LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan Republican gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon chose former state Rep. Shane Hernandez of Port Huron as his running mate Friday in his bid to unseat Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. .
Hernández served two terms in the Michigan House of Representatives that ended in 2020, when he ran unsuccessfully for the United States House of Representatives. He chaired the powerful House Appropriations Committee on budget drafting for one term.
“Shane Hernandez as lieutenant governor will help improve our schools, create safer communities and improve our economy,” Dixon said in a statement.
Hernandez said Dixon’s “vision is the right one for Michigan and I believe we will defeat Whitmer and begin to repair the damage he has done to our families, students and business owners.”
Dixon announced his choice an hour before the GOP’s state deadline. At the state Republican convention on Aug. 27, delegates will vote on whether to approve his choice.
Whitmer’s Lieutenant Governor is Garlin Gilchrist II. The general elections are on November 8.
John Sellek, a Republican political strategist, said Hernandez’s selection “appears to be a solid pick by someone with a deep understanding of the state budget and the GOP’s street credibility from having come from the grassroots of the party.”