Musician Kid Rock is slated to campaign for John James, a candidate for the Republican Senate nod in Michigan, on Tuesday in a Detroit suburb.
James’ campaign announced that the Michigan-based rock star, whose legal name is Robert Ritchie, will appear at an event in Novi, Mich., on Tuesday night alongside former Navy SEAL Rob O’Neill. James is seeking the GOP nomination to challenge Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
“Bob [Kid Rock] loves this country and has been a longtime supporter of military veterans and their families,” James said in a statement. “I’m excited to have him on stage with us as we rally to take back Michigan!”
Kid Rock was rumored throughout 2017 as a possible GOP candidate to take on Stabenow, a three-term Senate Democrat, and even had allies of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., urging him to jump in the race due to the lack of a top-tier candidate. However, he spurned a campaign in October, saying the repeated references to a campaign were a joke.
“Fuck no, I’m not running for Senate. Are you kidding me?” Rock told SiriusXM’s Howard Stern in October. “Who couldn’t figure that out? I’m releasing a new album. I’m going on tour, too. Are you fucking shitting me?”
“It’s the worst advice I ever gave myself, but it’s been the most creative thing I’ve ever done,” he said. “And I’ve gotten to see everyone’s true colors.”
The “All Summer Long” singer has been a political player for years, having supported candidates on both sides of the aisle, but mainly Republicans in recent years including President Trump during the 2016 campaign and Mitt Romney in 2012.
