It’s a rematch in Michigan’s 1st Congressional District, where attorney Callie Barr secured the Democratic nomination in Tuesday’s primary voting.
She’ll face incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Jack Bergman, just like she did in 2024.
At her election night watch party on Tuesday night, a group of about 50 supporters ate pie and ice cream and anxiously refreshed the results on their phones.
A round of applause went up when the race was called for Barr at around 11 p.m. She addressed supporters for about five minutes, thanking them for their work in the campaign so far, and then spoke with reporters.
“We have the greatest income inequality that we’ve had in over 100 years,” she told IPR. “We see that in the cost of gas and groceries, healthcare that folks have been priced out of, and so this is really a fight to matter for the next 100 to 200 years.”
In the primary, Barr faced Wayne Stiles, an industrial engineer from Elmwood Township, and Kyle Blomquist, a city council member from Iron Mountain in the western Upper Peninsula.
Blomquist, who brought in about 36 percent of the vote, could not be reached for comment on election night. IPR talked to his campaign manager who said he was unavailable.
Stiles brought in about 6 percent of the vote.
The last Democrat
Getting to Capitol Hill might be an uphill climb for Barr. Bergman has held the seat for 10 years, and the last Democrat to represent the 1st District was former U.S. Rep. Bart Stupak, who left in 2011.
“You’ve got to get these moderate, or the Democrats who have voted Republican, to come back home,” Stupak told IPR on Wednesday morning. “They’re there. But you have to have the message to bring them back to the party.”
Still, there are some things working in Barr’s favor, including antipathy toward the status quo, Stupak says. President Trump’s approval numbers are low and his policies are unpopular in recent polling, which could drag down Republican candidates.
“She’s got an opportunity here,” Stupak said.
A primary challenge, sort of
On the Republican side of the ballot, Bergman coasted to victory over his primary opponents.
He brought in 74 percent of the vote with challengers Matthew DenOtter and Justin Michael each pulling in about 13 percent of GOP primary voters.
In a statement, Bergman said “I’m incredibly grateful to the Bergman Brigade and the thousands of voters across Northern Michigan and the Upper Peninsula who once again placed their trust in me.”
The district includes 35 counties across the northern region and all of the U.P.
WCMU's Grace Walker contributed to this report.
