Republican gubernatorial nominee John James skipped Vice President JD Vance’s Michigan rally on Thursday, missing a high-profile event to energize GOP voters in one of the country’s most consequential midterm battlegrounds.

Vance visited Monroe, in southeastern Michigan, to campaign for Republicans ahead of the Nov. 3 election, when control of Congress is on the line. The rally came as James faces Democratic nominee Jocelyn Benson in the race to succeed term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI).