Republican businessman John James has won the race for Michigan’s newly created 10th Congressional District seat, narrowly defeating Democrat former judge and prosecutor Carl Marlinga in the hotly contested election. With 100 percent of precincts reporting, James had 49 percent of the vote to Marlinga’s 48 percent, according to Click on Detroit.
THANK YOU #MI10! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/rB4Ldk3e8k
— John James (@JohnJamesMI) November 9, 2022
While the race has not yet been officially called, Marlinga has reportedly conceded to James, telling 7 Action News that he does not intend to pursue a recount.
The Trump-endorsed Republican previously ran for the U.S. Senate in Michigan in 2018, and 2020, and lost to Sen. Debbie Stabenow and Sen. Gary Peters, respectively. Marlinga ran for the Senate in 1994 and and the U.S. House in 2002, failing both times.
James attended the US Military Academy at West Point, and is a former Army helicopter pilot. He also has a master’s degree and an MBA from the University of Michigan and Penn State.
“I am looking forward to doing everybody proud—especially bringing glory to God when we win and get to Washington,” James said on Election Day.
This is it! #VotingDay
Go out to your precinct and have your voice heard! (And if you see me, say hello! 🙂) pic.twitter.com/rlX0cbUb0v
— John James (@JohnJamesMI) November 8, 2022
The 10th Congressional District in Michigan includes much of southern Macomb County and part of eastern Oakland County, the Detroit Free Press reported.
Taken together, the district has been slightly more Democratic leaning over the last decade but has been trending more Republican — former President Donald Trump won within its boundaries twice.
James will be the state’s only black U.S. House member.