DETROIT — A Democrat running for Congress in one of America’s top manufacturing districts once called auto “a dying industry,” a comment sure to tick off his Motown-area voters — and they’ll be reminded of it over and over again in a 30-second ad his Republican opponent launched Tuesday, which The Post viewed exclusively.
GOP incumbent Rep. John James is facing a rematch in Michigan’s 10th Congressional District against Democrat Carl Marlinga, whom he defeated in 2022 by just 1,601 votes.
The race is expected to be just as close this year — and James is determined to hold onto his seat, a win he eked out after two unsuccessful Senate runs.
The ad targets Marlinga, a former Macomb County prosecutor and judge, as an “environmental extremist” out to exterminate the auto industry that Michigan workers rely on.
“Extremists like Kamala Harris would kill the auto industry, with mandates and banning gas-powered cars,” the spot says, before training its fire on the congressional candidate.
“Then there’s Carl Marlinga. Marlinga called the auto industry ‘a dying industry’ — and Marlinga is right. If extremists like them get elected, the auto industry would die. Their policies would cost thousands of Michigan workers to be laid off — and those jobs would never return.”
“Marlinga and Harris must be stopped,” the ad concludes.
‘Dying industry’ comes from an August 2022 Detroit News story. James gave a fundraiser speech about the need to protect the American auto industry rather than subsidize electric vehicles that are built abroad. Columnist Chad Livengood called Marlinga to respond — and the remarks he gave then is being used against him now.
“I’m glad that Mr. James gave this speech because it shows there’s a clear line between the old way of thinking, which is his way — let’s try to save all of the jobs that we have now, let’s hold tight and try to stick with a dying industry as long as we can,” Marlinga said.
“Or we can do it my way, which is to embrace the new products of the future of the new green industrial revolution.”
Marlinga’s team defended his two-year-old remarks in a statement to The Post.
“Unlike John James who is happy to cede the automobile industry jobs of the future to China, what Carl said and still believes is that our policies should prepare Michigan to be the manufacturing capital of the world in the 21st Century,” said Marlinga’s campaign manager, Alan Fosnacht.