who is ahead in the republican governor race in MI

John James appears to be ahead right now in the Michigan Republican governor primary, but the race is very close. A recent poll showed James at 28%, Mike Cox at 27%, and Perry Johnson at 23%, which is basically a statistical dead heat at the top.

What the latest polling says

• John James: 28%

• Mike Cox: 27%

• Perry Johnson: 23%

• Aric Nesbitt: 4%

That means James is narrowly in front, but not by much.

Context

The broader Michigan governor race is still competitive, and general-election polling has also shown Democrats like Jocelyn Benson ahead in some matchups. For the GOP side specifically, the main takeaway is that the primary is tightly packed and can change quickly.

Bottom line

If you want the simplest answer: John James is the current Republican primary front-runner in Michigan, but only by a hair.