COMPETING CONSULTANTS

Speaking of the Craig gubernatorial candidacy, when asked if it was off to a rocky start, one Republican insider responded: “It’s not off to a rocky start – he’s not even officially running yet. But he’s running.” Craig is in the organizational stage, debating who should be part of his team, including whether to go with consultant John Yob, who has worked with Michigan GOP Co-chair Ron Weiser and former governor Rick Snyder, or Bobby Schostak, former Republican party state chair, reportedly favored by former governor John Engler. One political wag speculated that Engler, who “still loves and cares about Michigan,” may or may not get involved in the 2022 race, no matter who’s on Craig’s team. Several GOP pundits shared the sentiment that “people are excited about Craig.” One of those, who had just been in the UP for a memorial service for former Sen. Tom Casperson (passed away from cancer at the end of 2020) added that even in the Upper Peninsula people are “very excited” about Craig running against Whitmer.