A Michigan man who rallied against Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s COVID-19 regulations has announced his candidacy in the state’s upcoming gubernatorial race, The Associated Press reported.
Garrett Soldano, a Republican chiropractor who will run against Whitmer in 2022, released an 11-minute video Wednesday jump-starting his campaign that includes a local barber who opened his shop despite shutdown orders in the state.
Soldano likened himself to former President Trump in a statement announcing his candidacy.
“Like President Trump, I’m not a politician and I’ve never run for office before,” Soldano said in a statement, according to the AP. “Michigan needs a governor who will restore the freedoms that Gretchen Whitmer has stripped away from all of us.”
Soldano was involved in various attempts to halt Whitmer’s efforts to curb the spread of the coronavirus, acting as co-chairman of the GOP-affiliated ballot initiative Unlock Michigan that would repeal the law the governor used to enact her mandatory COVID-19 lockdown.
He also started a Facebook group called “Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine” that was eventually banned by the social media platform.
Michigan Democrats have slammed Soldano, dubbing him a “snake oil salesman,” the AP reported.
Soldano is now the most well-known Republican contender in the race against Whitmer, according to The Detroit News.