- U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman faces two Republican primary challengers in Michigan’s 1st Congressional District
- Two Democratic candidates also competing in the conservative district
- District includes all or part of 36 counties in Upper Peninsula and the northern Lower Peninsula
In Michigan’s northernmost congressional district, U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman aims to fend off two primary challengers and Democratic hopefuls for a fifth term in Congress.
Bergman, a Republican whose home address is near the Upper Peninsula’s Wisconsin border, has handily won re-election in recent contests, defeating Democratic challenger Bob Lorinser with 60% of the vote in 2022.
Bergman’s incumbency aside, a Republican has represented the region since former U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak left office in 2010, and GOP candidates have continued to hold an edge there in recent presidential elections. In both 2016 and 2020 contests, former President Donald Trump won roughly 60% of the district’s total vote share.
The sprawling 1st Congressional District covers all or part of 36 counties, including the entire Upper Peninsula and much of the northern Lower Peninsula. The district makes up 44% of Michigan’s land mass but only 7% of the state’s total population. Notable cities include Marquette, Traverse City, Sault Ste. Marie and Alpena.
Five major-party candidates — two Democrats and three Republicans — submitted required petition signatures by the April 23 deadline. Winners of the Aug. 6 primary will square off in the Nov. 5 general election. Third party candidates can be nominated at conventions later in the year.
Democrats
Callie Barr: Barr is a Traverse City attorney who worked as a high school English teacher before becoming an advocate for military families through Blue Star Families and the Rosalynn Carter Institute for Caregivers. Barr graduated from Central Michigan University and University of Michigan Law School and began advocating for veterans and their families after her husband sustained significant injuries while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, according to her campaign. In a video announcing her campaign, Barr said northern Michigan residents deserve a representative “who’s from here, and can actually fix people’s problems because they’ve actually lived them.”