DETROIT – Republican Senate candidate John James has 22 days to make up a double-digit deficit in the polls, and he joined Democratic candidate Debbie Stabenow at the Detroit Economic Club on Monday for a debate.
It was a continuation of the debate between James and Stabenow on Sunday night in west Michigan. James was throwing haymakers in hopes of cutting into Stabenow's lead.
"Senator, respectfully, you've been in Congress 20 years," James said. "Why should we believe you now?"
There was a clear theme to the game plan from James in the lunchtime debate.
"When she tells you all the nice ideas of how we can move forward, and when she tries to pin the GOP and Trump administration on me, when I just started running (this) year, I want to ask her: Why haven't you gotten it done in 20 years?" James said.
James, who was on the offensive for almost the entire hour, tried to minimize Stabenow's record while she defended it, including her role in the passing of a bill to pay for the modernization of the Soo Locks.
"It was all hands on deck, and I would say it was my experience that helped get that done," Stabenow said.
"And it took you 43 years," James said.
When it came to the proposal to legalize recreational marijuana in Michigan, Stabenow quickly pivoted to her support of proposals two and three before saying she is in favor of legalizing marijuana.
James was against the proposal.
"I would not feel right legalizing something that so many Michiganders are in jail for," James said.
"I understand politics," Stabenow said. "When someone doesn't have anything to say, they attack the other side. When they don't have any ideas, they attack the other side."
After the debate, James was asked about where he stands personally on the issues of same-sex marriage and abortion. He said that both are the law of the land and his personal beliefs don't matter.