Carl Marlinga edged out three other candidates in a competitive Democratic primary for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District and will battle incumbent Republican Rep. John James in November.
Marlinga defeated Diane Young, Emily Busch and Tiffany Tilley according to a call from the Associated Press.
Marlinga, a former judge, entered the race seeking a rematch with James and touted his long record as a prosecutor and judge throughout the campaign.
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Carl Marlinga candidate for the US Representative in Michigan’s 10th District. (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP) (Photo by JEFF KOWALSKY/AFP via Getty Images)
“After decades of doing the right thing for the right reasons, sometimes having some rocky headlines, but as long as you do the right thing for the right reason, you usually come out ahead,” Marlinga told Michigan Advance. “And most voters in the county will describe me that way.”
Tilley, who has served as the co-vice president on the State Board of Education since 2018, ran on a platform of gun safety, recounting stories of losing family members to gun violence.
“No other person in this race has that type of background, has that type of experience or even has that type of passion that I have, that I’ve brought forth,” Tilley told Michigan Advance. “I’ve been fighting for people for over 20 years. Most candidates in the race can’t say that.”
US Representative of Michigan John James waves as he walks off stage after speaking during the first day of the 2024 Republican National Convention at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, July 15, 2024. (Photo by ANGELA WEISS / AFP) (Photo by ANGELA WEISS/AFP via Getty Images) (Angela Weiss)
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Young, who has experience in financial planning, ran on the need for Congress to reform tax and welfare policy while shoring up social security.
“I’m deeply in tune with the issues that everyday people are facing,” Young told Michigan Advance. “From taking care of their children, to how they’re going to fund their retirement, to how critical Social Security and Medicare are to creating a safer and secure retirement for people.”
Busch, who ran an unsuccessful campaign for the state House in 2022, also ran heavily on gun safety, noting her experience of picking up her son from school after he survived the deadly Oxford High School shooting in 2021 and also citing the shooting on the campus of Michigan State University last year.
Representative John James, a Republican from Michigan, during the Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, US, on Monday, July 15, 2024. (Eva Marie Uzcategui/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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“When the Michigan State University shooting happened, it resonated across the entire state and region,” Busch told the Michigan Advance. “So that was the night that actually pushed me off the cliff to run for Congress.”
[Winner] will now take on James, who ran unopposed in the district’s Republican primary, in November’s general election. Jones narrowly won the 2022 race, edging Marlinga 48.8% to 48.3%.
According to the Cook Political Report, Michigan’s 10th Congressional District has a “lean” Republican classification.