John James Is Running To Be The Next US Senator From Michigan, Here’s What You Need to Know

This past June, West Point graduate, combat veteran, and Detroit Businessman John James announced he will be running again to become the next Senator from Michigan serving in Washington, D.C., running once again as a Republican. Previously, James narrowly lost to Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) by a margin of only 6%, surprising much of the political world and garnered quite a bit of attention who predicted an easier victory for Sen. Stabenow. However, after this narrow loss, James did not lie low, as his West Point education and military combat experience flying apache helicopters in Iraq taught him to put service above self. Therefore, he tirelessly continued his activism and work within the conservative movement, such as appearing on Fox News, and being active in the Michigan Republican Party, keynoting and speaking at various events to fire up conservatives across the state and country.  Added to his impressive accomplishments within this past year, he was on President Trump’s short list for replacing former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley, however, Kelly Knight Craft was ultimately chosen for the job. 

Policy-wise, James is a conservative who strongly believes in protecting individual freedoms, such as the Second Amendment. He also stands with President Trump in helping to create policy, such as tax cuts, that can help everyone achieve the American dream. As a Christian and an American, he believes in the inherent dignity of every human life, and therefore is unapologetically pro-life. In his previous campaign, James received numerous prestigious endorsements, such as the pro-life Susan B. Anthony List as well as the National Right to Life. Outside of pro-life issues, other endorsements included both President Trump, Vice President Pence, the American Conservative Union and the Michigan Chamber of Commerce, just to name a few. This time around, it  is still clear that James’ ideas resonate with Michigan voters, as his campaign raised over $1.5 million within just three weeks.

On the other hand James’ competition is first term U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI-D), is a liberal Democrat with endorsements and rankings nearly opposite of James, such as a ‘D’ rating from the National Rifle Association, and voting ‘Nay’ on nearly every nomination presented to Congress by President Trump. Also, he has voted against policy that has ended up helping Michigan, such as the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which resulted in bringing more jobs to Michigan and boosting the local economy. On a less policy related note, fewer Michigan voters approve of Sen. Peters than know who he is, as he has an approval rating of only 31%, but 36% of Michigan voters do not know who he is. These statistics, along with the fact that Michigan voted for President Trump in 2016, will make it an interesting race and the perfect timing for James to potentially grab the seat. 

So while it will be a contentious race, it will be interesting to see who ends up on top. Although it is still in the early stages and nothing is for certain, this race appears to be one to watch for 2020.