Democrat and Army veteran Alex Hawkins said Thursday he's launching a campaign for a U.S. House in the Detroit suburbans, aiming to challenge two-term Republican U.S. Rep. John James.

Hawkins, 30, of Rochester, is the first Democrat to jump into the contest in Michigan's 10th District, which covers southern Macomb County and Rochester and Rochester Hills in Oakland County.

Hawkins currently serves as an explosive ordnance disposal officer in the Michigan Army National Guard and as an Oakland County Sheriff’s Office reserve deputy, he said. Last year, he ran for the state House in the 55th District but lost the Democratic primary to Trevis Harrold by nearly 6 percentage points. Harrold went on to lose the general election by about 7 points to incumbent GOP state Rep. Mark Tisdel.

"It’s time for anew generation of leadership. What we’ve been doing as a Congress, as a country, as a Democratic Party ― there's things that are not going so well, and I attribute that to needing more young people that are interested, with new ideas, getting into Congress," he said. "So I decided to step up."

James, 43, last fall won a second term by defeating Democrat Carl Marlinga in a rematch race by 6 percentage points to represent the 10th District, which is considered one of the state's most competitive seats.

Marlinga lost the 2022 contest to James but just about 1,300 votes. James in 2023 became the first Black Republican to ever represent Michigan in Congress and the first Black candidate from Michigan to represent a majority-White suburban district.

James, however, might not be running for reelection to Congress, as he's said to be considering a run for governor in 2026. The congressman hasn't yet announced his plans. Marlinga is reportedly mulling another run for the 10th District seat but could not be reached for comment Thursday.

Hawkins grew up in Waterford Township, raised by a single mother who worked for United Airlines as a customer service representative and served as a steward for her union. His father died by suicide when Hawkins was 8, he said.

Hawkins joined the U.S. Army after high school and spent five or six years on active duty. Now in the National Guard, his bomb tech training takes up at Camp Grayling, he said.

"I understand the impact that the defense industry has on Macomb County, and I think that’s something that Democrats who have run for this seat haven’t brought to the forefront," Hawkins said of the 10th District. "I think that's what sets me apart."

Hawkins was inspired to serve in public office by his grandfather, a veteran who returned from the Vietnam war paralyzed from waist down and went on to earn a law degree at Wayne State University and advocate for disability rights. He served as a Florida state legislator and worked as a lobbyist for disability organizations, Hawkins said.

Hawkins plans to focus his campaign on affordability issues such as housing and grocery prices. He supports Medicare For All and agrees with the need to secure the Southern border, though he's not a fan of how President Donald Trump is executing the current run of deportations, he said.

Hawkins previously served as a congressional fellow for then-U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, working on constituent services, he said.

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