LANSING, Mich. — Republican candidate for governor John James has chosen state Rep. Jay DeBoyer of St. Clair County as his running mate, putting someone who has spent two years investigating Michigan Democrats in a key place on the ballot this fall. DeBoyer, 56, who's in his second House term, has been a prominent legislator, serving as the chairman of the House Oversight Committee. He's led ...

U.S. Congressman John James' election night watch party for Michigan's Republican primary for governor, over businessman Perry Johnson, at the Associated Builders and Contractors of Southeastern Michigan in Sterling Heights, Mich., on Aug. 4, 2026.

Daniel Mears/The Detroit News/TNS

LANSING, Mich. — Republican candidate for governor John James has chosen state Rep. Jay DeBoyer of St. Clair County as his running mate, putting someone who has spent two years investigating Michigan Democrats in a key place on the ballot this fall.

DeBoyer, 56, who's in his second House term, has been a prominent legislator, serving as the chairman of the House Oversight Committee. He's led the Republican caucus's efforts to probe the actions of Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's administration, Democratic Attorney General Dana Nessel and Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

"I am choosing Jay DeBoyer as my running mate because he has run a business, served in local government and overseen elections," James wrote in a post on X. "He knows how to work with both parties in the Legislature to get things done."

James added, "He will lead the fight against corruption, fraud, waste and abuse, protecting core services while fixing what’s broken."

Benson of Detroit is the Democratic nominee for governor this year. She is expected to name her running mate next week.

In an interview, DeBoyer described himself as a lifelong Republican and said his oversight committee would continue to examine Benson's time as secretary of state while he campaigns against her with James.

“I’m not in this for politics," DeBoyer said of running for office. "I’m in it sincerely because Michigan needs to be improved."

James, a member of the U.S. House from Shelby Township, became the Republican gubernatorial nominee in the Aug. 4 primary election. He defeated businessman Perry Johnson of Bloomfield Township, who spent about $30 million of his own money on his campaign.

On the campaign trail, James has been promoting his bid to be Michigan's next governor as a needed change from Whitmer's eight years leading the state. DeBoyer, who's heavily scrutinized both Whitmer and Benson, could help James attempt to make his argument that a different party should control state government for the next four years.

DeBoyer's selection also means the GOP will have an all-male top of the ticket with former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers as the U.S. Senate candidate, Eaton County Prosecutor Doug Lloyd as the attorney general candidate and Macomb County Clerk Anthony Forlini as the secretary of state candidate.

DeBoyer will have to give up the chance for a third term in the House to run for lieutenant governor. Republican officials in Macomb and St. Clair counties will have to pick a replacement for him on the ballot in the coming weeks.

Curtis Hertel Jr., chairman of the Michigan Democratic Party, blasted DeBoyer in a statement, saying DeBoyer would rather jump onto a "sinking ship" than "continue on House Republicans’ road to the minority."

"DeBoyer has voted in lockstep with Republicans’ extreme agenda in Lansing, peddled disproven election conspiracy theories, received thousands of dollars in campaign cash from the DeVos family and even refused to open an investigation into Jeffrey Epstein’s connections to a Michigan school," Hertel said.

Who is Jay DeBoyer?

Whitmer can't run for reelection this year because of the state's term limits.

Under Michigan Republican Party rules, James has until 5 p.m. Friday to submit the name of his running mate pick to the state GOP.

Republican delegates will gather Aug. 22 for a state convention in Mount Pleasant to vote on James' running mate pick. Delegates are widely expected to sign off on DeBoyer.

DeBoyer spent 12 years as clerk for St. Clair County and has operated a small business that specializes in engineered lumber. His father and grandfather were homebuilders, helping to get him into the lumber business, DeBoyer said.

In the House, DeBoyer was previously chosen to lead the Conservative Caucus, advocated for abolishing the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and co-sponsored a proposal to require people to provide a photo ID and proof of citizenship to vote.

The Oversight Committee under DeBoyer has examined child services problems within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, trooper complaints about leadership at Michigan State Police, poor living conditions within Michigan’s prison system and treasury department complaints about a lack of out-of-state audits.

The committee also has probed Benson’s ties to the Southern Poverty Law Center, where she once served on the board; her refusal to give clerk training materials to House lawmakers and the Department of State’s problematic transition to an error-plagued campaign finance filing system.

DeBoyer has often welcomed questions and probes from Democratic colleagues on the House Oversight Committee, including Democratic state Rep. Laurie Pohutsky’s efforts to look into problems at Michigan’s women’s prison. However, the chair has ignored some Democratic priorities, such as House Democrats' request to investigate Jeffrey Epstein’s ties to the Interlochen Center for the Arts.

DeBoyer previously said, in a letter addressing the demand for an Epstein-Interlochen investigation, that allegations of sexual misconduct, abuse or institutional wrongdoing are more of a matter for law enforcement.

Michigan needs a new direction on education and tax policy, DeBoyer argued in an interview Thursday.

“Literally freedom is on the ballot when you look at the future of our state,” DeBoyer said.

In Michigan, the lieutenant governor is the president of the Senate and can help usher a governor's legislative agenda through the Capitol.

Last week, The Detroit News reported that James was considering seven Republicans as his running mate, including former House Speaker Tom Leonard of DeWitt, state Sen. Ruth Johnson of Holly and former Attorney General Mike Cox of Livonia.

Leonard was one of the most discussed alternatives to DeBoyer. He has been among the most vocal opponents to large data center projects in the state. If James picked him, it would have signaled a potential focus on the topic for the fall campaign.

Looking back on his 2022 campaign

Leonard touted DeBoyer in a social media post Thursday morning.

"His work on oversight has made him one of the most effective committee chairs," Leonard wrote. "He’s also an incredible guy."

When DeBoyer ran for the state House in 2022, groups tied to west Michigan's powerful DeVos family backed his bid, while Republican President Donald Trump endorsed DeBoyer's primary opponent, Jacky Eubanks.

Trump had cited Eubanks' efforts to question the results of the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Democrat Joe Biden.

"She is an America first patriot, and I have no doubt that she will have a great future in the Republican Party," Trump said of Eubanks.

Yet, DeBoyer got 50% of the vote in the August 2022 primary. Eubanks, who spoke out against birth control, got 29%.

Mark Forton, the former chairman of the Macomb County Republican Party, supported Eubanks in the race. However, after DeBoyer won, Forton had lunch with him and ended up thinking he was a good guy, Forton said.

“I am so glad that he picked Jay DeBoyer,” Forton said of James.

Forton said other Republicans under consideration were the same "worn out" names. DeBoyer has been active and vocal, Forton added.

DeBoyer's official House biography describes him as "an avid hunter, fisher and boatsman."

Asked to name some of his favorite rivers and lakes in Michigan, DeBoyer listed the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, Torch Lake and the Pine River.

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