MICHIGAN, USA — Michigan Senate candidate John James has been called a rising star of the Republican Party so many times it’s become a cliche, but his race against Sen. Gary Peters in a presidential battleground state has gotten dicier.
Republicans are looking to the African American combat veteran, business owner and 38-year-old father of three to flip a Senate seat to help the party hold its precarious majority.
“He checks all the boxes, so to speak, from a candidate perspective,” said former Michigan Republican Party chairman Saul Anuzis.
All of the boxes except one: James has never won a general election. He lost the 2018 Senate race to Democrat Debbie Stabenow by 6.5 percentage points. But that better-than-expected showing against an incumbent with four decades in Michigan politics helped fuel his rise in conservative circles and spur hopes he can defeat Sen. Gary Peters, a less-known Democrat seeking his second term this fall.
Now James’ bid for a victory big enough to equal his hype — running in one of the country’s most competitive presidential battlegrounds — has suddenly gotten dicier. And it’s come just as Republicans are scrapping for wins to help sustain their precarious Senate majority.
Although Trump narrowly won Michigan in 2016, the mood seems to be turning away from the president and the GOP.
Democrats are on the attack, and Trump may be their best weapon. Democrats also are investing heavily in the race, but James’ haul will help in beating back their attacks.
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