Michigan gubernatorial candidate John James on Friday denounced his rival for the Republican nomination for claiming he is weaponizing race in the contest. 

James, a U.S. representative since 2023 who is black and endorsed by President Donald Trump, appears to be the GOP’s frontrunner in the increasingly combative campaign to succeed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI), ahead of the August 4 primary election. One of his top rivals for the nomination, businessman Perry Johnson, has repeatedly accused him of seeking to benefit from his race during the campaign, calling him a “DEI candidate” and accusing him of “using the race card.”