Latest news with #TomLeonard
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fmr. Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard announces governor candidacy
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — Tom Leonard, a former Michigan State Representative and Michigan House Speaker, announced his candidacy for governor on Tuesday. 'Michigan currently ranks second-to-last in unemployment, and our education is bottom-10 in the nation,' Leonard said in a news release announcing his campaign. 'We cannot afford another lost decade where our children are forced to leave the state for better opportunity.' Leonard is a Republican from DeWitt and served three terms in the Michigan House from 2012 until 2019. Before serving in the House, Leonard worked as a clerk, then later in the Genesee County Prosecutor's Office under Democratic prosecutor David Leyton. He served as the assistant attorney general for the State of Michigan before running for state representative in Michigan's 93rd district. Leonard unsuccessfully ran for Michigan Attorney General in 2018, losing to current Attorney General Dana Nessel. During President Donald Trump's first term, Leonard was nominated to serve as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan, but his nomination was blocked in the U.S. Senate. Leonard announced his campaign with a launch video, along with his campaign website. Rep. John James will join Michigan Senate Republican Leader and in seeking the MI GOP nomination. Secretary of State , Genesee County Sheriff , and will also be running for office, declaring as Democrats. Detroit Mayor will be running as an Independent. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Washington Post
8 hours ago
- Politics
- Washington Post
Former Michigan House speaker joins increasingly crowded GOP primary for Michigan governor
LANSING, Mich. — A former GOP state lawmaker who served as speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives is joining a crowded bench seeking the Republican nomination for the 2026 gubernatorial race in the battleground state. Tom Leonard , who served in the state Legislature from 2013 to 2018, announced his bid for governor Tuesday. He joins three other Republicans in the state who are seeking the office and likely also the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
Toronto Star
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Toronto Star
Former Michigan House speaker joins increasingly crowded GOP primary for Michigan governor
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A former GOP state lawmaker who served as speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives is joining a crowded bench seeking the Republican nomination for the 2026 gubernatorial race in the battleground state. Tom Leonard, who served in the state Legislature from 2013 to 2018, announced his bid for governor Tuesday. He joins three other Republicans in the state who are seeking the office and likely also the endorsement of President Donald Trump.
Associated Press
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Associated Press
Former Michigan House speaker joins increasingly crowded GOP primary for Michigan governor
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — A former GOP state lawmaker who served as speaker of the Michigan House of Representatives is joining a crowded bench seeking the Republican nomination for the 2026 gubernatorial race in the battleground state. Tom Leonard, who served in the state Legislature from 2013 to 2018, announced his bid for governor Tuesday. He joins three other Republicans in the state who are seeking the office and likely also the endorsement of President Donald Trump. Leonard ran for attorney general in Michigan twice, losing to Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel in the 2018 general election by 3 percentage points and to conservative attorney Matthew DePerno in the 2022 GOP primary. He served as the Michigan House chamber's top lawmaker from 2017 to 2018. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is now term-limited and cannot run again. Candidates from both parties — and one in between — have lined up to replace her. On the Republican side, Leonard joins the field that includes U.S. Rep. John James, former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox and state Senate Leader Aaric Nesbitt. The three have closely aligned their campaigns to Trump's 'Make America Great Again' vision. In a video advertisement announcing his campaign, Leonard focused on affordability and education. While the video showed a headline of Trump tapping Leonard as U.S. attorney in 2019, Leonard said, 'As President Trump protects his border, I'll have his back.' However, Leonard was never confirmed for the position due to objections from Michigan's two Democratic senators. On the Democratic side, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson are competing for the nomination. And finally, the longtime Democratic mayor of Detroit Mike Duggan is running for governor, but as an independent. Nationwide, midterm elections tend to favor the party not in power, which could boost the Democratic nominee in 2026. But in recent memory in Michigan, the governor's office has flipped to the opposite party every time there has been an open race.
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Former Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard launches campaign for governor
Two-time GOP attorney general candidate and former Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard, R-DeWitt, has entered the race to serve as the state's next 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@ or 313-296-5743. This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Former Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard joins governor's race
