Michigan 10th District Voter Guide: Bouchard, Hines, Saliba, Nkromo and Kirby on Health Care and Affordability
Five candidates are on the Nov. 3 ballot in Michigan's 10th Congressional District, according to the Michigan Department of State's official candidate listing: Republican Michael Bouchard Jr., Democrat Christina Bertrand Hines, Libertarian Mike Saliba, Green Party candidate Kwabena Nkromo and Working Class Party candidate Andrea L. Kirby. The Digital Free Press voter guide video compares where they stand on health care and affordability.
The district is based mostly in Macomb County, including Warren and Sterling Heights, plus a small part of eastern Oakland County. The seat is open: Republican Rep. John James is running for governor instead of seeking reelection. James won the seat in 2024 with 51.1 percent of the vote, according to Wikipedia's summary of the results.
Why Health Care and Affordability Are Issues in Michigan's 10th District
The Cook Political Report rates the race a Toss Up on its House ratings page, updated Oct. 23, 2026. Sabato's Crystal Ball lists it as a Toss-up and Inside Elections rates it Tilt Republican, but both of those ratings date from May 2026, according to Wikipedia's ratings table. Decision Desk HQ rated it Lean Democratic as of Oct. 20. A RedBox Research poll taken Oct. 20 to 23 had Bouchard at 47 percent and Hines at 42 percent among 889 likely voters, with a margin of error of 4.9 points; Wikipedia's polling table says it was sponsored by A Fight Worth Having, a progressive super PAC. An August poll by Global Strategy Group, a Democratic firm, had the two tied at 45 percent.
The League of Women Voters of Michigan asked each candidate what specific steps they would take in Congress "to address healthcare affordability, access, and quality," and what policies they support "for residents to earn a living wage and address the overall question of affordability." The answers below come from that VOTE411 questionnaire, as published by MLive. The League's printed guide listed Bouchard as "No response by print deadline," but his answers appear in the online version MLive published.
On health care, the TDFP video says Bouchard would require upfront prices, allow insurance to be sold across state lines and expand health savings accounts. It says Hines backs universal health care, that Saliba would keep Affordable Care Act subsidies until the law is repealed and then move to free-market care, that Nkromo wants lower costs, a stronger safety net and more community and preventive care, and that Kirby backs universal health care as a human right.
On affordability, the video says Bouchard would cut federal spending and building red tape, expand the skilled trades and end the trade dispute with Canada. It says Hines would roll back tariffs, end the war in Iran and invest in paid family leave and affordable housing, that Saliba would replace income and payroll taxes with the FairTax, that Nkromo backs affordable housing, community land trusts and local investment, and that Kirby says workers need their own party to win living wages.
Michael Bouchard Jr. (Republican)
Bouchard is a U.S. Army captain in the Michigan Army National Guard and a reserve deputy with the Oakland County Sheriff's Office, according to his questionnaire. He served in the 101st and 82nd Airborne Divisions and deployed to Iraq in 2025, and his campaign says he earned the Bronze Star. He is the son of Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, MLive reported. He won the August Republican primary with 72.2 percent of the vote.
On health care, Bouchard said: "I do not believe congress should choose our healthcare. I oppose a government takeover of healthcare like socialized healthcare or a federal public option that crowds out private insurance and puts bureaucrats between patients and doctors." He proposed to "enforce price transparency so hospitals and insurers disclose prices before care is provided, allow Americans to purchase insurance across state lines to increase competition, and expand pre-tax HSAs to lower out of pocket costs."
On affordability, Bouchard said "affordability is crushing Michigan families due to inflation, federal overreach, and runaway spending," and called for expanding the skilled trades and "revitalizing Macomb County manufacturing." He said he supports "eliminating taxes on tips, overtime, and Social Security, expanding the Child Tax Credit, and doubling the standard deduction," and "cutting regulatory red tape to build affordable starter homes," and he called for ending "the trade dispute with Canada."
