Key Races in WI, MI, and OH
Wisconsin Senate – Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D) vs. Eric Hovde (R)
This week, the race pitting businessman Eric Hovde against two-term ultraliberal incumbent Tammy Baldwin drew increased attention as the Cook Political Report changed its race rating from “Leans Democrat” to “Toss-up” and both parties dramatically ramped up super-PAC spending on behalf of their candidates.
Hovde, an extraordinarily accomplished business and philanthropic leader, has boldly challenged Baldwin’s claim to have delivered effectively for the state after twenty-six years on the congressional payroll.
And Hovde has hit Baldwin hard for her long history of Middle East policy betrayals - from her vote in favor of the Obama Iran deal to her recent grave charge that Israel has engaged in “indiscriminate bombing” in Gaza. Baldwin stands out even among Senate Democrats for her extreme posture of hostility to Israel’s security and for receiving zero support from the pro-Israel community.
Recent elections for state-wide office in Wisconsin have been settled by narrow margins; GOP Senator Ron Johnson won reelection in 2022 by 1 percent as Democrat Governor Tony Evers was winning his reelection race by only a slightly larger margin. Hovde seems to be consolidating the GOP vote to such a degree that he has a terrific shot at pulling off the upset if Trump carries Wisconsin.
Michigan-10: Rep. John James (R) vs. Carl Marlinga (D)
Most of Michigan’s 10th district is in Macomb county, working-class Detroit suburbs that have seen a drift from Democratic dominance to a clear GOP lean, beginning in the Reagan era.
In 2022, the GOP was fortunate to have a candidate strong enough to persevere in a very tough year for Michigan Republicans: John James. James won over 10th district voters with his vow to bring the lessons he learned as a battle-tested Army pilot, a successful businessman and a political outsider to bear for his constituents’ benefit. His narrow 2022 victory in MI-10 was one of the key blue-to-red flips that gave the GOP its House majority and it made James, now 43, a Republican rising star.
James has made a real impact in a short period of time by making the most of his membership on the Foreign Affairs committee. As Chairman of the Africa subcommittee, he is spearheading legislation to require a reevaluation of U.S.-South Africa relations in light of the country’s recent outrageous actions to prosecute Israel in the International Criminal Court. James also wrote a bill to strengthen sanctions on Iran and require that future deals be submitted to the Senate as treaties.
This exemplary leadership has made John James a target of J Street - the fake “pro-Israel” organization that backs Democrats who promise to support any Iran deal and any pressure campaign against Israel undertaken by a Democratic president.
J Street featured James’s opponent Carl Marlinga at a recent DC fundraiser and, at least until very recently, Marlinga appeared in the highest tier of candidates featured on the J Street PAC website.
Congressman James has also been targeted by House Majority PAC, a big-spending super-PAC controlled by the Democrats’ Speaker-in-waiting, Hakeem Jeffries. HMP has been barraging James with millions of dollars worth of attack ads.
If James loses to Marlinga, it won’t be because voters swooned over the idea of having a 78 year old “freshman” in Marlinga looking out for them in DC. It will be because Republicans failed to muster effectively in the face of the Democratic advance. Let’s come through for our friend John James!
Ohio-9: Rep. Marcy Kaptur (D) vs. Derek Merrin (R)
Ohio-9 is one of five Democrat-held districts nation-wide that President Trump carried in 2020 - which makes the incumbent congresswoman a ripe target of opportunity in the current presidential election year.
Incumbent Marcy Kaptur has represented Toledo and northwest Ohio for 42 years, but always in districts configured to elect a Democrat. The most recent redistricting left Kaptur and her 40-year record of party-line liberal votes exposed.
Kaptur’s challenger Derek Merrin is a member of the Ohio State House who has been on the GOP leadership team in that chamber for most of his tenure. Merrin proved his ability to win crossover votes when he beat back a strong challenge after redistricting shifted the partisan ratio in his legislative district substantially towards Democrats.
Kaptur is trying to portray herself as a results-oriented moderate but when it comes to the Middle East, she is off the charts extreme, which is why she has no support whatsoever from the pro-Israel community.
J Street has enthusiastically endorsed and praised Kaptur for calling President Trump's withdrawal from the Obama Iran deal "reckless." The infamous pro-appeasement organization is Kaptur’s largest contributor.
If he can retire Kaptur, Merrin will be a massive improvement. He’s taken every opportunity to speak up in solidarity with Israel in the year since the Hamas attacks and has faulted Kaptur for her long history of letting our ally down.
To victory,

Senator Norm Coleman RJC National Chairman
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