John James faces Carl Marlinga in Michigan 10th Congressional District election
- Republican U.S. Rep. John James faces Democrat Carl Marlinga in a 10th Congressional District rematch
- The district has a narrow Republican lean. James first won election two years ago by less than one percentage point
- Marlinga, a former judge, won a four-way primary to advance to the Nov. 5 general election
LANSING — Republican U.S. Rep. John James faces a rematch against Democrat Carl Marlinga in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District.
James first won the seat by beating Marlinga in 2022 by less than one percentage point in what was the third congressional race in the country.
The 10th Congressional District comprises southern Macomb County and parts of Oakland County. Major cities include Warren, Mount Clemens, Sterling Heights, Shelby Township, Rochester and Rochester Hills.
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The district has a narrow Republican lean. Former President Donald Trump beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton by just over five percentage points in 2016, but Trump only beat President Joe Biden by a single point in 2020.
Marlinga won a four-way Democratic primary to advance to the Nov. 5 general election against James, who ran unopposed on the GOP side.
Here is a closer look at each of the candidates:
Democrat - Carl Marlinga: Before becoming a judge for Michigan's 16th Circuit Court, Marlinga served as the Macomb County Prosecutor for nearly four decades and as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. He left the bench to run for congress in 2022, when he secured the 10th District Democratic nomination but narrowly lost to James in the general election. Running again, Marlinga lists creating jobs in advanced technologies, protecting the Great Lakes and bringing “the supply chain home from China and other communist regimes” as top priorities.
Republican - John James: Before his election to Congress in 2022, James served as president of a supply-chain management company and CEO of a logistics services company based in Detroit. The Farmington Hills Republican also served in the U.S. military for eight years, leading two platoons in combat operations during Operation Iraqi Freedom. He unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in both 2018 and 2020. Since taking office, James has sponsored bills amending the nation’s Social Security Act and on enhancing security assistance to allies tackling unrest in the Middle East and North Africa. He is vice chair of the U.S. House’s Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment and chairs Congress’ Subcommittee on Africa.
Working class - Andrea Kirby: Kirby, who lists an Eastpointe address in campaign filings, was nominated at convention by the Working Class Party of Michigan. Among other things, the Working Class party argues that financial profits by big companies were "stolen" from workers and should be returned.
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