For the first time in nearly two decades, a Democrat has a shot at winning the 1st District.
I believe Callie Barr will be elected our first congresswoman from Northern Michigan – and I believe she will be great.
Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak got things done for the U.P. and Northern Michigan for 18 years before he retired in 2010. I believe Callie will do the same.
U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman was first elected in 2016 as part of Donald Trump‘s big victory in Northern Michigan. Since then, the demographics of the district have been changing as more people are moving to the beautiful North. And people are taking a serious look at the-less-than stellar record of the incumbent.
I started seriously looking at the 1st District race on Feb. 17, when the Detroit
News ran an article with the headline “UP lawmakers yank support for Jack Bergman.” The article went on to say, “In a remarkable rebuke, a trio of Republican state lawmakers from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula publicly rescinded their support for the five-term GOP Congressman, calling him a liar and suggesting he has been absent and disconnected from his district. A long-time state lawmaker, Sen. Ed McBroom, said he'd never vote for U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman.”
Not long after, I met with Bergman‘s potential opponent, Callie Barr.
A lifetime of service prepared Callie Barr for this moment
Callie is an impressive candidate, and her campaign is resonating with voters in the 1st District.
Callie and her husband have lived a life of public service. After 9/11, her husband joined the Marines, and they became a military family. After multiple tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, Matt came home with a traumatic brain injury and PTSD, and that began a new chapter of their service.
Matt and Callie focused on Matt’s recovery, and Callie became a fierce advocate for veterans, working with Rosalynn Carter and with Blue Star families to advocate for veterans mental health and physical health care.
Callie, who has a teaching degree, went back to get her law degree, so she could do even more to fight for veterans. That record of service was one of the reasons the respected advocacy group, VoteVets, endorsed Callie in this election.
Bergman's record has become his biggest political weakness
Bergman has been a key leader of efforts to privatize the VA via the CHOICE Act, creating openings for outside contractors to profit from VA services and introducing legislation that would divert VA federal funds to the private sector. And he has been the number one recipient of campaign contributions from groups who have been illegally scamming veterans who are filing for disability benefits. There is no fee for filing these claims, and yet these groups, called “claims sharks,” have deceived veterans into paying unnecessary fees. Bergman actually put in a bill that included protecting these groups from legal action.
The VFW, Disabled American Veterans and American Legion all opposed his bill, along with 44 state attorneys general.
But that is not all. In addition to a scheme he has reportedly been operating with his top staff to hide outside income that violated ethics rules ‒ other up north lawmakers say he endorses candidates who use his chief of staff’s consulting service ‒ he spent several years as the number one spender in all of the House of Representatives for taxpayer-funded lodging. Even during the two years of COVID, Bergman spent more than other members of Congress, our analysis of House disbursement records found, he spent $61,761 while the median member spent $1,852.
All of this is to say that Bergman has lost credibility and support in his own party because of his actions.
And he has consistently voted to cut health care, including to rural hospitals, as well as other essential services for families in his own district. He has also been a staunch supporter of the Iran war – voting to approve ongoing war funding ‒ which has exploded gas prices, and of the president’s damaging tariffs.
For the first time in years, Democrats have a real opening
Support for Callie in the 1st District is strong, with 500 volunteers and counting. Turnout in the Democratic primary in August was up 50%, with 106,000 ballots cast. Republican turnout was down ‒ 108,000. It’s been a long time in this district since a Democrat started out with the same voter turnout going into the general election.
Then there is the fundraising success of Callie’s campaign. In the third quarter, that was just reported, she raised $749,000. This is a record amount for northern Michigan. In the same period, Bergman raised $395,000.
Callie, Matt and their two wonderful daughters are part of five generations in northern Michigan. There are persistent reports that Bergman spends more time at a home he owns in Louisiana than in the 1st District. In 2016, he disclosed that he was serving on a school board in New Orleans.
Barr's roots run deep in the district she hopes to serve
Callie understands the importance of quality schools and creating opportunities for her daughters and other young people to be successful in Michigan. No one has to explain the impacts of the high costs of food, gas, housing and health care on 1st District residents to Callie. Her family feels it, because they live here.
I was honored to suit up every day for 28 years and go to Washington to fight for Michigan. I know what it takes to beat an incumbent and I know what it takes to effectively serve the people of our great state. I am supporting Callie Barr because I know that she can do both. She represents a new generation of leaders and has the heart of a public servant, which is needed now more than ever.
Debbie Stabenow represented Michigan in the U.S. Senate from 2001 to 2025. Submit a letter to the editor at freep.com/letters, and we may publish it in print or online.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Why Callie Barr can defeat Jack Bergman in Michigan's 1st District | Opinion
