Skip to content
  • Hot News Today
  • Fashion News
  • Automotive News
  • Technology News
  • Movie News
  • Health News
  • About Us
    • Advertise Here
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Sitemap
Copyright United Dairy News 2025
Theme by ThemeinProgress
Proudly powered by WordPress
  • Hot News Today
  • Fashion News
  • Automotive News
  • Technology News
  • Movie News
  • Health News
  • About Us
    • Advertise Here
    • Contact Us
    • Privacy Policy
    • Sitemap
United Dairy News
  • You are here :
  • Home
  • Automotive News
  • Former Pontiac dealer Kevin Rinke commits $10 million in GOP bid to be governor of Michigan
Former Pontiac dealer Kevin Rinke commits  million in GOP bid to be governor of Michigan
Automotive News

Former Pontiac dealer Kevin Rinke commits $10 million in GOP bid to be governor of Michigan

Eleanore Beatty November 23, 2021 Article

DETROIT — Kevin Rinke, who amassed a fortune in car dealerships and traumatic brain injury care, is committing $10 million of his personal wealth toward seeking the Republican nomination for governor of Michigan and unseating incumbent Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Rinke, the former owner of Rinke Automotive Group, enters the crowded field of 11 Republicans vying to take on Whitmer in the November 2022 election.

On Monday, Rinke kicked off his campaign with a television ad airing in Michigan that draws on his roots as owner of one of the best-performing Pontiac car dealerships in the world.

The ad features Rinke driving a 1969 Pontiac GTO muscle car on a race track and compared Whitmer to a Yugo, the Yugoslavian compact car that’s often considered in the auto industry to be among the worst vehicles ever built.

“Gretchen Whitmer, she’s straight out of the assembly line of disastrous career politicians,” Rinke says in the ad. “She’s a Yugo.”

Rinke, 60, who resides in Bloomfield Township, has been largely out of the metro Detroit automotive dealership scene for more than a decade after selling Rinke Automotive Group to Penske Automotive Group (formerly UnitedAuto Group) in 2000.

Rinke Automotive Group was once one of General Motors’ top-ranking dealership groups globally. Kevin Rinke’s cousin, Ed Rinke, owns Ed Rinke Chevrolet Buick GMC in Center Line, Mich.

After selling his dealerships to Roger Penske, Kevin Rinke worked for UnitedAuto Group in the early 2000s before becoming an executive at Sonic Automotive, another large publicly traded dealership group.

Rinke is focusing his campaign on Whitmer, even though he’ll have to knock off retired Detroit police chief James Craig, conservative commentator Tudor Dixon, Kalamazoo chiropractor Garrett Soldano and seven other lesser-known candidates in a Republican primary next August.

Wide-ranging interview

In an interview Monday with Crain’s Detroit Business, an affiliate of Automotive News, Rinke was critical of one of Whitmer’s signature achievements — sweeping changes to Michigan’s auto no-fault insurance system.

“The bill that was signed (by Whitmer) made promises that it really hasn’t kept,” Rinke said. “And the folks that have been injured that had valid claims have suffered based on how the bill was written and I think that it needs more work.”

After Rinke left the automotive dealership business, he purchased Cassell & Associates, two post-acute traumatic brain injury rehabilitation clinics in Novi and Warren that care for injured motorists. He later sold those facilities to Boston-based NeuroRestorative.

Rinke is not the first multimillionaire to self-fund a campaign for Michigan governor.

Amway heir and West Michigan billionaire Dick DeVos spent a record $36 million in 2006 in an unsuccessful bid to topple incumbent Democratic Gov. Jennifer Granholm.

The $11 million Ann Arbor venture capitalist Rick Snyder spent in 2010 helped him pull off an upset victory in the Republican primary that year against four career GOP politicians — and go on to win the governor’s office.

Name recognition

Rinke said he’s spending $10 million to “get out the message” and boost his name identification among Michigan Republican primary voters.

“This is going to be an expensive race for governor,” Rinke told Crain’s. “I’m willing to invest in the people of Michigan with my own funds because I have something to offer.”

Michigan Democratic Party spokesperson Rodericka Applewhaite said Monday that Rinke is attempting to “buy” the governor’s office.

“Though he plans to set himself apart by trying to buy this election, he stands with the rest of the field in his extreme views and his sole focus on relitigating an election that happened over a year ago over issues that matter to Michigan families” Applewhaite said in a statement.

“Michiganders deserve a governor that’s actually going to fight for working families and the issues they care about, like the recently signed infrastructure law that will invest in fixing local roads and create good-paying jobs.”

You may also like

How to Choose the Best Stainless Steel Coils for Your Project

Is A Powder Coating Oven Suitable for Automotive Projects?

Things to Avoid When Selling Your Car on Car Selling Sites

E-fuels explained with their benefits

Porsche and Ferrari at the center of e-fuel debate

Subaru exec shuffle: New CEO named; Tom Doll to step down as U.S. chief

Tags: Bid, commits, dealer, GOP, governor, Kevin, Michigan, million, Pontiac, Rinke

Archives

  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021

Calendar

July 2025
M T W T F S S
 123456
78910111213
14151617181920
21222324252627
28293031  
« Dec    

Categories

  • Automotive News
  • Business Tips
  • Fashion News
  • Health News
  • Home Improvements
  • Hot News Today
  • Law News
  • Movie News
  • Technology News

Recent Posts

  • How Does Web Hosting Affect Search Engine Ranking?
  • How to Choose the Best Stainless Steel Coils for Your Project
  • Understanding VPS Hosting Basics
  • Generate Buzz for Your Summer Fashion Collection With These 10 Strategies
  • Aging with Dignity: How Assisted Living Improves Quality of Life for Seniors

Archives

  • December 2024
  • November 2024
  • September 2024
  • August 2024
  • July 2024
  • February 2024
  • January 2024
  • December 2023
  • November 2023
  • October 2023
  • September 2023
  • August 2023
  • July 2023
  • June 2023
  • May 2023
  • April 2023
  • March 2023
  • February 2023
  • January 2023
  • December 2022
  • November 2022
  • October 2022
  • September 2022
  • August 2022
  • July 2022
  • June 2022
  • May 2022
  • April 2022
  • March 2022
  • February 2022
  • January 2022
  • December 2021
  • November 2021
  • October 2021

Visit Here

Home Garden

Copyright United Dairy News 2025 | Theme by ThemeinProgress | Proudly powered by WordPress

We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies.
Cookie settingsACCEPT
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT