Meet Jim Casha, a local man running for U.S. Congress

A man in Tillsonburg is on the campaign trail less than a month out from election day.

There's no local vote though, he's actually running for U.S. Congress.

“My name is Jim Casha, and I'm running for U.S. Congress in Michigan's District 8.”

Casha, a nearly 30-year resident of Oxford County, is vying for an office in the most powerful country on earth.

You may be asking yourself how it’s possible Casha is qualified to run in this election.

As you might have guessed, he is a U.S. citizen by birth.

But as a permanent resident of Canada, it was a challenge getting elections officials to put him on the ticket.

“They said I couldn't run, and I said, ’Yes, I can!’ And then they were the ones who orchestrated the call to the state of Michigan. And a few minutes later, the state called down there and told them, ‘Yeah, he can run,’” Casha explained.

Jim Casha in Tillsonburg Ont. Thursday, October 10, 2024. (Sean Irvine/CTV News London)

Believe it or not, this is Casha’s third election.

He admitted his first time out in 2010 was not exactly stellar.

“I got one vote, and I couldn't vote for myself because I didn't live in Michigan,” he said. But in 2014, a lot more people backed him, “I got 1,880 votes.”

This time around, Casha is on the ballot as a Green Party candidate.

While he supports much of their platform, his main reason for running is to educate Americans about the effects of pre-natal alcohol in children. He’s been an advocate on the subject since his parents adopted two children he says suffered from its effects.

“And so that kind of opened my eyes. And it's been a 50-year journey,” said Casha.

Initially a backer of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Casha has now followed the former presidential candidate to the Trump campaign.

On Tuesday, he even attended a J.D. Vance rally in Detroit with the hope the vice-presidential candidate had read a book (The Fatal Link) that argues many U.S. school shooters were exposed to pre-natal alcohol.

Jim Casha at J.D. Vance rally on Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2024. (Source: Jim Casha)

He hasn’t gotten the direct attention of Vance yet.

In the meantime, this American has recently applied to become a Canadian citizen.

And while he will move stateside if elected to Congress, he’ll stay north of the 49th if he loses.

You see, while Casha loves America, he loves his Canadian wife Roxanne more.

He’s also come to love his adopted country for many reasons, including our political system.

When CTV News asked Casha what he thought the difference between the Canadian and American political systems was, he responded, “Well, I think the Canadians’ [political system] is better.”