Tudor Dixon

Tudor Dixon (née Makary; born May 5, 1977) is an American businesswoman and conservative political commentator.[1] A member of the Republican Party, Dixon was the party's nominee for Governor of Michigan in the 2022 election. She lost to incumbent Democratic governor Gretchen Whitmer by a margin of 10.6 percentage points.[2][3][4][5]

Tudor Dixon
Born
Tudor Makary

(1977-05-05) May 5, 1977
NationalityAmerican
Alma materUniversity of Kentucky (BA)
Political partyRepublican
SpouseAaron Dixon
Children4
WebsiteOfficial website

Early life and education

Dixon grew up in Naperville, Illinois, the daughter of Vaughn Makary (died 2022) and Catherine Makary,[6] graduating from Naperville Central High School in 1995.[7] She is of partial Lebanese descent.[8]

Dixon received a Bachelor of Arts with a major in psychology from the University of Kentucky in 1998. In the 2000s, she moved to Muskegon in western Michigan.[9]

Career

Before her career in media, Dixon was an executive at her father's steel foundry.[10][11][12] She acted briefly in the late 2000s and early 2010s, appearing in the vampire web series Transitions: The Series and the low-budget horror film Buddy BeBop vs the Living Dead.[13][14] In 2017, Dixon co-founded Lumen Student News, a now-defunct news site that produced conservative-leaning lessons for grade school students.[6]

Conservative commentator

In 2018, she became a conservative commentator, anchoring the weekly program America's Voice Live on Real America's Voice, a streaming news and opinion channel.[6][15] Some of Dixon comments are that hijabs are oppressive garments and that Iranian parents are murdering daughters who marry without obtaining parental permission. She has also defended comedians' use of blackface.[16][12]

Following Joe Biden's victory in the 2020 US presidential election, Dixon promoted Donald Trump's attempts to overturn the election.[17][18][19] In May 2022 during a Republican debate, she affirmed her belief that Trump was the rightful winner of the election. Later that year, she would not say anything when asked if the 2020 presidential election was stolen.[20]

2022 Michigan gubernatorial candidacy

Dixon campaigning with Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin

In May 2021, Dixon announced her candidacy to become the Republican Party's nominee for Governor of Michigan in the 2022 election, seeking to challenge incumbent Democrat Gretchen Whitmer.[21] In a July 2022 Republican primary debate, Dixon pledged loyalty to Trump.[22] In a May 2022 debate, when asked "do you believe Donald Trump legitimately won the 2020 election in Michigan?," Dixon responded "Yes."[17] In subsequent media appearances, Dixon would not say whether she still held that belief.[17][23]

Trump endorsed Dixon after Trump's former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos wrote a letter to the former president, asking him to support Dixon, whom DeVos termed "the only one who can stand toe to toe with" Whitmer.[24] In August 2022, Dixon won the Republican primary.[3]

Dixon was endorsed by Trump,[25] the DeVos family,[26] former acting director of national intelligence Richard Grennell,[6] representative for Michigan's 2nd congressional district Bill Huizenga,[27] and former Democratic representative for Hawaii's 2nd congressional district Tulsi Gabbard.[28]

In the general election Dixon lost, doing "nearly eight points worse than the base Republican vote", according to Paul Cordes, chief of staff of the Michigan Republican Party.[29] On November 9, she called Governor Whitmer to concede the race.[30]

Political positions

Abortion

Dixon supports a ban on all abortions except solely when necessary to save the life of the pregnant woman,[31] and would oppose any exceptions for rape or incest.[32] She has also said she does not believe the mother's health is a sufficient reason, saying that the "health of the mother and life of the mother are different."[33] In an interview, she described the example of a 14-year-girl raped by her uncle as a "perfect example" of an abortion that she believes should be prohibited, adding, "a life is a life for me."[31][34] In follow-up interviews, she has repeated her belief that there should be no exceptions for victims of rape and incest.[35]

