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John James Announces He's Running for Senate in 2020

Victoria Marshall
Victoria Marshall  |  June 06, 2019 10:30 AM

On Thursday Republican John James announced that he is running for U.S. Senate in the 2020 election.

The former Iraq war veteran and businessman made his announcement on Fox and Friends, saying he will run against Sen. Gary Peters (D-Mich.) in the 2020 Michigan Senate race.

"I’d like to announce I’m running for U.S. Senate after careful deliberation and thoughtful prayer. I believe that the time, again, is to serve. I believe that, right now, nothing has changed,"James said. 

James' decision to run comes a few months after he was narrowly beaten by U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) last November. James lost to Stabenow by 6.5 percentage points, the most votes a top-of-the-ticket Republican candidate in Michigan has gotten in a decade. 

James touted his experience as a businessman to bolster his candidacy. 

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"I understand what we need to do, because I have experience as a business leader, as a job creator, how to protect our economy from socialism, how to bring people together and unite people to make sure that we can defeat the evils that face us today," James said on Fox.

He also brought up his military service.

"I also, as a combat veteran, understand the service and sacrifice that our veterans make every single day and (am) willing to stand up for this country — not any party, not any ideology. But putting country first, putting Michigan first, and looking forward to continuing my service," James said. 

In conjunction with his appearance on Fox, James tweeted, "We are heading in the wrong direction as a country and our leaders in Washington are failing to lead us toward a better and brighter future. I believe I can help lead Michigan toward that future we deserve, and that’s why I am running for US Senate." 

President Trump is a big fan of James. He endorsed him in his 2018 Senate campaign and called him a "rising star" within the Republican Party. James said he would back the president "2,000%," aligning himself with Trump's policies on immigration to the economy. 

Watch James' announcement: