Why Isn't the Media Trumpeting Michigan's First Black Governor?

Michigan’s corporate media has a convenient blind spot. You’d think they’d be excited that Congressman John James could become Michigan’s first black governor. But alas, he’s a conservative. Thus his historic candidacy and nomination has been met with total silence from media, Democrats, and activists who usually gush about anyone who breaks through a glass ceiling.

Jennifer Granholm’s campaign for Michigan’s attorney general in 1998 resulted in two historic firsts: Michigan’s first female attorney general and its first female governor. Much of her success was founded on another first in state politics: the emergence of the high-propensity female voters and media adulation for the Democrats. Granholm won fair and square, but the fact of the matter is the media wanted that story and they got it.

Fast forward a couple decades to 2025 and another historic first was celebrated by the media. Detroit’s first black female mayor, Mary Sheffield, was elected. It would be impossible to count the number of think pieces and news reels foaming in excitement over Sheffield.

Nationally, this media fixation on “firsts” is a major reason why Pete Buttigieg, a heteronormative gay man and former transportation secretary with virtually zero appeal, continues to be mentioned ad nauseam as a potential future president. The media simply can’t let go of the notion of the first gay Commander-in-Chief.

You might notice a pattern. All of these firsts were Democrats who shared the Left’s consensus on racial diversity, gender politics, and expanding the social safety nets.

The rule of firsts seemingly doesn’t apply to Republicans or conservatives.

John James is closer to breaking Michigan’s glass ceiling than any black Michigander before him, and the media ignores it, not because Michigan voters don’t care—nobody cares, actually—but because James is a Republican and hasn’t bent the knee to the progressive consensus.

Average people don’t care about glass ceilings, and even the minority communities these celebrations are meant to excite are caring less and less. Gushing news reels of historic firsts are now met with eye-rolls, shrugs, and sarcasm.

John James hasn’t branded his campaign with any historic sense of racial awakening or destiny. He hasn’t even hinted in the direction of victimhood.

When picking a running mate, James chose Jay DeBoyer, the state legislator from St. Clair County, generally perceived as a good and sound choice, a gasp was heard on X as the Michigan media angrily typed “All Male Republican Slate” into their screens. You read that right, folks. Not only did they ignore the first black governor, they lamenting there were too many men on the ticket.

Contrast that with Benson, never a first in any regard, except her Wikipedia page using the phrase “youngest woman to ever lead an accredited law school,” which is more suspicious than impressive.

Her pick for running mate, former HR manager Winnie Brinks, who brings the excitement of a co-host of SNL’s schweaty ball skit, received glowing praise for being the first female leader of the Michigan Senate. Apparently people should care more about her gender than the fact she couldn’t keep her own party in line with the second female governor of Michigan. 

Americans have had a front row seat to so many historic “firsts” over the past three decades that it’s a tired old trope.

It’s a breath of fresh air to watch a black dude make a run for Michigan’s top job on policy and ideas rather than on some notion of “It’s time for (Insert gender or race identifier).”

But the media doesn’t like this. John James doesn’t fit their preconceived notions. He won’t parrot the slogans. A black conservative is annoying to them. So Michigan’s media elite finds itself forced to write about why a black man is wrong for Michigan.