Michigan’s 10th Congressional District is up for grabs today as six candidates compete for the chance to replace John James, who is leaving the U.S. House to run for governor. Three Democrats and three Republicans are battling through separate primaries, setting up a November showdown for a seat that has suddenly become one of Metro Detroit’s most closely watched political contests.
According to CBS Detroit, the Republican field includes Mike Bouchard, Justin Kirk and Steffan Demetropoulos. Democrats Eric Chung, former Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel and Christina Hines are competing for their party’s nomination, with the eventual winners facing off for a two-year House term representing parts of Macomb and Oakland counties.
Trump Endorsement Shook Up The Republican Contest
President Donald Trump endorsed Bouchard last month, giving the race a clear national-party angle in a district where local connections still matter. Republican candidate Robert Lulgjuraj subsequently dropped out, according to CBS Detroit, leaving Bouchard, Kirk and Demetropoulos to make their final pitches to voters.
The Oakland County Elections Division’s official candidate roster lists the contest as a vote-for-one race for a two-year congressional term. That ballot structure means today’s primary will not decide the seat outright, but it will determine which Democrat and Republican advance to the November election.
Six Candidates Bring Different Metro Detroit Résumés
Bouchard is an Army National Guard member and the son of Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. Kirk is an attorney who worked alongside the late Congressman Paul Mitchell, while Demetropoulos is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan and remained in the Army Reserve until 2021.
On the Democratic side, Chung is a former U.S. Department of Commerce attorney, Greimel previously served as Pontiac mayor and a state legislator, and Hines worked as a prosecutor after earning law degrees. Greimel’s campaign was one of the early entries in the contest, as Hoodline previously reported, but the field has since narrowed and shifted considerably.
The campaigns are emphasizing familiar battleground issues, including the economy, education, immigration, affordability and healthcare. CBS Detroit reported that Bouchard is focusing on border security, Kirk is stressing automotive and manufacturing growth, and Demetropoulos is campaigning on reducing government waste, while the Democratic candidates are highlighting Medicaid cuts and healthcare access.
What Michigan Voters Need To Know Tuesday
Michigan does not register voters by party, so eligible voters may participate in either the Democratic or Republican primary, according to The Associated Press. Polls close at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and early and absentee ballots will be part of the first vote totals released by local election officials.
The result will set the shape of the November race, but it will also offer an early test of what kind of candidate can hold — or flip — a politically important suburban congressional seat. For voters in the district, the choice is not just between six names; it is between competing visions of how Metro Detroit should be represented in Washington.
