Former Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard of DeWitt launches campaign for governor
"Michigan is at a crossroads. Our unemployment rate ranks 49th out of 50, and less than 40% of our third-graders can read at a proficient level. We are also losing our loved ones to other states. A positive vision, hard work, and a lot of grit are what it's going to take to turn this state around," he wrote in a post on X announcing his campaign June 17.
Leonard served in the Michigan House from 2013 through 2018 and led the chamber in his final two-year terms. In 2018, he lost the attorney general's race to Democrat Dana Nessel. The next year, President Donald Trump nominated Leonard for U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, but he was effectively blocked from the job amid concerns raised at the time by Michigan's two Democratic senators about Leonard's nomination.
In 2022, Leonard again ran for attorney general, but he didn't receive the Republican nomination. Instead, at the Michigan GOP convention that year, Republican delegates chose President Donald Trump's pick, Matt DePerno, who went on to lose to Nessel.
Leonard is a partner at the law firm Plunkett Cooney's Lansing office, serving as the Government Relations, Public Policy and Regulatory Practice Group Leader, according to the firm's website.
In a video launching his campaign, Leonard outlined his campaign pitch. "We'll cut the waste in Lansing, lower taxes and make Michigan more affordable. Fix our schools by empowering parents, not government and strengthen our economy by getting government out of the way," he said in a narration. He also vowed to support Trump's border policies.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer cannot run again in 2026 due to term limits. In addition to Leonard, the other prominent Republican gubernatorial candidates include, former Attorney General Mike Cox, U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township and Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt. The big names on the Democratic side of the race include Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan is running as an independent candidate for governor.
Michigan's Race for Governor: Duggan played to the Mackinac conference crowd. Can he win statewide?
Leonard — who is 44 — was born in Flint. He is married to Jenell Leonard, who serves as the president and CEO of the Lansing-based public relations firm Marketing Resource Group. Tom Leonard received a bachelor's degree in history from the University of Michigan and his law degree from Michigan State University, according to his biography from the Michigan Legislature. Before serving in the state House, Leonard was an assistant prosecuting attorney in Genesee County and assistant attorney general.
Contact Clara Hendrickson at chendrickson@freepress.com or 313-296-5743.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard from DeWitt joins governor's race
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