STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. — Two years ago, Democrat Carl Marlinga lost to Rep. John James (R-Mich.) by just 1,600 votes while being dramatically outspent in a race that wasn’t on the radar for national Democrats. This time around, Marlinga is confident that increased outside investment and the boost of a presidential year can put him over the top.
As Democrats seek to flip the House, races like the James-Marlinga rematch will determine whether a potential Democratic majority is razor-thin or a little more comfortable.
James’ 10th District seat encompasses the suburbs of Detroit. It also resembles areas that have shifted away from the GOP in recent years. While former President Donald Trump won the seat by five points in 2016, his margin of victory in 2020 was just one point.
This cycle, both House Majority PAC and the DCCC are spending millions of dollars on ads attacking James in the hope that Democrats can flip the seat.
“The fact that we have money now that we didn’t have in ‘22 could be enough to overcome that 1,600 vote deficit,” Marlinga told us in an interview.
Marlinga also said his electoral performances are strong in presidential years because of his support among “independents and ticket splitters.”
“We don’t like political parties very much in Macomb County,” Marlinga said.
At 77 years old, Marlinga cuts a different figure from many House challengers. Marlinga has served as a longtime prosecutor and judge in eastern Michigan, an experience he likens to Vice President Kamala Harris.
The top of the ticket: Recognizing his fate is tied to the top of the ticket, Marlinga predicted “the Harris vote is going to be surprisingly big” in Michigan. The optimism is based on the coordinated Democratic campaign, which Marlinga described as a juggernaut that’s “as active as I’ve ever seen in Michigan.”
Marlinga wasn’t afraid to slam Trump, saying Harris “played him” during the debate and arguing it showed how easily U.S. adversaries like China and Russia could take advantage of the GOP nominee.
Republican attacks: When discussing the auto industry in 2022, Marlinga claimed James wanted to “stick with a dying industry” instead of investing in the “future of the new green industrial revolution.”
James and outside GOP groups have spent heavily this cycle accusing Marlinga of belittling the car industry, a potent argument in the Detroit area. Marlinga told us the ads are a “deception.”
“What I was talking about is that the days of the big gas-guzzling cars of the 50s and 60s are gone. We have to adapt to a new world in which people are worried about climate change,” Marlinga said.
Taking on James: James, one of the few Black Republicans in Congress, is a favorite of GOP leadership and recently secured a prized spot on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Despite that, Marlinga labeled James’ first term in the House “pretty much a big nothing.”
“He’s a good-looking guy. He’s very articulate, but when it comes to policy — look, he refused to debate me this time around,” Marlinga said of James. “If you are ducking debates, it means you don’t want to be questioned. The reason is probably because you’re not doing anything.”
