Running as a Republican in Detroit, Martell Bivings has work to do
Bivings — who is running as a Republican in Michigan’s 13th Congressional District, lost his bid for the seat two years ago to Shri Thanedar by 110,000 votes.
U.S.13th Congressional District Republican candidate Martell Bivings on "All Things Considered" at WDET Studios, July 10, 2024.
Last month, Donald Trump made a campaign stop in Detroit to attend a conservative conference and kick off his outreach to Black voters.
The former president went to a church on Detroit’s west side for a community roundtable. There were a lot of vetted African Americans on stage for the event, and the audience in the pews was largely white.
Martell Bivings — who is running as a Republican in Michigan’s Detroit-centric 13th Congressional District — gave a short speech at the event.
A resident of the city’s Jefferson-Chalmers neighborhood, Bivings sounds like a standard pro-business conservative.
“I’m a believer in individual liberty, economic freedom and efficient government,” Bivings said. “I’m an advocate for reduced taxes. I’m an advocate for tax breaks for existing homeowner. I’m a supporter of local businesses.”
When asked who won the 2020 Presidential election, Bivings diverges from Republican Party leadership.
“Joe Biden, come on now.”
The failure to perpetuate the ‘Stop the Steal’ lie doesn’t necessarily mean Bivings isn’t willing to work with Trump should they both get elected.
“If I’m going to be the representative of the 13th Congressional District and take my people’s issue with me. I want to be able to talk to the President,” Bivings said. “I want the president to be able to have my ear as we craft policies for the country that would affect this district.”
A majority-Black city, Detroit does not have Black representation in Congress. Shri Thanedar (D-Michigan) won the seat two years ago, defeating Bivings by 110,000 votes.
That gap doesn’t deter Bivings.
I need about 75,000 votes out of Detroit, and I believe there are 75,000 people who want economic prosperity, 75,000 people who want better education for their children, 75,000 people who want to climb the economic ladder with less government in their way,” Bivings said.
The National Republican Congressional Committee is providing guidance and financial connections, but not much in the way of direct cash.
“I’ll be honest, most of my dollars are not coming from Detroit directly,” Bivings said.
