Michigan Senate candidate John James gave pre-recorded remarks at the opening night of the Republican National Convention (RNC), calling for “a recovery of the American spirit that fuels our democracy."
James, a 39-year-old Army combat veteran and businessman, hopes to unseat Michigan’s incumbent Democrat Sen. Gary Peters in November, in what has grown into a nationally-watched Senate contest. The rising GOP star addresses the “choice” at the ballot box this year, between defending the republic and tearing it down:
“I too fought for this country and all Americans deserve to breathe free, not just cling tentatively to whatever freedom the government decides we deserve,” James said to the RNC's viewers. “In 2020, we have a choice...To stand up and use our voices and our votes to defend our constitutional republic or to concede quietly to a leftist willing to tear it down piece by piece”
In 2020, we have a choice: To stand up and use our voices and our votes to defend our constitutional republic or concede quietly to a leftist movement willing to tear it down piece by piece.#MichiganFirst #RNC pic.twitter.com/HNFttH46OE
— John James (@JohnJamesMI) August 25, 2020
After an unsuccessful Senate bid in 2018, against 20-year incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow (MI), James continually outraises Sen. Peters. The freshman Senator is at a disadvantage with both name recognition and popularity with voters; a Morning Consult poll showed that 40 percent of Michigan voters did not recognize Sen. Peters’ by name, and a recent public opinion survey revealed that just 19 percent likely voters believe that Sen. Peters deserves a second term in the upper chamber. Sen. Peters is much more vulnerable of an incumbent, and the race has turned into a competitive contest for a seat Democrats' hope to hold.