Tudor Dixon's running mate pick to be challenged by Primary loser Ralph Rebandt

Tudor Dixon's pick of Shane Hernandez as running mate readies for challenge by Ralph Rebandt

The Rev. Ralph Rebandt finished last with 4 percent of the vote in the five-person GOP primary for governor. But during the campaign he reports many told him if he lost, he should run for lt. governor - so now he is.

LANSING, Mich. (FOX 2) - The Michigan Republican Party may be headed for a showdown vote Saturday - over who will be the running mate for Tudor Dixon.

She wants a former state lawmaker from Port Huron, while one of the defeated GOP candidates for governor, Ralph Rebandt, thinks he has a better than 50-50 shot at winning the nomination.

Normally a candidate for governor gets to pick his or her running mate and the party convention rubber stamps that choice, but Dixon and Shane Hernandez are facing an unwanted challenge.

The Rev. Ralph Rebandt finished last with 4 percent of the vote in the five-person GOP primary for governor. But during the campaign, he reports many told him if he lost he should run for lt. governor - so now he is.

But it comes much to the chagrin of Tudor Dixon who has to fight another intra-party battle on Saturday at the state GOP party convention.

Her side got a boost as former President Donald Trump endorsed her candidate for the second spot on the ticket.

The challenger claims he is not hurt by the Trump endorsement, in fact, he thinks it could backfire.

FOX 2: "Is it possible some of the delegates will object to being told what to do by Mr. Trump?"

"It's what I've read. I've read comments about that," Rebandt said.

He says his team is contacting all the convention delegates, many of whom didn't vote for Dixon, but he doesn't know how many votes he has.

"I don't know how many, but I can tell you it appears to be huge," he said.

And the challenger is hoping the "marginalized grassroots" whose voices have not been heard, will hand Dixon a loss at the hands of her own party and make him the running mate she didn't want.

Which is why the Dixon campaign is fighting back to avoid an embarrassing loss that Democrats would exploit.