Michigan GOP gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon received a major endorsement Monday.
The announcement from businessman Dick DeVos came during a radio appearance on Detroit radio station WJR’s The Paul. W. Smith Show.
DeVos said he and his politically powerful family believe Dixon is willing to “step out and serve our state.”
“We think Tudor has, as a business leader, as a mom, has experience, the passion and a plan to put the state back on track,” DeVos said.
The DeVos family is a major player in Michigan politics with a record of heavily funding conservative efforts.
Dick DeVos himself ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2006. His wife, Betsy DeVos, has chaired the state's Republican Party and served as education secretary in the Trump administration.
Dixon, a businesswoman, former TV host and mother of four, said she’s honored to have the endorsement as the campaign enters a “new phase.”
“Our message is straightforward. We want Michigan to be the best state in the country to live in, work, run a business, raise a family and retire,” she said in a written statement.
The DeVos endorsement could help raise Dixon’s profile on a statewide level. Despite receiving the backing of some other political leaders in the state, including Senate Majority Leader Mike Shirkey (R-Clarklake), she lagged in recent polling from the Glengariff group.
Meanwhile, Dixon was among three Republicans running for governor facing a challenge to their filing paperwork due to issues with signatures. The other two were former Detroit Police Chief James Craig and businessman Perry Johnson.
Staff reports out Monday night from the Bureau of Elections found Dixon did have enough signatures to qualify for the primary ballot, though Craig, Johnson and three other GOP candidates did not.