MI-10: In rematch with Marlinga, Rep. James to find out if he's been embraced by Macomb County
For two years, Republican U.S. Rep. John James, of Shelby Township, has worked to establish himself as an advocate for his adopted Macomb County-based district, touting Michigan-specific priorities like the Soo Locks and Selfridge Air National Guard base, trumpeting his constituent work and the money he has brought back to the region.
How successful he has been will be put to the test a week from Tuesday.
After a single term as a U.S. House member, James goes into the Nov. 5 general election with many advantages: Republican former President Donald Trump, who has long been one of his most vocal backers, is expected to carry the district, Michigan's 10th, as he has in the past two elections. James has a financial edge and a series of issues — inflation, illegal immigration, a government prod to get automakers to make more electric vehicles — that are expected to play well with the electorate.
But he also faces a test: His rival, former Macomb County Judge and Prosecutor Carl Marlinga, of Sterling Heights, has been a household name in the region for decades and presents himself (and has been widely seen as) a commonsense, moderate Democrat, dedicated to the rule of law. Two years ago, capitalizing on the fact that James, a Black businessman and former Army helicopter pilot who ran twice unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate, lived outside the district, then in Farmington Hills, Marlinga, a white lawyer, came within 1,600 votes — about one half a percentage point — of winning, despite being outspent by at least 6-to-1 and little if any outside help from the Democratic Party.
https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/elections/2024/10/28/john-james-carl-marlinga-race-election-michigan-10th-district/75809850007/