John James voted to weaken Great Lakes protections

John James, the Republican candidate for Michigan governor, has repeatedly pledged to protect the Great Lakes while also voting to weaken water protections. James has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2023.

The Great Lakes provide much of the state’s drinking water while also being sites of recreation and tourism. The Trump administration has threatened these assets by slashing environmental regulations and threatening to expand oil drilling into the region.

“I am firmly opposed to Great Lakes water diversion and oil drilling in the lakes,” James told Bridge Michigan in May. He made similar remarks in 2020 when he said he “disagreed” with President Donald Trump’s plan to reduce federal funding for the lakes.

Despite these proclamations, James voted against a measure prohibiting oil and gas drilling in the Great Lakes when it was introduced as an amendment to a bipartisan energy bill in 2023. The International Joint Commission, which manages shared waterways between the U.S. and Canada, had previously warned that an oil spill in the lakes would be catastrophic.

“That the lakes provide the largest source of fresh surface water for almost 40 million people …” the group said in 2018. “The risk of a spill affecting drinking water is significant, particularly when currents transport crude oil to the vicinity of drinking water intakes.”

James voted against water protections again a few months later when he voted to rescind a rule that expanded the Clean Water Act, the primary law governing water pollution in the United States. The rule specifically extended protections to additional wetlands and waterways. The reversal also passed the Senate but was vetoed by President Joe Biden.

Perhaps the greatest threat James has posed to the Great Lakes was through his support for the PERMIT Act, a law that seeks to reform and limit the scope of the Clean Water Act. It passed the House last year with mostly Republican votes and is awaiting action in the Senate.

Multiple environmental groups have warned that the PERMIT Act would have a direct effect on pollution in the Great Lakes, including the cleanliness of Detroit’s drinking water. This could lead to higher sanitation costs and increased water bills for residents.

“Water affordability is already a crisis for Detroiters,” Tiana Starks, a community advocate, told Planet Detroit. “We know that there are about 60,000 households currently struggling to pay their water bills. Adding any additional cost to Detroiters could put us over the edge.”

James also missed a House vote in March 2026 that extended federal funding for Great Lakes restoration projects.

James’ Democratic opponent in the governor’s race is Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson. Her campaign website lists protecting the Great Lakes as a top priority.

“Fifteen million people in the Great Lakes region get their drinking water from the Great Lakes,” the site says. “And in this era of rapid climate change, protecting our water, air, and natural resources preserves what makes Michigan special and ensures it is a safe, healthy home for all of us.”