ON THE AIRWAVES: Winnie Brinks Draws Sharp Contrast Between James Price-Hikes and Benson Affordability Agenda 

“When you think about tariffs, it's really, essentially a John James Tax.” 

Senate Majority Leader and Democratic Nominee for Lieutenant Governor Winnie Brinks took to the airwaves this week to highlight the Benson-Brinks agenda to make Michigan the best place in the nation to call home. As governor, Jocelyn will bring down the costs of everything — from healthcare to housing to energy — grow our economy and stand up to anyone to protect the rights and safety of Michiganders. 

While Jocelyn has been focused on her comprehensive plan to make life more affordable, John James has been focused on his relationship with Donald Trump and backing his reckless tariffs on Canada. This latest round of the “John James Tax” is skyrocketing costs for Michiganders at a time when Michigan families have already faced $5,600 in additional costs, courtesy of the Trump-James trade war. The contrast is clear: Jocelyn is the only candidate in this race who works for the people — not corporations, not the highest bidder, and not Donald Trump.

In case you missed it…

WWJ-TV — Detroit, MI: I think you need only look at today's news to see the tariff news coming out of President Trump and the White House. And John James has really been a yes-man for those kinds of things. And those are costing, not just Americans, but Michiganders every single day on things that we need. So to paint the contrast there, there is a lot of looking in the mirror that those Republicans should be doing. And instead of scapegoating us they should be doing what they can do at the legislative level right now to bring down costs of things like prescriptions, gas, and other things that we need. 

WJR-AM — Detroit, MI: First of all, there's a contrast here between us and the John James ticket. You know, he's one that is making Michigan more expensive right now. When you think about tariffs, it's really essentially a John James Tax. He is supporting the Trump agenda and it's hitting the Michiganders pocket books harder than any other state. So that's the number one thing: is to make sure that we are standing up against those negative policies that we are seeing coming from Republicans at the federal level and the state level. But proactively, I think it's really important for us to be able to focus on bringing down the cost of housing. Making sure that we are addressing the high cost of prescription medications. Making sure that we are helping folks make a dent in their childcare expenses. All of those things are important to Michigan families, and as we move across the state, we continue to hear about the high cost of gas, the high cost of groceries. All of those things can also be helped by creating good, well-paying jobs here in Michigan. So that will be our focus in the Benson-Brinks administration. 

WUOM-AM — Ann Arbor, MI: There's a lot that I have to offer in terms of legislative experience and strong relationships with stakeholders on so many different issues. So, while not issue-specific per se, I think utilizing that long history of those relationships can be really helpful as we try to shepherd through her agenda. You know, saving people money, making sure that wages go up, making sure that their rights are defended, should they continue to be under attack from this Trump administration and Republicans here in Michigan. So, I think that that's one of the big strengths I bring and I'm really pleased to work with Jocelyn, who's got such a great record really running a state department well, making it more efficient. So, I'm really excited to see what we can do together.

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