Grand Blanc trucker Anthony Hudson vows to scrap Michigan property taxes and halt data centers

Anthony Hudson, a trucking owner from Grand Blanc, has entered the 2026 Michigan governor's race with a promise to eliminate state property taxes and stop the construction of new data centers until the state legislature writes new rules. Hudson, who runs a trucking company that was forced to shut down during the 2020 pandemic, argues that the state government has grown too large and too intrusive for residents to bear the financial burden.

Hudson says his platform is based on a survey of more than 100,000 Michigan residents conducted before his candidacy. In that survey, property taxes ranked as the number one concern, followed by state income taxes and no-fault auto insurance. The candidate plans to scrap all three systems and replace annual vehicle registration with permanent license plates to reduce costs for drivers.

The state budget under Governor Gretchen Whitmer has reached $88 billion, up from $56 billion during the administration of former Governor Rick Snyder. Hudson contends that Michigan faces a spending addiction rather than a revenue shortfall. To replace the $21 billion in property tax revenue currently collected by counties and the state, he proposes eliminating several state agencies, including the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Southeast Michigan Regional Transportation Commission, the Michigan Department of Transportation, and the Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy.

On the issue of data centers, Hudson plans to impose a two-year moratorium on new construction. He intends to repeal Public Act 233, a 2023 law that streamlined permits for renewable energy projects over local objections. Hudson says he will return the decision to build data centers to local voters, arguing that if a majority of residents in a specific county vote against a project, the state must respect that result.

Hudson is running under the Libertarian Party banner, though he previously appeared on ballots as a Republican. He notes that six of the nine members of the state Libertarian board opposed his nomination at the June convention and later issued a statement disavowing his candidacy. Hudson maintains that the delegates voted for him and that the party board failed to secure their preferred candidate.

The candidate says he is prepared to shut down the state government if legislators do not fulfill their oath of office. He cites former President Ronald Reagan, who described government as the problem rather than the answer. Hudson argues that elected officials are living in a better quality of life than the taxpayers who fund their salaries, and he wants to force them to return to their constitutional duties.

Hudson will face other candidates in the fall election as Michigan voters seek a replacement for Governor Whitmer, who is leaving office after two terms. The Libertarian candidate plans to continue campaigning across the state to explain his positions on taxes and local control.