SCOOP: Trump ally Kid Rock jumps into key governor's race with high-profile endorsement

EXCLUSIVE - Detroit native and cultural icon Kid Rock is taking sides in the race for Michigan governor.

The famed musician and entertainer with a working-class persona who is known for his conservative political views is endorsing Republican Rep. John James in the 2026 race to succeed term-limited Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

The Michigan governor's office and a Democrat-controlled open U.S. Senate seat are top targets for the GOP to flip in November's midterm elections.

"As our next Governor of Michigan, I know you will bring many victories to our GREAT STATE!" Kid Rock, whose real name is Robert James Ritchie, said in a statement shared first with Fox News Digital on Sunday.

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James, who's in his second term representing a swing congressional district in suburban Detroit, said in a statement, "Kid Rock is a good friend. We share our love for Detroit, the state of Michigan and the United States of America!"

"I'm honored to have the endorsement of this unapologetic freedom-loving patriot and I look forward to working with him and every other Michigander to make Michigan great again!" added James, a West Point graduate and veteran of the Iraq War, and a businessman who was the 2018 and 2020 Republican Senate nominee in the Great Lakes battleground state.

Kid Rock's backing of James comes a couple of hours before the singer and songwriter headlines Turning Point USA's "All-American Halftime Show" during the Super Bowl.

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Kid Rock is an outspoken supporter of President Donald Trump, backing him in all three of his presidential campaigns. He performed his song "American Bad Ass" at the 2024 Republican National Convention with altered lyrics to showcase his support for Trump.

Trump, whose sway over the GOP remains immense and whose endorsements in Republican primaries are highly coveted and extremely influential, to date has not weighed in on Michigan's gubernatorial race.

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A release from James's campaign highlighted that "John James has stood with President Trump consistently since 2018, and every subsequent election, maintaining a clear and steady alignment when others backed his opponents, ran against him, or stayed silent."

The James campaign also emphasized that "Kid Rock and John James share deep Detroit roots and a common view of Michigan as a state defined by hard work, manufacturing, culture, and natural beauty - from the Great Lakes to the communities that power the Midwest economy."

James is the clear polling front-runner in a very crowded field of Republicans vying for the GOP nomination in the August primary. Among the other Republicans in the race are former Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox, Michigan Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, former state House of Representatives Speaker Mike Leonard, and businessman Perry Johnson, a longshot candidate for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination who is making his second bid for governor.

Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson is the clear front-runner among three candidates for the Democratic nomination.

Former three-term Democratic Mayor Mike Duggan of Detroit is campaigning for governor as an independent.

The race in Michigan is rated a toss-up by three top nonpartisan political handicappers: the Cook Report, Inside Elections, and Sabato's Crystal Ball.