Christina Hines (Democrat)
Hines, who grew up in Warren, has been a sexual assault and child abuse prosecutor for 10 years, according to her questionnaire. She won the Democratic primary in August.
On health care, Hines said: "I support universal healthcare. Growing up, my mom was chronically ill, and my family experienced firsthand how exhausting it can be to navigate our healthcare system." She said she would focus on "reducing costs, increasing access, and improving quality."
On affordability, Hines said Congress must "roll back retaliatory tariffs that cost thousands of Michigan jobs and increase costs, end the war in Iran that's costing billions and jacking up prices, invest in paid family leave and affordable housing, lower healthcare costs, and bring good-paying jobs home."
Mike Saliba (Libertarian)
Saliba, a small business owner, is a former chair of the Libertarian Party of Michigan, according to his questionnaire.
On health care, Saliba said: "While I oppose the Affordable Care Act, it is unfair to keep it in place without the subsidies. We must keep those subsidies in place until the ACA can be repealed." He said the country needs "a completely free market health care," and listed steps including allowing insurance across state lines, expanding HSAs, ending coverage mandates, requiring upfront pricing and reducing licensing barriers.
On affordability, Saliba pointed to H.R. 25, the FairTax, which he said "is intended to improve affordability by replacing federal income and payroll taxes with a national consumption tax. Workers would keep their full paycheck."
Kwabena Nkromo (Green)
Nkromo is a community food system planner who says he has more than 20 years of experience in grassroots civic leadership, food systems and community economic development.
On health care, Nkromo said: "Congress can lower families' cost burdens, strengthen the health-care safety net, invest in community-based care, and protect underserved communities." He also said he supports "stronger preventive care."
On affordability, Nkromo said: "Congress should protect workers, strengthen local businesses, expand truly affordable housing and Community Land Trusts, reinvest in education for an AI-driven economy, and direct federal investment toward locally rooted economic development."
Andrea Kirby (Working Class Party)
Kirby is a union representative, according to her questionnaire.
On health care, Kirby said: "Quality health care is a human right and should not be dictated by the color of your skin or the amount of money in your bank account." She added: "Only a true universal health care system is the answer."
On affordability, Kirby said: "A living wage and overall affordability is obtainable when we stop allowing the wealth generated by the working class to be stolen by a few. The only way to combat this perpetuating cycle is for the working class to create its own political party that will advance our issues."
Where to Follow the Candidates
Michael Bouchard Jr.: @bouchardformi on X and bouchardforcongress.com. Christina Hines: @cbhines586 on X and christinahinesforcongress.com. Mike Saliba: @MikeSaliba12 on X and votesaliba.com. Kwabena Nkromo: cubby4congress.net. Andrea Kirby: workingclassfight.com.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2026. Michigan voters can check their registration and polling place through the Michigan Department of State at michigan.gov/vote. This guide is for information only; The Digital Free Press does not endorse any candidate.
Yossi Schmidt, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, The Digital Free Press
Hold Everyone Accountable.
Sources: Michigan Department of State, official candidate listing, 2026 general election: https://mi-boe.entellitrak.com/etk-mi-boe-prod/page.request.do?page=page.miboePublicReport&electionType=GEN&electionYear=2026 ; MLive, Meet the 5 candidates vying to replace U.S. Rep. John James (VOTE411 answers, Oct. 8, 2026): https://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/2026/10/the-5-candidates-vying-to-replace-us-rep-john-james.html ; League of Women Voters of Michigan, 2026 Statewide Voter Guide: https://lwvmi.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/VG2026Final-SingPg.pdf ; Michael Bouchard Jr. campaign site: https://www.bouchardforcongress.com/ ; Cook Political Report House ratings: https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/house-race-ratings ; Wikipedia, 2026 U.S. House elections in Michigan: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2026_United_States_House_of_Representatives_elections_in_Michigan ; Michigan Department of State elections: https://www.michigan.gov/vote
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