Republican former state Sen. Tom Barrett has taken the first step to run for the 7th District Congressional seat on Friday, filing the required Statement of Candidacy with the Federal Election Commission. This will be the second attempt at the seat for Barrett, of Charlotte, who lost the race for the newly drawn 7th District in 2022 to U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin by 5 points.
It’s thought that Barrett will make his formal announcement soon.
Could a similar announcement come soon from former state Sen. Curtis Hertel, who recently resigned his seat as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s legislative director?
Hertel registered a campaign committee for a 7th District Congressional run with the FEC on Tuesday.
Hertel was seen at the Livingston County democratic Party’s Winans Day Dinner on June 16, along with retiring U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow and U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin. Slotkin, who is running to replace Stabenow, said she was helping recruit Hertel to run in the Democratic primary.
The 2022 race between Slotkin and Barrett was one of the most-competitive and most-expensive Congressional races in the country, with political spending topping $34 million.
Michigan’s 7th Congressional District includes all of Livingston, Ingham, Clinton and Shiawassee counties, the state capital of Lansing, as well as a majority of Eaton County and small portions of Oakland and Genesee counties.
