WASHINGTON — Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel is joining a growing field of Democrats looking to reclaim a suburban Detroit congressional seat currently held by Republican U.S. Rep. John James.

Greimel, a former state representative, is the third Democrat to enter the race for Michigan's 10th Congressional District, which covers southern Macomb County, Rochester and Rochester Hills in Oakland County. The contest will be wide open after James, of Shelby Township, on Monday announced a long-anticipated plan to run for governor.

Democrats already saw the seat as a key pickup opportunity last year after nearly winning it in 2022, when Carl Marlinga narrowly lost to James in the country's third-closest race. James' exit figures to bolster Democratic hopes that they can flip the Republican-leaning district in next year's midterm elections.

After President Donald Trump and Republicans across the country rode voter concerns over rising prices to electoral victories in November, Greimel said the "entire focus" of his campaign will center on "improving people's economic condition in life."

"We see a lot of economic chaos and uncertainty, and we need elected officials who are going to prioritize everyday people and fight for the middle class and working families," Greimel said in a phone interview.

Greimel, 50, continued: "I've done that my entire adult life. I've done it as a union-side labor lawyer and a civil rights attorney. I've done it as the state House minority leader. I've done it as a (Rochester) school board member and (an Oakland) county commissioner, and I'm ready to do it now in Washington, D.C."

Among his top accomplishments, Greimel touted his role as the lead Democrat in the House in 2013 pushing for the expansion of Medicaid insurance for the poor in Michigan under a Republican-controlled Legislature.

The Pontiac mayor previously ran for Congress in 2018, when he finished second in a primary race for Michigan's 11th District with now-U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, of Birmingham. Stevens advanced to the general election that year with 27% of the vote, while Greimel received 21.8%.

Pontiac is part of Stevens' district, which covers southeast Oakland County. Greimel said he plans on "moving back to the (10th) District where I was born and raised well before the election."

Candidates are not legally required to live in the district they represent. James, for example, lived outside the 10th District in Farmington Hills when he first won the seat in 2020. He has since moved to Shelby Township.

Commenting on James leaving the race, Greimel said, "I don't think anything changes in terms of our approach. We took the election seriously before his announcement, and we take it just as seriously today."

The other two candidates currently in the race are former special victims prosecutor Christina Hines, 35, of Warren and Army veteran Alex Hawkins, 30, of Rochester.

Asked why he stands out among the field, Greimel said that he is "the one candidate who has actually won elections in the past. I'm the one candidate who has a proven track record of effectively fighting for everyday people and securing improvements to people's lives."

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