2022 NOVEMBER REDUX
Macomb Democrat Carl Marlinga lost by 1,600 votes (48.8 percent v. 48.3 percent) in a race with Republican John James for the 10th congressional district in 2022, which includes part of Oakland County and portions of Macomb County. Word was then that the the DCCC did not give much support to Marlinga, who was heavily outspent by James in that race. So now the two will square off in a rerun from 2022 this November. Deadline Detroit unveiled results from a poll it commissioned in mid-July of this year showing Marlinga leading James, 49-43 percent with seven percent undecided The poll has a possible error range of five points. The poll showed that 52 percent of those participating had an unfavorable rating for James versus a rating for Marlinga of 18 percent unfavorable. For James, 18 percent of those polled were either undecided or not familiar with him. For Marlinga, 40 percent were undecided or not familiar, which is a bit surprising when one considers he was most recently a circuit judge, and had spent time as the county prosecutor and an assistant U.S. attorney. Campaign reports filed in mid July of this year show Marlinga has only raised $627,493, a little over $11,000 from other committees. James has hauled in $6.204 million, $2.259 million transfers from other committees. The Republican Party will no doubt pour more funding into the effort to retain James, who was among a small group of up-and-coming House members invited to the House Speaker Team Johnson Jackson Hole Summit in mid-August which brings together big donors (think billionaires) with rising Republican Representatives, according to Punchbowl. As for help from Democrats, we are told by one insider that the DCCC is spending on some 70 races this election cycle and “lessons were learned” from past close races. If help does not arrive soon, Marlinga could face the same fate as in his last attempt to beat James, polls be dammed.
Comments