(Michigan News Source is writing a series of profiles featuring the five GOP gubernatorial candidates on Michigan’s August 2 primary ballot. Today’s article highlights Kevin Rinke.)

How do you plan to distinguish yourself from the other candidates in the next five weeks? 

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“My business experience makes me the most qualified candidate to be the Chief Executive of the State of Michigan. After four failed years, we need a new kind of leadership. A governor who has decades of executive experience, who has signed the front and the back of a check, who listens to the people he leads, and empowers them to be part of the solution, rather than dictating the terms of their lives. We know business leaders solve problems differently than career politicians. Our next governor needs to be someone with proven leadership and proven results. Experience matters, details matter, scale of experience matters, and I plan to deliver that message to all Michiganders ahead of the August 2nd primary.”

While on the campaign trail, what are the two biggest problems Michiganders have told you they’re facing? How would your administration fix those problems? 

“Inflation and our failing education system are two of the top concerns I hear while discussing Michigan’s future with voters.

Inflation: Politicians in the Lansing establishment are drunk on spending and dedicated to growing the size of government. They oppose me because they know as governor, I won’t back down in my efforts to shrink the size of government and reduce taxes for Michigan families and small businesses. I will serve the needs of the people and will fight as hard as I can against the Lansing establishment which is determined to stop me. I am the only candidate in the race who has promised to eliminate the personal state income tax by January 1, 2024, so we can let Michigan families and small businesses spend money on their priorities, not on the priorities of the government in Lansing.

Education: Parental rights will be my focus as governor because as a parent myself I understand nobody cares more about the needs of our kids. Parents not only have the right to be involved in their children’s education, but their involvement is also vital to allowing our young people to achieve the education to which they are entitled. Under a Rinke administration, our schools will focus on the basics of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Gender studies and CRT do nothing to prepare our kids for the challenges of the real world. Our kids will be prepared for a college career if that’s the path they chose, and if not, they will be exposed to vocational education that leads to great paying jobs without the student debt that burdens so many of our young people. Every Michigan family also deserves to have the choice of quality education regardless of their zip code, and I will lead the fight to make sure they have that choice.”

What’s specifically at stake for Michigan in August and November?

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“I decided to run for governor because Michigan has been home for my entire life. I built my business here, I raised my family here, and I love Michigan. Michigan and our country are at a tipping point. Small businesses have shuttered across the state, parents are burdened by an unreliable educational system, forced isolation has put the mental health of our most vulnerable at risk, and continued economic uncertainty has many here worried about the future. If we don’t elect someone with business experience, I am afraid we will continue down this bleak path. I am running to be your governor to reignite Midwestern resilience and put the power back where it belongs – in the hands of the people. We will rejuvenate our state’s economy and small businesses, repair our children’s education, restore quality to our elections, and ensure our communities are safe and supported. This will restore the faith of the good people of Michigan.”

Currently, the Michigan governor does not have to respond to FOIA requests. Would you work to rescind this?

“When Gretchen Whitmer ran for office, she promised one of her first acts as governor would be to open her office and the legislature to FOIA. Not only did she fail to do this, but she also actually forced her failed Director of the Unemployment Bureau and Health and Human Services Director to sign a non-disclosure agreement. Gretchen Whitmer and members of the legislature are fixtures of the Lansing establishment and the last thing they want is transparency. I’m not a politician; I’m a businessman. As governor, I will open the legislature and the Executive Office of the Governor to FOIA so all of Michigan can see how their elected leaders are spending the people’s hard earned tax dollars. The Lansing establishment thinks it’s their money, but I know every penny the state government spends and every action it takes must be in service to the people.”

The current administration (Gov. Whitmer, Attorney General Dana Nessel, and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson) only responds to media requests or ignores the inquiries. How does your administration plan to communicate with the media and the public?

For more information on Kevin Rinke’s campaign, visit here.