STERLING HEIGHTS, MI – Back when Ronald Reagan ran for President, Michigan’s Macomb County became nationally famous as the home of the so-called “Reagan Democrats” — blue-collar workers who felt their party had left them, largely over social issues.
Indeed, those voters, who gave John F. Kennedy a huge landslide in 1960, were almost equally strong for Mr. Reagan.
But times have changed, and the reality is, as usual, more complex than it might seem. Macomb County supported Barack Obama both times he ran for President, as well as narrowly backing current Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.
Yet the voters in this still-growing county of 880,000 people strongly backed Donald Trump both times he ran — though a little less strongly the second time, something that helped President Biden carry the state. But this year’s race for Congress will provide an interesting test of where Macomb County now stands.
This is also the first election since redistricting after the last census, and voters in much of Macomb got a surprise. Most of the west and south part of the county had been represented by U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, a Democrat.
One-third of that district was also in Oakland County, where Levin lives. To the surprise of Macomb Democrats, he elected to run in Oakland instead, taking on a fellow Democrat, U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, in what is sure to be a bitter primary.
That left the new 10th district, almost all of which is in Macomb, without an incumbent. (It still has a small section of white-collar Oakland County). Political experts rate it as a true swing district, with perhaps a slight Republican edge.
Republicans, indeed, seem determined to make a major effort here, but not with a traditional Macomb-style candidate. John James is a familiar name statewide, but has never lived in or near the district, and apparently does not plan to move from the Oakland County suburb of Farmington Hills. The 41-year-old West Point graduate served as an aviation officer in Iraq before earning an MBA and joining his father’s supply chain firm.
Four years ago, he came out of nowhere (with the help of a Donald Trump endorsement) to win the GOP nomination against U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow, a popular Democrat running for a fourth term. He lost, but made the race closer than expected,
Two years ago, James took on Michigan’s other Democratic Senator, Gary Peters. He lost again, but this time by only two points.
Now, he has decided to run for Congress. His likely Democratic opponent, former Macomb county prosecutor and judge Carl Marlinga, is a long-established figure who has lived in the county far longer than James has been alive.
A year ago, Marlinga, now 75, was looking forward to retirement after a decade as a probate and circuit judge in Macomb; prior to that, he served five terms as elected county prosecutor.
“My wife Barb and I were looking forward to traveling more, exploring some little villages in Scotland and Ireland,” he said. But then he was stunned by last year’s attack on the Capitol, and by the fact that the district was left without an incumbent.
“I don’t think I’d be running if January 6 hadn’t happened. But you have to have people who respect the Constitution,” he said. “I think I have a unique perspective, and the ability to bring people together,” and while his wife wasn’t enthusiastic, she agreed.
Both men are expected to face opposition in their party’s August primaries, but are heavy favorites.
Though James and Marlinga have very different backgrounds, they agree on one major issue: the need to bring more manufacturing jobs to the county, which was once filled with small machine shops and factories mainly serving the auto industry.
“When you take a look at the manufacturing opportunity, repatriating manufacturing back from Mexico and China, I believe that’s best done here,” James has said.
For his part, Marlinga, who has always had a keen interest in science and engineering, said “I want to see the United States lead a new green industrial rebirth and energy revolution. We need capitalism, but it is stronger combined with environmentalism.”
He had originally planned to go into science or medicine, but that changed when President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, and he decided on a life of public service.
Both candidates have strengths; James is a charismatic fairly new figure with lots of financial backing.
Marlinga is respected and well-liked, but his age may work against him. “I don’t see it as a problem. Seniority doesn’t matter the way it used to, and I think I could serve three or four terms and help do some things to help position the county for the future. I think I have experience no one else does, and a unique perspective.”
John James, on the other hand, has two potential problems. He is African-American, running in a county not known for its diversity.
What may be more of a problem is that he doesn’t live in Macomb County, and Macomb voters are an insular bunch. Two years ago, Jodi Switalski was expected to win the Democratic nomination for prosecutor, until voters learned that while she lives in Macomb and was the wife of a prominent Macomb judge, she used to be a judge in Oakland County. That sunk her candidacy.
This race may be the most closely watched in the state this year. If Republicans win here, they may be well on the way to retaking the U.S. House of Representatives. If Democrats prevail, the opposite may be true, and after suffering three losses in three straight elections, James’ political career would probably be over.
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