Republican Congressman John James Enters Race for Governor of Michigan
James leaves a competitive U.S. House seat to run for statewide office in Michigan for the third time.
U.S. Representative John James, a Republican, is seeking statewide office in Michigan for a third term. This afternoon, he announced his campaign for the Republican nomination for Governor of Michigan in 2026. His full statement can be found here. Incumbent Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, is term-limited and can’t run again.
The 2026 cycle for Governors will see 36 contested races. Both Republicans and Democrats currently hold 18 of these seats. However, nine Republican Governors are term-limited as opposed to only six for Democrats. Every incumbent eligible to run for re-election is currently seeking another term in office. Meanwhile, James becomes the fifth retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives this cycle and the fourth Republican to do so. Every retirement so far is to run for a different office.
James, 43, has served Michigan’s 10th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives since January 2023. The district covers competitive territory in the Detroit suburbs. It encompasses parts of Macomb and Oakland Counties. It includes Center Line, Clinton Charter Township, Eastpointe, Fraser, Grosse Pointe Shores, Harrison Charter Township, Macomb Township, Mount Clemens, Rochester, Rochester Hills, Roseville, Shelby Charter Township, Sterling Heights, St. Clair Shores, Utica, and Warren.
A graduate of West Point, James served eight years in the U.S. Army, participating in multiple tours of duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom as an AH-64 Apache pilot. He left military service in 2012 with the rank of Captain. He then joined his father’s global supply chain management company James Group International. He served as Director of Operations, and later as President of the company and CEO of its subsidiary, Renaissance Global Logistics.
In 2018, James was the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Michigan. He lost in the general election 52.3-45.8 against Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow. In 2020, he was once more the Republican nominee for the state’s other Senate seat. Despite improving his margin, he once again lost 49.9-48.2 against Democratic incumbent Gary Peters.
Following the 2020 census, Michigan lost one of its congressional districts. After redistricting, the newly formed 10th District featured no incumbent. A competitive district, James was recruited to run in 2022 and finally prevailed 48.8-48.3 against Democrat Carl Marlinga. In 2024, James expanded his margin of victory in a rematch against Marlinga with a 51.1-45.0 finish.
For the 119th Congress, James serves on the influential House Committee on Energy and Commerce.
James becomes the fourth Republican to launch a campaign for Governor of Michigan in 2026. He joins Senate Minority Leader Aric Nesbitt, truck driver Anthony Hudson, and construction manager William Null. Former Attorney General Mike Cox has also formed an exploratory committee. These Republicans are trying to flip control of the top executive office after eight years of Democratic leadership.
A competitive primary has formed for the Democratic nomination for Governor of Michigan as well. The trio of candidates includes Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, and Genesee County Sheriff Chris Swanson. Furthermore, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan has launched a campaign for Governor as an Independent.
Before James’ announcement today, U.S. Army veteran Alex Hawkins and former special victims prosecutor Christina Hines launched campaigns for the Democratic nomination in the 10th District. No Republicans have expressed interest in running as they were all deferring to James. The 10th District was expected to be heavily targeted by Democrats in 2026. Now, it will likely become one of the most competitive districts in the country. Notably, 2022 and 2024 Democratic nominee Carl Marlinga has endorsed Hines’ campaign. He did so with the acceptance that the House Democratic Caucus requires the next generation of talent.
Under the current lines, Republican Donald Trump won Michigan’s 10th Congressional District with a 52.2-45.7 finish against Democrat Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential election. That came as Trump flipped the state with a 49.7-48.3 plurality in his ultimately successful national campaign.