Callie Barr is launching a second attempt to represent Michigan's First Congressional District in the House of Representatives.
In the Democrat's first race against incumbent Republican Congressman Jack Bergman, he won the 2024 general election by more than 100,000 votes.
Republican Justin Michal and Democrat Wayne Stiles also have announced they will be running for that seat in Congress.
In a Thursday press conference, Barr said she understands she will be "the clear underdog" candidate in a district that includes all of the Upper Peninsula and most of northern Lower Peninsula and traditionally leans Republican.
"What's really important to me this time around (is) elevating the voices of people here," she said. "I want to elevate those voices so that we can cut through the noise. It's hard for people to know what's real and what's not real."
Barr invited community members to speak on their experiences with healthcare, veteran support, and economic issues in rural Michigan during the conference.
Accessible healthcare was a primary topic of discussion amongst Barr and her supporters. Marlene Broemer, an Ontonagon resident, shared her community's struggles to find urgent care after the county's only hospital was closed.
Broemer criticized Bergman for failing to oppose the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which she said led to that closure.
"People here are going to die," Broemer said. "We know that since the hospital closed. And that's a concern to me."
Air Force veteran Justina Hlavka praised Barr for her commitment to providing accessible health care for veterans in Northern Michigan.
"She did everything within her power to help us," Hlavka said. "I think that's because she knows. She knows the fight in her bones because her husband is also a veteran of the Marines. She's got the grit and the heart. She's lived the experience and she wants to do something about it."
Barr emphasized her commitment to bridging the divide between political parties, citing that she is more than her political affiliation.
"We know that we can work together – even when we have differences," Barr said. "And (being) willing to say that is the only way that we move forward. I think we really have to understand that we are Americans first before we're anything."
James Hogge, a spokesperson for the congressman, said in a written statement that the Bergman campaign "gladly welcomes" Barr to the race for Congress.
Barr's rhetoric "only boosted General Bergman's support last election and helped him defeat her by over 100,000 votes," Hogge said, predicting that the voters of the First District "won't be fooled ... this cycle either."
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