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Donna Brandenburg
U.S. Taxpayers candidate for Governor / Lt. Governor, Michigan · Open seat
Business owner/entrepreneur; chair of the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan
Donna Brandenburg is a Byron Center business owner and chairs the U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan. She was the party's 2022 nominee for governor after being kept off that year's Republican primary ballot over fraudulent petition signatures, and she won the party's 2026 nomination at its July convention. Her running mate for lieutenant governor is Robert Donald Cowper II.
Where Brandenburg stands
- Priorities
- Says her priorities are individual rights, full financial audits of state government and its departments, election integrity, and addressing what she calls weaponization of the justice system.
- Taxes and school choice
- Proposes eliminating the property tax and the state income tax, which she calls unlawful.
- Size and accountability of government
- Proposes a state Department of Government Efficiency to cut waste and bureaucracy, plus complete audits of state departments.
- Education
- Supports local control, parental involvement, individualized learning, pay tied to teacher results, and limits on student cell phone use during class.
- Economy and cost of living
- Proposes ending state corporate incentive deals, saying recent packages delivered few of the jobs promised. Supports cutting red tape so small manufacturers, farms, trades and family businesses can grow.
- Energy / utilities
- Says Michigan pays too much for electricity. Pledges to stop policies she says raise utility bills and to keep energy affordable through innovation.
- Environment / Line 5
- Says the DNR and EGLE have not protected natural resources. Proposes a complete audit of both agencies and an end to what she calls backroom deals that harm Michigan's ecology.
- Immigration / civil rights
- Supports lawful immigration and opposes immigrants depending on taxpayer-funded welfare. Proposes an audit of the immigration process and action against illegal-labor exploitation and human trafficking.
Background
- U.S. Taxpayers Party nominee for Michigan governor, 2026 (nominated at the party convention in July 2026)
- Chair, U.S. Taxpayers Party of Michigan
- U.S. Taxpayers Party nominee for governor, 2022 (about 0.4% of the vote, 16,246 votes)
- Disqualified from the 2022 Republican primary ballot over fraudulent petition signatures
- Business owner in real estate, farming, technology and energy
- Founder of Bereavement Research; horse rescue work
- Education: bachelor's degree
In the news
- Meet the candidates running for Michigan governor The Eastern Echo, October 16, 2026
- Who is running for Michigan governor? Meet the candidates running for the state's top job CBS Detroit, October 13, 2026
- Donna Brandenburg seeks governor's office on U.S. Taxpayers ticket Lansing Letter, October 7, 2026
Also running for Governor / Lt. Governor
- Jocelyn Benson Democratic
- John James Republican
- Anthony Hudson Libertarian
- Douglas Campbell Green
Sources
- VOTE411 (League of Women Voters) Michigan Governor voter guide
- Livingston County candidate filings, November 2026
- CBS Detroit candidate overview
- Ballotpedia: Donna Brandenburg
- Michigan Advance voter guide
- Lansing Letter
Last researched October 22, 2026. Written in neutral language from the sources above. Spot an error? See how to report it.