Race to Watch: Carl Marlinga vs. John James for US House

Michiganders have some big decisions to make in the November election—including a choice between former judge Carl Marlinga or incumbent US Rep. John James.

MICHIGAN—Former 16th Circuit Court judge, Macomb County Prosecutor, and Assistant US Attorney Carl Marlinga, a Democrat, will face off in November against US Rep. John James, a Republican, for one of 13 seats representing Michigan in the US House of Representatives.

They’re each running to represent Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, which is home to about 775,000 Michiganders living in parts of Macomb and Oakland counties—including the cities of Rochester, Rochester Hills, Sterling Heights, and Warren. The winner will go on to serve a two-year term in Congress. This election is particularly critical because it could help determine which party controls the US House, where Republicans hold a thin majority.

The outcome of the election could also go on to shape the future of federal policy on key issues that affect the day-to-day lives of millions of Michiganders—like access to affordable healthcare, job creation, reproductive rights, clean energy investments, and environmental protections.

Here’s a quick primer on the race, along with links to some other relevant news:

Carl Marlinga

Marlinga, 77, is a former assistant US attorney, longtime Macomb County prosecutor, and 16th Circuit Court judge. He retired from the bench to run for Congress in 2022, lost to US Rep. John James by half a percentage point, and is back again for a rematch in this year’s election.

In a recent interview with the Detroit Free Press, Marlinga said his top priorities include protecting democracy, fighting climate change, advancing equality, and stewardship of the Great Lakes—as well as plans for universal day care and subsidized home repair loans. 

Over the years, Marlinga has been recognized for expanding opportunities for women and people of color in the prosecutor’s office—namely for appointing Macomb County’s first Black assistant prosecutor, as well as the first openly gay chief of the prosecutor’s homicide unit. 

Marlinga also helped seniors recover millions of dollars from identity theft scams, andestablished the Macomb Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners team to expedite examinations and support services for survivors of criminal sexual conduct, according to his campaign website. 

Marlinga is also a founding board member of Care House, which provides services to child survivors of criminal sexual conduct, and has been honored by the Turning Point domestic violence shelter for his work defending and advocating on behalf of victims of domestic violence.

On the campaign trail, Marlinga has touted a long list of other Congressional priorities—including protecting abortion rights, creating new jobs, and “protecting our national interests by bringing the supply chain back to our country,” according to his campaign website.

John James  

James, 43, is looking for a second term after defeating Marlinga in the last election. And although James has the advantage of incumbency, it’s expected to be a tight race. 

Even with significant advantages in name recognition and fundraising, James lost his campaigns for US Senate in 2018 and 2020, only narrowly winning his current seat in 2022. 

During his time in Congress and on the campaign trail, James has emerged as a vocal opponent to womens’ reproductive rights—once labeling himself as “100% #ProLife” without exception, and going as far as to compare abortion to “genocide” at a campaign event in 2018. 

Although quieter about his anti-abortion views this year, James still voted against congressional efforts to pass the Women’s Health Protection Act, which had sought to codify abortion access into federal law. He also voted in favor of other anti-abortion bills that have come to the US House floor in recent years—including one that sought to restrict access to medication abortion.

As a member of the US House Republican Study Committee (RSC), James also supported a budget that would’ve made cuts to Social Security by raising the retirement age, as well as raised out-of-pocket costs for seniors by restructuring Medicare. 

That plan also mapped tax cuts that would’ve primarily benefited billionaires and corporations, as well as eliminated funding that provides free school meals to low-income students—all of which failed to advance with Democrats holding a majority in the US Senate this year.

Last year, James also joined every Michigan Republican in the US House of Representatives to elect US Rep. Mike Johnson as the Speaker of the House, elevating a politician with an extreme, anti-abortion, and anti-LGBTQ track record to the most powerful position in the House. 

All told, James’ voting record shows that of the 35 bills and resolutions he’s sponsored to date, only one resolution has managed to pass through Congress to the president’s desk—and it was promptly vetoed by President Joe Biden.

More Coverage from The ‘Gander

7 things to know about Republican US Rep. John James

John James skips over his anti-abortion record at Republican National Convention

The Republican war on Medicare raises the stakes in 2024

80% of House Republicans support plan to cut Social Security, ban abortion, and restrict IVF

Michigan Dems line up to replace Republican Rep. John James

Every Michigan House Republican voted for an anti-abortion extremist for Speaker

New Republican budget plan would cut free school meals, Social Security, and Medicare

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