Updated, 10:02 a.m., 8/12/24, 9:55 a.m., 8/13/24
The nominees for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District came into focus Tuesday night, projecting a rematch of the 2022 race with incumbent U.S. Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.) and Democrat Carl Marlinga, a former judge.
James, a freshman lawmaker, ran uncontested in the GOP primary, but Marlinga came out ahead in a crowded Democratic race against three other candidates. According to unofficial results from the Associated Press, Marlinga took 49% of the vote. Financial planner Diane Young, State Board of Education Member Tiffany Tilley and gun violence prevention advocate Emily Busch came up with 24.6%, 13.4% and 12.9% respectively.
Marlinga told the Advance on Wednesday that he felt happy the primary was over.
“Primaries are so emotionally difficult because you’re running against people whom you like and admire,” Marlinga said. “And they’re running against you, and you have consultants trying to tell you to be a little mean and nasty and aggressive, and I don’t campaign that way.”
Marlinga also ran against James in 2022 when the seat was open and lost by a slim 1,600-vote margin. The 10th District could be a competitive race this year, and Democratic lawmakers will want to capture it to gain a majority. On the flip side, GOP lawmakers will hope to keep the seat and maintain their control of the House after the November general election.
The Cook Political Report characterizes the district as “leaning Republican.” Republicans currently hold a narrow majority in the U.S. House.
“This is one of the very closest races in the country last cycle,” James told reporters Wednesday morning at an event in Shelby Township for U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), President Donald Trump’s running mate. “We don’t take anything for granted.”
Just because James won in 2022 does not mean it will be an easy race for the GOP. James compared this election to a sports game, where the score is 0-0 at the half.
Marlinga said it will be easier for him to run this time around, as he is further out from retiring as a judge, giving him more flexibility to organize and fundraise.
Marlinga also told the Advance that President Joe Biden’s decision to leave the race and Vice President Kamala Harris being nominated excited voters in the district, saying, “People just kind of came alive again.”
Michigan’s 10th district runs through Rochester, Rochester Hills and southern Macomb County in Southeast Michigan. Marlinga has been elected in Macomb County for many years. From 1985 through 2004, he served as a prosecutor. He then worked as a judge on the Macomb County Probate Court and on the 16th Judicial Circuit Court from 2013 through 2022, when he retired early to jump in the House race.
James spent eight years in the Army before becoming a businessman in Southeast Michigan. He ran for the U.S. Senate twice, but he lost to incumbents Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Lansing) in 2018 and Sen. Gary Peters (D-Bloomfield Twp.) in 2020. He won the congressional seat in 2022.
For the campaign, James said it was important to talk with voters and show that he cares about them.
“I care about what they’re concerned with, keeping their community safe, and since I moved to Shelby, I understand that the criticality and how people feel unsafe in their homes, we need to address that,” James told reporters. “How people feel the prices of gas and groceries going up with no solutions.”
James told reporters Wednesday morning that he and his constituents oppose policies that would make it harder to sell gas-powered cars, and he wanted to bring federal funding into the district. He also touted former Trump’s policies on southern border security and the economy during a speech at the Republican National Convention.
Marlinga also hopes to win the election by connecting with people in the district, specifically by doing outreach in specific communities, like engaging Black and Ukrainian residents.
“When you actually talk to voters, all this toxic cloud that we have hanging over politics disappears,” Marlinga said. “People are still people. People like to talk to you, and I found that kind of refreshing.”
While Marlinga said his two priority issues this election season will be protecting the right to abortion and conservation in Lake St. Clair, he also hears that independent voters care about the economy and the Southern border.
Marlinga told the Advance that Democratic and GOP lawmakers need to work together on solving immigration concerns at the border. He proposed hiring more immigration lawyers so more people were not waiting on a backlog for their status in the U.S.
“This isn’t, to me, a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. It’s just what’s best for the country and what’s best for the immigrants,” Marlinga said.
Marlinga said he wants a debate with James, expressing he would be willing to do a debate every weekend leading up to the election.
A spokesperson for the James campaign said the GOP candidate is also expecting to debate Marlinga.
Correction: This story initially mischaracterized Emily Busch’s activism on gun violence.
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