This Majority Saver is running in a very tough district for us to hold. Luckily, he is a local judge who has been an institution in the area for decades. Unluckily for us, he faces a juggernaut of a candidate in two time Senate nominee John James. Today, I highlight Carl Marlinga, who is our candidate trying to protect Michigan’s 10th district for the Democratic Party!
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Carl Marlinga for Michigan-10
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Candidate Background
I will let Marlinga speak for himself, as two tweets explain why he has the perfect background if he can get his campaign going… Usually I have to hunt for the biographies of first time candidates.
There’s not much to add beyond that. Marlinga has a rich history in Macomb County, and he is likely banking upon that to boost his campaign.
Signature Issues
Marlinga will likely be one of the more conservative members of our caucus, should he be elected. This is the home to the Reagan Democrat, and expecting protectionist rhetoric and more conservative stances on issues is important to these voters. He also has to thread the needle as you will see below. It may be impossible for him to please everyone with his platform and win.
Abortion: His first issue on his campaign page is about abortion. He frames it in a more libertarian fashion which should play well. The government has no business dictating personal decisions that a woman makes with the consultation of a doctor. He would codify Roe into law if elected, while John James would likely support a national abortion ban.
Manufacturing and Unions: These are critical issues to get right in this district, and Marlinga is hitting the correct notes. He is for bringing manufacturing jobs back from China and for strengthening union representation. He wants to end dependence upon foreign oil and China for our supply chains. Being protectionist and pro-union is how you can win in this district.
The Environment: The cleanup of the Great Lakes is always an important issue for Michigan (which is surrounded by the lakes). He would pass legislation that would better protect the lakes from polluters and also the rivers that feed into them. Water is the critical resource for the 21st Century, and protecting the Great Lakes will ensure a good water supply for decades to come.
Elections History
Recent Elections —
2020 President: TFG (R-inc) 49.8%, Joe Biden (D) 48.8%
2020 House: Andy Levin (D-inc) 57.7%, Charles Langworthy (R) 38.4%
NOTE: Rep. Andy Levin ran in the 11th district and lost in the primary
2022 Race Rating: Leans Republican (flip)
2022 PVI: R+3
When you think of the term Reagan Democrat, Macomb County should be one of the first destinations to see them in action. This has caused this version of the 10th district (and the county as a whole) to swing back and forth between the parties based upon who can appeal to the blue-collar working class white vote found in the county.
However, Macomb County has undergone quite a few changes recently of note. Warren and Eastpointe are attracting middle class black denizens from Detroit as Southfield fills up. White flight from the rest of the Detroit Metro Area continues into upper Macomb County, which has had profound effects politically.
In terms of recent elections, TFG converted those Reagan Democrats to his cause in winning the county twice, and this district twice (albeit narrowly). At the same time though, Gretchen Whitmer won the county (and thus this district) in her 2018 campaign for governor. This county is probably one of the more critical swing counties in the entire state, and this district may prove to be one that may decide control of Congress come November.
Political Tour of the District
This district consists of the bottom of Macomb County, and it includes some more conservative portions of Oakland County as well. It is a finely balanced district with many stark divides. I will try my best to illustrate where Marlinga needs to perform well to win.
Here’s where this race will be won in the 10th district.
- Warren, Roseville, and Eastpointe: This is the heart of the Democratic vote in the district. Eastpointe is now majority black, and Warren is where many of the Reagan Democrats reside. Marlinga is going to have to post stellar margins in all three cities in order to overcome other places.
- Rochester and Rochester Hills: These cities are traditionally conservative, and they narrowly voted for Biden in 2020. Marlinga needs to do better in these swing cities in order to actually win the district. James is from Oakland County, which makes it all the more difficult.
- Mount Clemens: This city is an exception to the trend of Macomb County getting more red as you travel north. There is a strong union vote in this city, and Marlinga will have to tap into that vote if he is to have any chance of winning come November.
Here’s where we need to keep the margins down, or we lose.
- Sterling Heights and Utica: These cities are more traditionally conservative, but TFG won them handily both times. Marlinga will have to cut into the margins here in order to eke out a victory. Merely matching Biden’s numbers in both of these cities won’t be enough to win.
- St. Clair Shores, Fraser: These cities are once again areas where TFG won, albeit more narrowly than Sterling Heights and Utica. Marlinga is either going to have to flip these cities or at the very least make them 50-50 cities in order to win the district.
- The Townships: We’ve now reached the white flight areas of Macomb County. Shelby Township. Clinton Township, and Harrison Township all voted for TFG by significant margins, and all three are safely red. Marlinga needs to focus on turning out the loyal voters that can be found here and activating new voters in other portions of the district to win.
Activism — Help How You Can!
This week, I have chosen races where we are at a distinct fundraising disadvantage. Carl Marlinga is no exception to this, though I hope he will be added to Red to Blue in a short amount of time. Marlinga raised a pitiful $110k during the time Quarter 2 took place. That’s not enough to run a modern campaign. Opposition candidate John James raked in $2.01 MILLION dollars during the same time frame. I have never seen such a disparity in what should be a competitive race.
To put it bluntly, Marlinga is flat out broke. He reported only having $43k cash on hand at the end of June. In contrast, John James is flush with cash, having a grand total of $2.43 MILLION dollars to spend nuking Marlinga into oblivion. To say that Marlinga needs donations NOW is not embellishment. This Majority Saver desperately needs more funds, or he will be abandoned to the wolves.
DONATE TO CARL MARLINGA HERE
Marlinga might have to wage a true grassroots campaign with volunteers in order to make up for his cash shortcomings. If you live in metro Detroit, you can sign up at this link in order to help him. He’ll need all of the help he can get, especially if he cannot raise the funds necessary for GOTV and commercial ads touting that this should be a race.
To say that his social media game is nonexistent would be kind. Marlinga obviously has never needed social media as a judge, and he is of an age where this stuff doesn’t come easy to him. He joined Twitter just for this campaign and has 329 followers. He’ll never get his message out this way! Please follow and retweet him: we need to help him out or he will be left to flounder.
He also has social media accounts on Facebook (marlingaforcongress) and Instagram (marlingaforcongress). Both are rudimentary at best, I think he thinks he can coast on his 40 years of experience in Macomb County. He risks being painted as out of touch without a viable social media game.
This district will be a tough slog for Carl Marlinga, even with all of his local connections. Macomb County is where TFG improved the most over Obama in both 2016 and 2020. John James is a polished candidate who has near universal name recognition. However, not all hope is lost, which is why Majority Savers is choosing to profile this race urgently to build momentum for this campaign!
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Carl Marlinga for Michigan-10
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