COVID-19

In a June 2020 episode of her America's Voice Live show, Dixon said "our kids are not at risk" of catching COVID-19. When Gretchen Whitmer brought this up during an October 2022 debate, Dixon denied making the comment and said "My own children have had COVID, so I would never say that."[36][37]

Following an October 2022 decision to include COVID-19 vaccines on the CDC's optional immunization recommendation schedule,[38] Dixon alleged that "liberal policymakers are pushing COVID-19 vaccines on our children and forcing parents out of the process". According to Michigan Advance, the state "does not have a vaccine mandate for COVID-19 and unvaccinated children are not precluded from attending school"; the media outlet further noted that "This is not the first time Dixon has touted misinformation about COVID-19 and children".[39][40]

In a June 2020 episode of her show, Dixon invoked a conspiracy theory that the COVID-19 pandemic was part of a plot that Democrats have planned for decades in order to topple the United States.[41]

Education

Dixon plans to found Education Savings Accounts, which can hold funding for students to use on various options of schools.[42][43] In order to establish Education Savings Accounts, she has called for the repeal of the state's constitutional provision prohibiting public funding of private schools.[42] The DeVos family shares this end goal, for which it has been advocating for years.[42][43]

Dixon proposed a piece of legislation that would ban teachers from talking about sexual orientation or gender identity with K-3 students.[44] She called for the resignation of the leader of Michigan's Department of Education due to LGBT training materials, stating that "our schools are laboratories for their social experiments and our children are their lab rats."[45]

In June 2022, Dixon spoke in support of a bill that would prohibit drag shows in public schools and permit parents and guardians to sue schools that host drag shows.[46] Critics highlighted the lack of evidence for such events in Michigan schools,[9] and they pointed out that drag shows were not defined in the bill.[46]

Equal rights

Dixon has made public comments that have been condemned as racist by a journalist and an activist, such as calling hijabs oppressive garments and defending the usage of blackface.[47] She thinks that Planned Parenthood aims to control the black population and that the George Floyd protests were part of a scheme by Democrats to take down Donald Trump, which a journalists reports as being conspiracy theories.[48][49] During her campaign for governor, Dixon made a gender-based attack, suggesting her opponent is not a "real woman".[50]

Fiscal policy

Dixon supports tax cuts, especially by ending the state's flat income tax of 4.25%,[51] which makes up one-sixth of the state's total budget.[52] Her plan to replace revenue lost by the tax cut relies on tourists from other states.[53] Dixon has vowed not to cut police funding.[54] Dixon has criticized Gretchen Whitmer for her order to shut down the Line 5 pipeline, arguing that the closing will only lead to an increase in energy prices.[55] She has also criticized Whitmer's policies regarding nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic.[56] Dixon, whose grandmother died at a nursing home amid the pandemic,[57] accused Whitmer of being "ruled by fear".[56]

Voting policies

Dixon supports the Michigan Voter ID Initiative.[6] If passed, the initiative would require governmental ID to vote, end the sending of unsolicited applications for absentee ballots, abolish ballot drop boxes, prohibit ballot harvesting, restrict election expenses to be publicly funded, and toughen punishments for election fraud.[6][58][59] Dixon also called for an audit of the 2020 election results in Michigan.[6]

Personal life

Dixon is married to Aaron William Dixon, a financial controller,[6] and they have four daughters.[60] She is a breast cancer survivor, having been diagnosed in 2015.[21][61]

Dixon is an evangelical Christian.[62]

Dixon considers acting a hobby and has appeared in low-budget horror films.[63]

