Powell joins Democratic contest to take on GOP's James

The Democratic primary field in Metro Detroit's only swing U.S. House district grew again Tuesday with Rhonda Powell of Mount Clemens joining the race for the seat currently held by first-term Republican U.S. Rep. John James of Shelby Township.

"I am stepping up to build a democracy that works for all our residents and rejects the politics of division," Powell said in a statement.

"We need a representative that will invest in the people of this district, value our diverse communities, and work tirelessly to create a sustainable economy that benefits every one of us."

Powell came in second behind winner Carl Marlinga in the 2022 Democratic primary, garnering 17% of the vote to Marlinga's 48% in Michigan's 10th District that covers southern Macomb County, Rochester and Rochester Hills.

Marlinga came within 1,600 votes of James in November in what was the third closest U.S. House election nationwide. The former county prosecutor and judge is running again.

Other declared candidates include financial adviser Diane Young of Warren; gun safety advocate Emily Busch of Oxford; and Michigan State Board of Education member Tiffany Tilley of West Bloomfield Township.

Dr. Anil Kumar, a urologist who ran for Congress against then-U.S. Rep. Dave Trott, R-Birmingham, in 2016, is also exploring a bid and expected to announce his campaign Thursday. 

Former U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Bloomfield Township, told The Detroit News last month he does not currently plan to run for any office in 2024. Levin previously represented parts of the new 10th District under an old political map but lost the Democratic primary last year next door in the 11th District to Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Birmingham.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee had approached Levin about the 10th, but he said he explained to them he's not running, he said.

The DCCC has said Michigan's 10th District is among the 33 GOP-held or open seats it intends to target in 2024, casting James as vulnerable in his bid for a second term.

In a statement, Powell said she would fight the "divisive" Republican agenda and that she's running to "continue my life's work: investing in the people of this district, fighting for equity, and ensuring that seniors can retire with dignity and respect."

Powell currently serves as statewide operations director for We the People Action Fund, a social justice nonprofit organization her campaign said is focused on "building long-term organizing infrastructure and fostering alliances with a multi-racial, working-class constituency across the state."

In her campaign last cycle, she touted her experience in running homeless shelters, working on the business side of education and growing up in public housing.

Powell previously was director of the Macomb County Health and Community Services Department.

She made headlines in 2019 by filing a whistleblower suit against Macomb County Executive Mark Hackel and his assistant, alleging she was fired from her county post for complaining about racial discrimination against county employees. The county has denied that and blamed instead "serious administrative failures" on Powell's watch.

mburke@detroitnews.com