Michigan Senate candidate had armed protection during prior campaign

A candidate seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in Michigan had an armed security director who worked an average of six to seven days per week during his 2017-2018 campaign for governor. The former security director, a Marine combat veteran, said he provided protection for the candidate for two years and later resigned from a second campaign role in January 2026, citing concerns about the candidate's fitness for office.

Campaign statements and video A 2020 video from the University of Michigan shows the candidate questioning police funding and asking whether officers need guns. The candidate has stated during the current Senate campaign that he does not support defunding police.

The security director posted on X that the protection arrangement showed hypocrisy, adding that the candidate might lose to a Republican in a Democratic primary.

Additional comments and primary date The candidate has also said that Israel is "just as evil" as Hamas and described Michigan voters as "sad" over the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. His Democratic primary is scheduled for August 4. The candidate's campaign did not respond to requests for comment.