References

  1. "Conservative commentator Tudor Dixon wins Michigan GOP governor primary". PBS NewsHour. 2 August 2022. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  2. "Tudor Dixon wins Michigan GOP primary for governor". NBC News. 3 August 2022. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  3. Mauger, Craig. "Michigan Republican Party calls Tudor Dixon winner of primary race for governor". The Detroit News. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  4. Breuninger, Kevin (3 August 2022). "Trump-backed gubernatorial candidate Tudor Dixon wins Michigan Republican primary". CNBC. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  5. Epstein, Reid J. (2022-08-02). "Live Updates: Tudor Dixon Gets G.O.P. Nod to Challenge Gov. Whitmer in Michigan". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-08-03.
  6. Egan, Paul (January 12, 2022). "GOP candidate Tudor Dixon calls Whitmer 'Michigan's original insurrectionist' in video". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on January 12, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  7. Zhao, Jeremy (December 2, 2022). "Central Class of 1995 runs for Michigan Governor". Central Times. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  8. Chinni, Dante (2022-11-05). "3 Michigan communities see upcoming election through different lenses". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2023-07-12.
  9. Grieve, Jack (August 2, 2022). "How did Tudor Dixon get into politics anyway? All about Michigan's Republican candidate for governor". Crain's Detroit Business. Archived from the original on August 9, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  10. Reardon, Doug (29 July 2022). "GOP Candidate Profile: Tudor Dixon; steel exec., conservative talk show host". FOX 17 West Michigan News (WXMI). Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  11. Ulloa, Jazmine; Smith, Mitch (13 October 2022). "Five Takeaways From the Michigan Governor's Debate". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 October 2022.
  12. Robinson, Samuel (July 27, 2022). "Trump endorsement looms over foggy gubernatorial primary". Axios. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  13. Hardy, Laura (August 10, 2022). "Did Tudor Dixon Actually Star In A Zombie Movie?". Mix 95.7FM.
  14. Mauger, Craig (May 6, 2022). "Michigan governor hopeful Tudor Dixon eaten by zombies in horror film". The Detroit News.
  15. Egan, Paul (May 20, 2021). "Conservative TV commentator Tudor Dixon says she is running for Michigan governor". Detroit Free Press. Archived from the original on May 31, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
  16. Neavling, Steve (27 Oct 2022). "Dixon defended blackface, blasted hijabs on her TV show". Michigan Advance. Retrieved 11 Nov 2022.
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  21. Eggert, David (May 20, 2021). "Conservative online host announces run for Michigan governor". Associated Press. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
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  23. Murray, Sara; Simon, Jeff (August 1, 2022). "Trump's choice in Michigan gubernatorial primary faces criticism that she isn't 'MAGA' enough". CNN. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
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  27. Mauger, Craig (December 21, 2021). "U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga endorses Tudor Dixon for Michigan governor". The Detroit News. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
  28. Jones, Kipp (October 20, 2022). "Allegedly Pro-Choice Tulsi Gabbard Will Campaign for Tudor Dixon – Who Opposes Abortion for Rape Victims". Mediaite. Retrieved October 31, 2022 via MSN.
  29. Edsall, Thomas B. (November 16, 2022). "The Red Wave Didn't Just Vanish". The New York Times. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
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  31. Dress, Brad (July 21, 2022). "Michigan GOP governor candidate says abortion ban should include cases of rape, incest". The Hill. Archived from the original on July 27, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2022.
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  33. Trump's Gal Tudor Dixon Wants to be Your Gov.-- One on One Lunch with Charlie LeDuff Part 1., retrieved 2022-08-04
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  38. McPhillips, Deidre (October 20, 2022). "Covid-19 vaccines will be on the 2023 vaccine schedule, but that doesn't mean they're required in schools". CNN. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
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  46. Hermani, Jordyn (June 30, 2022). "Dixon, lawmakers look to ban drag shows from schools despite lack of evidence this occurs". MLive.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
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  59. Friske, Katheryne (July 21, 2022). "On the issues: Election reform". Michigan Radio. Archived from the original on August 5, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
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  61. Oosting, Jonathan (June 29, 2022). "Drag queens and MAGA: Tudor Dixon fights culture wars in Michigan governor bid". Bridge Michigan. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
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  63. Mauger, Craig. "Michigan governor hopeful Tudor Dixon eaten by zombies in gory horror film". The Detroit News.
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