Tom Barrett and Curtis Hertel will replace Slotkin in the race for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District.

(CBS DETROIT) – Republican Tom Barrett and Democrat Curtis Hertel Jr. face off in the race for Michigan’s 7th Congressional District in what could be one of the most competitive congressional races in the country.

The winner will take control seat being vacated by Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkinwho is running against former Republican Rep. Mike Rogers in the open U.S. Senate race to replace longtime Democratic incumbent Debbie Stabenow.

Barrett previously competed against Slotkin in 2022 in the most expensive U.S. House race that year. Slotkin defeated Barrett by 20,185 votes.

The current district was formed in 2022 and includes Clinton, Ingham, Livingston and Shiawassee counties, as well as parts of Eaton, Genesee and Oakland counties. Major cities include Lansing, East Lansing, Brighton and Howell.

The district was previously represented by Republican Tim Wahlberg from 2011 to 2023 before it was redrawn and won by Slotkin in 2022. Wahlberg currently represents Michigan’s 5th Congressional District.

Candidates

After graduating from high school, Barrett served 22 years in the U.S. Army and is a veteran of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Before starting his political career, Barrett worked as an analyst for the Michigan Department of the Treasury.

Barrett served two terms in the Michigan House of Representatives in 2014 and 2016 before being elected to the Michigan Senate in 2018.

Hertel is a former state senator. He was first elected to the Michigan State Senate and again in 2018. He had previously been elected a member of the Ingham County Register of Deeds.

Hertel most recently served as Legislative Director for Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. His wife, Elizabeth Hertel, is director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Key questions

Barrett says he’s focused on what he calls the “four pillars of safety.” Barrett is focused on securing borders, lowering the cost of living, national security and protecting Michigan communities from crime.

“I’m not running for Congress to be the lesser of two evils—I’m running because I want to leave my children an America worth defending,” Barrett said in his campaign platform. “I come to Washington to renew our commitment to America and the values ​​that brought us from a fragile new republic to the greatest nation on earth.”

Hertel said he is focused on protecting women’s right to abortion, fixing supply chains in Michigan, protecting voting rights and fighting to protect the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid.

Hertel says he is “a tireless advocate for Mid-Michigan who believes the only way to achieve our shared goals is to listen and work with others to find solutions that help everyone.”