Nik Rajkovic / news@whmi.com

Michigan's Republican gubernatorial candidates made their pitch to the Livingston County GOP Tuesday night.

Congressman John James was among those attending the local party's Lincoln Day Dinner, after missing last week's debate.

"We were voting to pass the first Farm Bill out of the House in eight years. We were voting to fund the Department of Homeland Security. Those votes went well into the afternoon and evening," he said. "So, I was in Washington helping to pass the president's agenda. And I prioritized having to represent the people of the state of Michigan."

Mike Cox says if elected, he'll fight for Michiganders like he did while serving as state attorney general.

"People are worried about cost of living, I took on the big utilities, saved over $3 billion for rate payers. I took on Blue Cross and saved hundreds of millions of dollars for seniors," Cox said.

"If you're worried about health care and if you're worried about utilities, I even took on Walmart when they were cheating on marking grocery prices."

Perry Johnson was the lone gubernatorial candidate who did not attend.

Livingston County GOP Chair Deb Drick was more than pleased by the night's turnout.

"I have the best Republican Party in the state, hand down," she said. "Mike Cox told me last year that Livingston County pulled him across the finish line when it came to his attorney general races. We are red, red, red here. It is something we're very proud of here, and we fight to keep it that way."

Michigan's primary election is August 4.