The National Republican Senatorial Committee is investing new money in the Michigan Senate race, encouraged by a raft of polling that shows GOP challenger John James narrowly trailing incumbent Democratic Sen. Gary Peters.
NRSC officials told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that the committee planned to spend $1.5 million to air a television advertisement across Michigan in coordination with the James campaign. Although a somewhat limited investment, the NRSC’s decision to spend precious resources in Michigan is significant given that the committee is playing defense in as many as seven states in an effort to salvage the party’s Senate majority.
“John James is Gary Peters’s worst nightmare,” NRSC spokesman Jesse Hunt said, adding that the Republican’s message is “resonating with voters.” The joint NRSC-James campaign television ad is being run under federal regulations that allow for limited coordination between political committees and candidate campaigns. In the spot, James and his wife discuss their young son’s battle with asthma while accusing Peters of politicizing healthcare.
Peters leads James in the RealClearPolitics average by 4.3 percentage points. But recent partisan and nonpartisan polling suggests the race could be a tossup, with James ahead in one survey and trailing in others — but within the margin of error. James, a military combat veteran and Detroit businessman, ran for Senate in 2018 but came up short against Democratic Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
“No matter who pays for the ads, the facts are the same: John James supports Trump 2,000% — even when it hurts Michigan,” said Lauren Passalacqua, spokeswoman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
Senate Republicans are clinging to a three-seat majority, and Michigan represents one of just two legitimate opportunities for the Republicans to pick up seats — deep-red Alabama being the other one. The Minnesota Senate race has shown signs of competitiveness, but it remains unclear whether that contest will be worthy of a GOP investment down the stretch. Meanwhile, Republicans are attempting to hold off spirited Democratic challenges in Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Maine, Montana, and North Carolina.
