Pontiac mayor joins list of Dems seeking James’ open seat

BY KYLE DAVIDSON, MICHIGAN ADVANCE

MICHIGAN—Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel on Thursday launched his congressional campaign for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, joining former attorney Christina Hines, who is also seeking to flip the district in 2026.

With the districts’ sitting Rep. John James (R-Shelby Twp.) announcing his campaign for governor on Monday, his seat, which was a key target for Democrats in 2024, will be open in the coming 2026 election.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Tuesday listed Michigan’s 10th Congressional District as one of its targets for 2026. The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates the district as leaning Republican.

Greimel previously served as a state representative from 2012 to 2018, leading House Democrats as the chamber’s minority leader from 2013 through 2016.

In an interview with the Michigan Advance, Greimel touted his work in the Legislature, successfully fighting to expand Michigan Medicaid alongside raising the minimum wage and tying it to inflation, emphasizing that people want fighters in Washington.

“I did those things as House Minority Leader when Republicans controlled the House, the Senate and the governorship. So I’ve always been in the fight, but even more importantly, I’ve won those fights, delivered results, improved people’s economic wellbeing and expanded access to the American dream,” he said.

“We need fighters in Washington who are going to stand up against unelected billionaires like Elon Musk, and I’ve been doing that my entire adult life, including as a union-side labor lawyer and civil rights attorney,” Greimel said.

Middle class and working families have been hurting for years, especially given the inflation that came out of the pandemic and the economic uncertainty generated by President Donald Trump’s administration, Greimel said, telling the Advance his campaign would be centered on the economy and improving the economic wellbeing of residents.

“We’ve got to continue to improve access to affordable health care, and we need to do more to create more good paying jobs, but also make sure that people have the training and education needed to get those good paying jobs,” Greimel said, pushing back against Trump’s efforts to eliminate the US Department of Education.

He also criticized the President’s approach to foreign trade policy, saying the country needs strategic tariffs against countries like China that will bring good paying manufacturing jobs back to the states “without engaging in this reckless free for all” and imposing tariffs on countries like Canada, which shares economic interests with Michigan and the US.

Greimel listed clean water as another concern for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District.

“Michigan 10 enjoys a long coastline, a shoreline, with Lake St. Clair, and we need to make sure that we’re protecting our environment, protecting Lake St. Clair, as well as the many rivers and streams that flow into it,” he said.

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This coverage was republished from Michigan Advance pursuant to a Creative Commons license.