SALENA ZITO: John James could be the future Republicans have been waiting for.

There’s a little irony there, his father and mother are both Democrats. In fact, his father donated to the very sitting U.S. Senator he would like to face next fall in a general election.

James smiles, “I have been a conservative and Republican all of my life. My parents I suspect will support me,” he says laughing.

James has been very successful in his post-military life, he became the president of the family company in 2014. “It’s an automotive logistics company that specializes in warehousing distribution manufacturing and assembly and supply chain information systems. When I started the company it was making 35 million. It was good, it was very good. Strong customer base. I bring a passion for service, and I am pretty much an energetic leader. With a clarity of vision, we were able to grow from 35 million to 137 million in less than five years and added a hundred jobs here in Michigan,” he said.

James says what people need at this time is pulling together instead of apart. That, he says, requires people to work together and get results so that the state and the country can succeed even in the toughest of environments. “I believe that I was needed, where I could do the most good. I want to continue my service to my country, continue my service to my community,” he said.

The last Republican elected to the U.S. Senate from Michigan was Spencer Abraham in 1994 – he lost his reelection bid in 2000 to current Democratic U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow who is up for reelection next year.

Michigan stunned the political class last year when it’s electoral votes favored Donald J. Trump over Hillary Clinton.

While strategists calculate name ID and Stabenow’s favorable ratings, and while the media focuses on whether musician Kid Rock — teasing a run for months — is actually going to jump in, James is about the business of winning.

He has already raised an impressive $300,000 in just under a month.

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