By Kyle Davidson, Michigan Advance
Kicking off what’s sure to be a hotly-contested race in one of Michigan’s most competitive congressional seats, U.S. Rep. Tom Barrett (R-Charlotte) joined with U.S. Rep. Lisa McClain (R-Bruce Township) and multiple current and aspiring members of the Michigan Legislature to christen the opening of a new campaign office in Livingston County.
Barrett was elected to Michigan’s 7th Congressional District in 2024, defeating his former state Senate colleague, Curtis Hertel Jr. (D-East Lansing), with 50.3% of the vote to Hertel’s 46.5%. Heading into 2026, the battleground district is a key target for Democrats looking to take the majority in the U.S. House.
“We already know that this district and this race is not going to be an easy ride this fall,” Barrett said. “There’s going to be a very, very tough, challenging political environment. That’s just the fundamental math of this district. It is what it is, but I’m prepared to step up and work as hard as it takes to win this seat and represent you proudly in Washington, D.C.”
The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rates Michigan’s 7th Congressional District as a “toss-up,” with both parties holding an even chance of winning the seat.
McClain, who serves as House Republican’s conference chair, acknowledged that, historically, the president’s party has lost House seats in the midterm election. However, she also called out divisions within the Democratic Party asking “who exactly is the leader of that party?”
Heading toward the election, she encouraged her fellow Republicans to be vocal, echoing Barrett’s support for the tax policies put in place by the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Barrett touted the act’s expanded child tax credit; increases to the adoption tax credit; tax deductions for tips, overtime and Social Security; and the permanent extension of the 20% small business tax deduction. He also defended the work requirements put in place for programs like Medicaid and SNAP.
“Those are all things that I am very, very deeply proud of, and they’re all things that are under assault right now,” Barrett said. “That’s why this election is so important.”
However, Democrats have slammed the act as a tax break for the wealthiest individuals in America, while warning that adding work requirements to Medicaid and SNAP would rip benefits away from Americans in need.
“Career politician Tom Barrett won’t be able to outrun his broken promises of raising costs instead of lowering them, cutting health care instead of delivering relief for struggling Michiganders, and rubber-stamping tax cuts for billionaires instead of working families,” said Katie Smith, a spokesperson for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the campaign arm for U.S. House Democrats.
According the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, a nonpartisan thinktank focused on equity in state and federal policy, the average family earning $50,000 a year will see about $250 in tax cuts in 2027, while filers earning $1 million or more will receive over $100,000 in tax breaks.
The Congressional Budget Office estimates that Medicaid work requirements will increase the number of uninsured Americans by 5.3 million over the next decade, while reducing SNAP participation by roughly 2.4 million people a month between 2025 and 2034.
While Barrett is running unopposed in his bid for renomination, three Democrats have stepped up in hopes of challenging Barrett in November: Former Ambassador to Ukraine Bridget Brink, retired Navy Seal Matt Maasdam and Lansing-area political organizer William Lawrence.
Michigan Advance is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Michigan Advance maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Jon King for questions: info@michiganadvance.com.
