Mike Bouchard Jr., the Republican nominee for Michigan’s 10th Congressional District, pushes back hard against the idea that Abdul El-Sayed’s narrow primary win signals a statewide shift toward socialism, arguing instead that extreme rhetoric and soft-on-crime Democrats are what voters should worry about this fall.
Bouchard seized on a controversial moment from El-Sayed’s campaign to underline his point. “El-Sayed was campaigning with Hasan Piker the day before the election, Hasan Piker said that America deserved 9/11, we did not deserve 9/11, tell that to the thousands of people who died in 9/11 and the thousands of American military who died abroad defending this country,” he said, pressing that such comments tear at the fabric of the nation. He pointed to his military service and Bronze Star as the basis for calling out rhetoric he views as dangerous. For him, tough talk about America’s enemies or misguided praise for radical voices is not political theater but an attack on shared values.
“The fact that that is coming to our streets, that someone says that America deserves something like that, that is ripping America apart block by block. We need to come together, build this country up, and find real solutions together. I’m done with this partisan politics and trying to bring socialism into a country that is not what we were founded on.”
El-Sayed eked out the Democratic Senate nomination by less than a point, a result Bouchard says shows a fracture in the opposition. He describes the socialist wing as loud and disruptive rather than representative of mainstream Michigan voters, arguing that most people are moderates who care about results, not ideology. Bouchard frames his campaign as a return to practical problem solving, not to extremes on either side.
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“Absolutely not,” Bouchard said about whether Michigan is embracing socialism. “The people in Michigan are hard workers. They work hard, they love their families, and you know what? They’re moderates. They go back and forth. They look at Democrats, they’ll look at Republicans. They don’t want partisan politics. They want someone who’s going to deliver results for them. And that’s why I got in this race is to deliver real, meaningful results.”
Bouchard, son of a longtime county sheriff, paints the wider leftward trend as an argument for his candidacy rather than a warning sign for Republicans. He points to recent wins by far-left candidates around the country as a wake-up call for voters who value safety and economic stability. “When the Berlin wall came down, which way did the people run?” he asked. “Did they run towards a communist Soviet union, or did they run towards freedom in America? Socialism doesn’t work. It’s been proven time and time again. I’ve fought all across the world and I’ve seen what socialism does to a country. We cannot allow that to come here.”
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Bouchard uses crime and public safety as his chief contrast with the Democratic nominee he will face this fall. “Yes, I’m running for change, but socialism is not the answer, and so Abdul El-Sayed stands for defunding the police. And it’s been really interesting to see how my opponent, who’s soft on crime, works with El-Sayed when he’s trying to tear this country down. I want to build this country up,” he said, arguing that tough enforcement protects families and neighborhoods.
” You look across a lot of the prosecutors across the country, some enforce the rules on the books, some don’t, some blame victims, and some are really kind to the offenders, I stand for protecting victims and making sure that the offenders go to prison,” Bouchard said. “And so I’ve seen people praise my opponent for being kind and compassionate to offenders. I stand for the victims. People in this district want to be safe and if you’re not safe, you can’t do anything else. You can’t leave your house. So from the southern border to crime across the district, I’m gonna stand up for the people of this district.”
Bouchard will face Democrat Christina Hines in November after winning the GOP primary to run for the open seat. He says the election will be a clear choice on law and order, with his background in the military and local law enforcement roots positioned against Hines’ record as a prosecutor. Hines responded to his attacks by defending her career record and her commitment to public safety.
“Mike Bouchard Jr has never put a predator behind bars, and he’s never lived in Macomb a day in his life. I spent my entire career working with law enforcement to put serial rapists, child predators, murderers, and traffickers in prison. I’m running for Congress to protect the families in my community, and to fight against the corruption that’s rampant in DC.”
