Ryan Kelley.Photo: JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP/ Getty
New poll numbers out of Michigan show that Republican gubernatorial candidate Ryan Kelley seemingly rose in popularity after the FBI arrested him on charges related to theJan. 6, 2021, insurrection.
On June 9, Kelley — one of five candidates hoping to clinch the Republican nomination for governor in August’s primary — wastaken into custody at his Allendale, Mich., homeand charged with four misdemeanors: entering restricted grounds, disorderly conduct on restricted grounds, engaging in an act of physical violence toward a person or property on restricted grounds, and willfully damaging U.S. property.
Kelley, who could face up to a year in prison for each charge if convicted, was released from custody a short while later on his own recognizance, meaning he did not have to post bail. During a hearing Thursday, a federal judge ruled that he may not possess a firearm or travel out of state in most circumstances pending trial.
TheFree Presswas quick to note that 45% of Republicans surveyed remain undecided and the margin of error is plus or minus 4.9 percentage points, meaning Kelley is far from a shoo-in, especially with several weeks until the primary election.
Still, the poll determined he is the best-recognized and most respected one in the pack, with 39% viewing him favorably — a significant triumph consideringthe former frontrunners were recently disqualified from the racefor filing fraudulent signatures, throwing the election into upheaval and leaving no obvious nominee.
Jeff Timmer, former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party, tells PEOPLE that Kelley’s amplified popularity shows how “dangerous” Republicans in the state have become.
Asked if the other gubernatorial candidates are better equipped to represent the GOP in November, Timmer says they are all “just different versions” of Kelley and “threats to free and fair elections.”
“[They’d all] criminalize women who have abortions. They all want to arm classroom teachers with guns. They all oppose LGBTQ equality,” he says. “They’re all groveling for Trump’s attention andendorsement.”
Kelley himself has shared similar sentiments since his arrest, shrugging off the federal charges as “just more Washington, D.C. meddling in Michigan’s elections” at an event on Tuesday.
The Michigan primary is scheduled for Aug. 2. Whichever candidate wins the Republican nomination will face Democratic Gov.Gretchen Whitmerin the November general election.
source: people.com
