Anti-Lockdown Advocate Announces Run for Governor Against Whitmer

A Michigan chiropractor who was outspoken in his criticism of Michigan's lockdown orders during the pandemic has announced that he is running for governor of Michigan in 2022.

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Who is Garrett Soldano?

Garrett Soldano, a Republican from Kalamazoo, helped with an effort to repeal Governor Gretchen Whitmer's executive powers last spring as the coronavirus pandemic began. He started the Facebook page “Michiganders Against Excessive Quarantine” which had roughly 380,000 followers, according to the Associated Press. The page was later shut down by Facebook for violating the social media company's standards and practices.

The 42-year-old chiropractor was also the co-chairman of Unlock Michigan, the group that campaigned to repeal the law used by Whitmer to put mandatory lockdowns in place.

Soldano has aligned himself with Donald Trump

In an 11-minute video used to announce his bid for governor, Soldano likens himself to former President Donald Trump.

“Like President Trump, I’m not a politician and I’ve never run for office before,” Soldano said. “Michigan needs a governor who will restore the freedoms that Gretchen Whitmer has stripped away from all of us.”

Soldano is zealous in his criticism of mask mandates.

His YouTube channel has more than 7,000 followers, according to The Detroit News. One video from last month was titled, 'No More Face Diaper Mandates.'

"There are many, many states that are releasing the mask mandate which should never, ever have been put in place to begin with," Soldano said in the video.

Michigan Democratic leaders scoff at Soldano

Democratic leaders have called Soldano a "fringe candidate" and "a snake oil salesman." He's one of five Republicans who have announced that they will be running against Democratic Governor Gretchen Whitmer next year.

They say this indicates that GOP leaders are "unable to recruit a reliable contender."

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