Democrat Christina Hines kicked off a bid for Congress, landing Democrats a competitive recruit in a purple district in the Detroit suburbs.

“We need people in Washington that we can trust, and I spent my whole life trying to fight for others and to fight for my community, and I’m hoping that I can be a trustworthy person in Congress,” said Hines, a former special victims prosecutor.

She’d been inspired to run after seeing the news that President Donald Trump issued an executive order to wind down the Department of Education.

“My husband and I looked at each other like, ‘yeah, this is not a time to wait. This is not a time to be comfortable,’“ she recalled. “We need a fighter in Congress. And I’ve spent my whole career fighting for people, and I need to step up. We need a fighter here in Michigan’s tent.”

The district, which includes parts of the northern Detroit suburbs in Oakland and Macomb counties, has trended toward Republicans in recent years. Still, Democrats believe this district could be flippable with incumbent Rep. John James (R-Mich.) potentially vacating it for a gubernatorial bid next year to replace term-limited Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. James won the seat in 2022 by half a percentage point and by a handier margin in 2024.

Notably, she’s running with the endorsement of former judge and attorney Carl Marlinga, who’s run against James the past two cycles. He’d originally made moves toward a bid this cycle, sparking private concerns among some Democrats that his past baggage could tank their chances in the district.

But he’s not running this time and gave his backing to her campaign in a statement: “Christina is the new generational leader we need in Washington to give our country a fresh start. She is a fighter who knows every corner of Macomb and the people who live here.”

Hines could claim a centrist lane and said, “I’m not particularly far on either side of the spectrum.” She she’d been in touch with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee about running and was “not expecting a very contested primary.”

Still, she’s not the only Democrat running. Army veteran Alex Hawkins has already launched a campaign, and former Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.), who’d represented parts of the district before redistricting, has flirted with a comeback bid for the seat or other elected offices in Michigan.