An insider look at one of the toughest congressional races in the country

Mike Bouchard has no delusions about the daunting task that lies ahead of him.

"This is going to be one of the toughest races in the country," Bouchard admitted to Blaze News.

'When I got in this race, I got in this race because I planned to win. ... We're going to win in November.'

Bouchard, a 32-year-old Michigan Army National Guard captain and the son of longtime Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard, easily secured the Republican nomination for Michigan's 10th Congressional District on Tuesday night.

"I want to thank the voters of the 10th District for putting their faith in me," Bouchard said in a statement after his race was called.

"They didn't vote for a candidate — they voted for a mission. I've worn the uniform of our nation and faced America's enemies abroad. Now the job is here at home: rebuild Michigan manufacturing, keep our families safe, and put this district first. I’m ready to deliver on day one."

The 10th District is about as purple as it gets, encompassing most of Macomb County, considered a bellwether in presidential elections. Rep. John James, who just won the Republican gubernatorial nomination in Michigan, has held the seat for the past four years, but he won election in 2022 by the narrowest of margins: just 1,600 votes.

One major challenge Bouchard anticipates as he gears up for a battle against Democrat Christine Hines, who also cruised to victory in the primary, is funding. "This is going to be one of the most expensive races in the country. Because we're in the new trend media market, it's going to be extremely expensive," Bouchard said.

Bouchard indicated that raising funds for his campaign has been a difficult adjustment for him, especially considering his background. "I hate asking for money. I hate asking for things. I'm in the military. You are what you bring to the table every day," he explained.

Still, Bouchard says his campaign has managed to collect a significant number of small donations from across the area.

He also holds a Trump card. On June 22, President Donald Trump issued a "Complete and Total Endorsement" of Bouchard.

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Andrew Harnik/Getty Images

"As your next Congressman, Mike will fight tirelessly to Grow our Economy, Cut Taxes and Regulations, Promote MADE IN THE U.S.A., Unleash American Energy DOMINANCE, Keep our Border SECURE, Stop Migrant Crime, Strengthen our incredible Military/Veterans, Advance Election Integrity, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment," Trump posted to Truth Social.

Bouchard called earning Trump's endorsement an "honor" and claimed that it has fueled him to work even harder on this campaign.

"I was incredibly honored to receive this endorsement, but I was also really excited to start getting to work to get things done better," Bouchard said.

"You know, the president, he's taken a bullet for this country. Not a lot of politicians can say that."

In fact, Bouchard suggested that Trump's tough "peace through strength" approach in the Middle East may even have saved his life during his time in Iraq last year. Bouchard claimed that while he was there, he and the other soldiers on base received word about an impending attack from some "Iranian-aligned Iraqi militia" who outnumbered them about eight to one.

"I remember I was putting grenades in my pockets. I was putting magazines. We were grabbing as much ammo as we could just to prepare," Bouchard recalled. "And they never came, never attacked. ... So we talked to some people who knew them and they knew us, and they said they didn't attack our base because they knew that President Trump's administration and the commander in chief of the U.S. military would kill them all."

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Mike Bouchard hugs father Sheriff Mike Bouchard at a campaign event on August 1. Blaze News

Though Bouchard expects the congressional race against Hines to be close, he remains confident: "When I got in this race, I got in this race because I planned to win. ... We're going to win in November."

"I think a lot of voters feel that whenever they send somebody to Lansing or D.C., they don't get the everyday representation they want. It's my promise to them that I'm going to be present. I'm going to see them all the way through my time in D.C.," he added.

Bouchard's father, who has been Oakland County sheriff since January 1999, likewise believes that his son faces a real "battle" in November but that he will ultimately prevail because the Democratic Party has shifted too far to the left.

"In this district, hardworking men and women who are in both parties don't identify with socialism and feminism. They identify with hard work, rolling their sleeves up, and doing the right thing every day. And whether you're a Democrat or Republican, the choice is clear in this election cycle that my son in this district represents that embodiment," Bouchard Sr. told Blaze News.

"He wants to serve the country, and he wants to protect the affordability of the American ideals that come with it. That's why he put on the uniform."

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