Donald Trump wins endorsements from Michigan’s GOP members of Congress
DETROIT — All six Republicans from Michigan who serve in the U.S. House endorsed Donald Trump for another term as president in a statement released Tuesday by Trump’s campaign.
The announcement was a sign of strength in Michigan for Trump as he looks to capture the GOP nomination for the White House despite challenges from a crowded primary field and hesitations among some state-level lawmakers to publicly support his third presidential bid.
Trump’s campaign announced his “2024 Michigan federal leadership team” would feature Reps. Tim Walberg, R-Tipton, Bill Huizenga, R-Holland, John Moolenaar, R-Caledonia, Jack Bergman, R-Watersmeet, Lisa McClain, R-Bruce Township, and John James, R-Shelby Township.
Democrats hold the rest of Michigan’s seven seats in the U.S. House and and two U.S. Senate seats.
“President (Joe) Biden has wrecked our economy, let our position as the sole world power slip, and opened our borders,” James said in the Trump campaign announcement. “Biden’s policies have been particularly detrimental to Michigan’s middle-class.
“Under President Trump on the other hand, inflation was at 2%, the American family was strengthened through the child tax credit and other pro-family policies, and our communities were more secure. In 2024, we need to give hope to Americans who feel like their government is failing them.”
James is expected to face a competitive reelection race in his district that includes portions of Macomb and Oakland County next fall. Trump visited Oakland County on June 25. James spoke at the event but didn’t formally endorse Trump at that time.
In June, The Detroit News surveyed the 72 Republicans who serve in the Michigan state Legislature, finding only a handful had publicly endorsed Trump’s campaign for another term as president.
While 25 Michigan Republican lawmakers had backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for president, only three legislators confirmed they were supporting Trump, according to The News analysis of interviews and announcements that covered the positions of 61 of the 72 GOP legislators.
In 2016, Trump became the first Republican since George H.W. Bush in 1988 to carry Michigan, beating Democrat Hillary Clinton by fewer than 11,000 votes or less than 1 percentage point.
But in 2020, Trump lost the state to Biden by 3 percentage points or 154,000 votes. Trump maintained false and unproven claims that fraud cost him the race.
In 2022, Trump’s endorsed candidates for Michigan governor, secretary of state and attorney general all lost to Democrats by 9 percentage points or more, and Democrats won control of the state Legislature for the first time in 40 years.
After the election, a Michigan Republican Party memo said longtime donors to the party had remained on the sidelines “in what many of them saw as sending a message to Donald Trump and his supporters.”
Former state Sen. Tom Barrett of Charlotte, who just declared a U.S. House campaign in a competitive swing district in mid-Michigan, declined to endorse Trump or any other GOP presidential candidate when asked Monday.
“I’m comfortable letting the field run. I think that it’s healthy for the party to have a robust debate as to who our nominee will be, and I’m looking forward to campaigning with whoever ends up as our nominee for the Republican nomination,” Barrett said.
“Joe Biden has been an absolute disaster as president, and I know that whoever we nominate as a party will be intrinsically better than Joe Biden has performed as president.”