Former Detroit Police Chief James Craig nearing decision on bid for U.S. Senate seat

Republican James Craig, Detroit's former police chief, says his mind is 99% made up on launching a bid for Michigan's open U.S. Senate seat and he'll announce a decision within the next 60 days.

In a phone interview Monday, Craig, 67, said the possibility of former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers or other Republicans seeking the GOP nomination next August wouldn't change his thought process "one iota."

"I think they’re watching me," Craig said of his possible primary opponents. "And they should.”

U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Lansing, announced in January that she wouldn't seek a fifth term in 2024. On the Democratic side, a field of candidates has already taken shape to replace her. It features U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin of Holly, actor and businessman Hill Harper of Detroit, State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh of Saginaw and former state Rep. Leslie Love of Detroit.

The Republican candidates in the race so far include State Board of Education member Nikki Snyder of Dexter, Romulus attorney Alexandria Taylor and first-time candidate Michael Hoover of Laingsburg.

Craig, a former candidate for governor who has made frequent TV appearances on Fox News as a law enforcement expert, would give the GOP their most well-known contender yet.

Eric Castiglia, a Michigan Republican and chairman of the Brighter Michigan political action committee, said he believes Craig will ultimately join the race.

“I think he has name recognition across this whole state,” Castiglia said of Craig.

Castiglia said he's talked to multiple Republicans who will seek the Senate nomination, including Snyder, whom he described as a "strong candidate" who holds a statewide office.

Rogers, who served in the U.S. House from 2001-2015, and John Tuttle, vice chair of the New York Stock Exchange, have also been considering running for the U.S. Senate seat in Michigan. Grosse Pointe Park businessman Sandy Pensler, who ran unsuccessfully for the Senate in 2018, also has been looking at next year's race.

Craig's eight-year tenure as Detroit's police chief ended in the summer of 2021 with him retiring before launching a bid for the Republican nomination for governor.

A wave of fraudulent petition signatures effectively collapsed Craig's campaign in May 2022 along with the campaigns of four other GOP gubernatorial candidates. State officials found all five hopefuls didn't submit enough valid petition signatures to make the August 2022 ballot.

Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer went on to win a second term by 11 percentage points over Republican Tudor Dixon of Norton Shores.

Craig raised more than $3 million for his campaign for governor before his bid ended.

With the GOP primary for the U.S. Senate wide open, it would be smart for Craig to be the first one on the playing field because he might have a brief opportunity to show he can construct a quality campaign team and take the GOP's fight to Slotkin, said John Sellek, a Republican and CEO of the consulting firm Harbor Strategic Public Affairs.

"It's easy for some to dismiss Craig for the failure to manage his gubernatorial signature situation, but it's important to remember that he led the GOP primary for a year," Sellek noted.

Craig said he's been spending time recently examining key issues facing Michigan and the country. On Monday, he participated in an hour long phone call with Lori Brock, a northern Michigan resident who has spoken out against Gotion's plans to bring an electric vehicle battery parts plant to the Big Rapids area.

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Some Republicans have criticized the project, which is expected to create more than 2,000 jobs, because of the company's ties to China.

Gotion was founded in China in 2006, but its U.S. subsidiary has been incorporated in California since 2014. Its board is one-third German, one-third American and one-third Chinese.

Craig argued on Monday that the project made "no sense."

“These folks are not our friends,” the former police chief said of China.

Supporters of the project, including Whitmer, have touted the plans as "the biggest ever economic development project in Northern Michigan."

But Craig questioned whether the large number of new jobs could be filled and whether safety was less important than creating jobs.

cmauger@detroitnews.com

Staff Writers Melissa Nann Burke and Beth LeBlanc contributed.

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