Anthony Hudson, a truck driver and U.S. Army veteran from Atlas, Michigan, is running for governor as the Libertarian Party's nominee in the Nov. 3, 2026, general election.
Hudson remains the Libertarian candidate on Michigan’s ballot, although the state party publicly disavowed his campaign in September. Hudson responded by rejecting the party’s leadership on his X account, Michigan Advance reported.
Hudson told Surround Sound News in a candidate questionnaire that he entered the race because he is frustrated with the two major parties. "I'm tired of the tyrannical two party system taking advantage of the citizens of the state of Michigan," Hudson wrote. "I believe government should represent the people not dictate to the people what they have to do."
Candidate information
- Party: Libertarian
- Running mate: Beau Parmenter
- Hometown: Atlas, Michigan
- Birthplace: Hillsboro, Texas
- Education: High school
- Family: Two children in high school in Grand Blanc, Michigan. His oldest serves in the Michigan National Guard; his youngest plays football.
- Previous elected office: None
Experience and public service
Hudson served in the U.S. Army from 1999 to 2001, according to Ballotpedia. He describes himself as a lifelong blue-collar worker who has driven trucks for 21 years. Hudson told Surround Sound News he owned a trucking company for about 10 years and blamed Gov. Gretchen Whitmer for its closure during the pandemic. He moved to Michigan in 2012.
He received the Libertarian nomination in June.
On the issues
The following positions are drawn from Hudson's Surround Sound News candidate questionnaire responses and campaign website.
Taxes and cost of living: Hudson supports eliminating both property taxes and the Michigan state income tax. He said removing property taxes would make homeownership more affordable. "First and foremost, we can start by eliminating the property taxes, so it would be more affordable for people to buy and own their home outright," he wrote. He also supports making paid time off and sick time tax-exempt.
Education: Hudson proposes consolidating Michigan’s 537 traditional public school districts into 83 county-level districts.
“We could then take the administrator salaries and re-allocate those back into the new county school district without raising a single tax,” he told Surround Sound News in his written questionnaire.
Auto industry: Hudson favors prioritizing human workers over automation in vehicle manufacturing.
“I believe that we need to rely more on the human element when it comes to building cars and not so much the technology and AI being used to replace us,” he told Surround Sound News.
Energy and environment: Hudson opposes the expansion of solar farms, wind turbines and data centers in Michigan, saying they threaten farmland. On the Great Lakes, he said the state should stop data centers from draining aquifers.
Roads and infrastructure: Hudson proposes eliminating the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) and distributing funding equally to county road commissions. He said local commissions should handle every road in their county, with federal funds going through a bidding process to hire local contractors for interstate and bridge repairs.
Public safety: Hudson said he supports law enforcement funding and training but opposes the use of Flock surveillance cameras, which he called a violation of Fourth Amendment privacy rights.
