John James and Sen. Gary Peters’s race for Michigan’s U.S. Senate seat continues to garner national attention as election day approaches.
Despite the feeling of a competitive race, according to Mitchell Poll of Michigan, Peters currently leads James by 9%. James lost to Sen. Debbie Stabenow in 2018 by a 6.5% margin, which is closer than the double-digit lead she had in polls prior to the election.
While Peters has decent favorability ratings among voters, he is the least known senator in America, according to a Morning Consult poll conducted last year, which found that 37% of Michigan voters did not know who he was, which the James campaign thinks gives him a competitive chance for an upset on election day.
While Hillsdale County has voted overwhelmingly Republican in the past, a number of factors, including Republican legislators’ response to the COVID-19 pandemic and President Donald Trump’s presidential tenure, have some residents planning to vote Democrat for the first time.
Kimberly Sue, who has lived in Hillsdale since 2008, said this is the first election in which she is supporting all Democratic candidates. She said she hopes Peters can help tackle statewide infrastructure problems, reform Michigan’s educational system, and most importantly, improve the government’s response to COVID-19.
“In this race, it could have gone either way for me,” Sue said. “The deciding factor is, on a whole, the Republicans have been much more lax about COVID-19.”
Although Peters and Stabenow have been in office for several years now, Sue said she believes it is difficult to fairly assess their performances as senators. But, that does not mean they could not be doing more to improve the issues she is concerned about.
“I’m encouraged with where they want to go,” Sue said. “I think they can do better. I think they’re going in the right direction, but I can be critical too. They need to work with the other side better.”
Other Hillsdale residents are more concerned with the government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and believe that Peters should be held accountable.
Jon Smith, who has lived in Hillsdale since 2011, said he is frustrated with how Peters and Stabenow have contributed to overbearing government.
“We need the state to stop trying to dominate all aspects of our lives,” Smith said. “Both are long-term government officials. Both are major contributors to tyranny. Why haven’t either shamed Governor Whitmer publicly for her government overreach?”
Smith said he hopes that a fresh face like James in the Senate will help these problems.
“Going back to the principles of the Constitution is the only way we can have a free republic,” Smith said. “I am voting James because he claims to be for less taxation and is pro-life, pro-God, and pro-liberty.”
Hillsdale County GOP Chair Steve Vear ’80, said he has been impressed by the enthusiasm residents from around the area have shown for political races this year, especially the James campaign. Vear, who has lived in Hillsdale County since 1967 and served as a state representative from 1998 to 2002, said he has seen more people interested in the state’s politics than ever before.
“Many of our members have contributed to the James campaign,” Vear said. “We’ve had a great showing. Hopefully people will see that James will provide more help for the people of Hillsdale County. He is a marvelous, well-qualified candidate. He’s very knowledgeable and well-spoken, and he gave up his time to serve our country when he really didn’t have to, given his family’s background.”
Sophomore Jack Hammons interned with the James campaign over the summer, helping primarily with voter contact, fundraising, and yard sign distribution. He said he is hopeful that James will beat Peters this November and will carry a majority of Hillsdale voters because of James’s outspoken support for family values and small businesses.
“I think John is probably one of the best Republican candidates running for Senate right now,” Hammons said.
“He has one of the best chances to flip this seat, which has not been held by a Republican since 1994, and if elected, he would be the first black senator to represent Michigan. He’s really focusing on issues that apply to native Michiganders.”