GOP gov candidate says COVID test for debate a ‘dealbreaker’
LANSING — One of five Republican candidates for governor invited to debate at the Mackinac Policy Conference says he will refuse to do so over the Detroit Regional Chamber’s policy requiring conference attendees to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test.
“This … is a dealbreaker,” Ottawa County real estate agent Ryan Kelley said Monday in an email to supporters.
“If I am required to play the radical lefts COVID game, I will decline participation,” he said.
“Even for an opportunity this big, I will not give in on our principles and values. Medical freedom is a key component of my campaign.”
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Kelley, a harsh critic of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s early measures to address the pandemic, urged other Republican candidates invited to the debate to follow his lead, but there was no immediate indication whether that would happen.
Based on a poll the business group conducted of support for the 10 candidates who have submitted petition signatures to get on the primary ballot, the chamber invited former Detroit Police Chief James Craig, Oakland County businessman Perry Johnson, Kelley, Oakland County businessman Kevin Rinke, and Kalamazoo chiropractor Garrett Soldano to participate in the June 2 debate.
That means that barring some change, Norton Shores businesswoman Tudor Dixon, Michigan State Police Capt. Michael Brown of Stevensville, Byron Center businesswoman Donna Brandenburg, Farmington Hills Pastor Ralph Rebandt, and Grand Haven financial adviser Michael Markey would not be onstage with their competitors.
Several of the candidates have said they are vaccinated.
Detroit Regional Chamber spokeswoman Catia Sabak said officials were reviewing Kelley’s statement but had no immediate comment.
The chamber has said the debate will be held outdoors, making it somewhat unclear whether the conference COVID-19 requirements would apply.
Conference attendees are required to show that they are fully vaccinated, based on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s definition. That means they attend the conference at least two weeks after receiving a second shot of a two-dose vaccine, or at least two weeks after the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Alternatively, attendees can show a negative COVID-19 PCR test taken within 72 hours of the conference.
Contact Paul Egan: 517-372-8660 or [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @paulegan4. Read more on Michigan politics and sign up for our elections newsletter.
Read More: GOP gov candidate says COVID test for debate a ‘dealbreaker’