August primary sets stakes for big Michigan November election

Barr and Blomquist bid for Congressional campaign against Bergman

Photo: Congressional candidate Callie Barr shares a laugh with John and Barb Lund at their dock on the Glen Lakes on July 26, nine days before the primary election.

By Jacob Wheeler

Sun editor

When Leelanau County voters cast their ballots in the primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 4, the outcome of their decisions may resonate far beyond these sunny summer days. Who wins the closely watched intraparty contests for Michigan Governor, U.S. Senator, and Congress could set the paths forward for the Democratic and Republican parties at a time of political upheaval in this country.

Polls show that Democrats are likely to nominate establishment candidate Jocelyn Benson—Michigan’s current Secretary of State—as their next gubernatorial choice over Genessee County sheriff Chris Swanson, following eight years of Gretchen Whitmer at the helm. But will Republicans run with MAGA courter John James over millionaire businessman Perry Johnson? James, who once criticized Trump, saying he “can’t be trusted,” now covets the president’s endorsement. James, who previously lost two U.S. Senate elections, occasionally visits Glen Arbor during the summer.

Eyes around the nation are closely watching Michigan’s Democratic Senate primary race to see if left-wing progressive Abdul El-Sayed can beat centrist establishment candidate Haley Stevens in a battle that could help Democrats regain control of the U.S. Senate in 2027. Buoyed by the election of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani last year, the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) movement is riding momentum in New York and other big cities, but can their economic populist message resonate with rural and Midwestern voters too?

El-Sayed, the former health director for Wayne County, favors Medicare for all, ridding politics of outside money, and ending unconditional military aid for Israel and other countries engaged in human rights violations—a message that resonates with young voters and the large Arab American community in southeast Michigan. If he wins in November, El-Sayed would become the first Muslim U.S. Senator.

El-Sayed’s campaign donations come primarily from individual grassroots contributors. Meanwhile, Congresswoman Stevens is heavily backed by outside spending and corporate-aligned political action committees, including the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). Stevens has the endorsements of Whitmer and current Senator Gary Peters.

On the Republican side, Mike Rogers is running unopposed for U.S. Senate.

A high Barr to beat Bergman

Meanwhile, the primary race for Northern Michigan’s first congressional seat—a sprawling district which includes the Upper Peninsula and 15 counties in the Lower Peninsula—also features a choice between an upstart candidate who has excited activists and a well-known establishment candidate who has the support of political leaders.

Democrat Callie Barr, a veteran advocate, attorney, and educator who lives in Traverse City, is running once again to unseat Republican incumbent Jack Bergman, who bested Barr in 2024 by more than 20 percentage points. In that race, Barr beat Bergman in Leelanau and Marquette counties and lost everywhere else.

Bergman, a MAGA-aligned lawmaker who has flanked Trump during his campaign appearances in Traverse City, has represented Michigan’s first congressional district since 2017.

On her second run for office, Barr enjoys strong labor union support as well as endorsements from former Congressman Bart Stupak and fellow Traverse City resident Pete Buttigieg, who served as Transportation Secretary during the Biden administration.

“She’s made an extraordinary difference delivering for military families, and I know she’ll bring the same focus to the Capitol on behalf of Northern Michigan and the UP,” Buttigieg said of Barr on July 10.

If elected, Barr, who the Sun profiled in October 2024, would be the first woman to win the first congressional district in Michigan’s 187-year-old statehood.

Bergman has easily won the last five elections; however, Barr points out that two years ago her campaign garnered 35,000 more votes than the Democrat who lost to Bergman in 2022—even as the 2024 election represented a right-wing shift in the United States and around the world.

“It means a lot when people in our area step forward and say, ‘This is a race we can win’,” Barr told the Glen Arbor Sun while campaigning in Glen Arbor on July 26, referring to the public endorsement from Buttigieg. “At every step I have had to prove the viability of this race to win these endorsements. Pete told me to ‘Just keep going. Running can be tough.’”

Circular firing squad among Democrats?

Barr may be the Democratic establishment candidate, but progressive Yooper Kyle Blomquist has also excited progressive activists and picked up endorsements from Traverse Indivisible (TI) and the Northwest Michigan Democratic Socialists of America (DSA) chapter. Traverse City resident Wayne Stiles is also running in the primary.

Blomquist, 41, an architect from Iron Mountain, considers himself a Democratic Socialist. The backing from Indivisible in June came as a surprise and upset the apple cart for some Democrats. (Leelanau Indivisible has not endorsed anyone.)

“Historically, we have not made endorsements in contested primaries. We respect the right of our members to evaluate candidates and make their own decisions,” wrote John DeSpelder, president of Traverse Indivisible. “This year, however, felt different. For me personally, this has involved a genuine struggle between my heart and my head. …

“Across this district, people have watched wages stagnate, housing become unaffordable, young people leave, and communities struggle while too many politicians seemed disconnected from the realities of everyday life,” DeSpelder added. “Voters are increasingly looking for authenticity, independence, and accountability. They’re looking for candidates who show up, listen, and build trust face-to-face rather than through consultants and television ads.”

Some progressives cheered the Blomquist endorsement. Others criticized it.

“I’m quite disappointed in this decision. For one, I feel it is too early. Secondly, there is no mention of Callie Barr, who has worked tirelessly through almost two election cycles, to garner votes and build a campaign that represents this district,” wrote Stephen Hammontree. “She has been at events throughout northern Michigan and has been the face of opposition to Jack Bergman. Kyle Blomquist has not.”

Others pointed out Barr’s fundraising ability as necessary to beat Bergman.

“wrote Jamie Roseman Mills. “We need 40,000 Republicans to vote Democrat to beat Bergman who will have $10 million. How do you intend to do that? Citizens United destroyed elections but the reality is the money is necessary to flip this seat Blue. …  What’s your plan to pull the 40,000 over to vote democratic?”

Still others called out the activist group for making an endorsement before the primary.

“TI should remain neutral,” wrote Rick Derthick. “Endorsing candidates before voters have even selected a nominee is divisive and unnecessary. If the organization’s preferred candidate goes on to lose the general election, it calls into question the value of that endorsement and diminishes TI’s credibility.”

Barr and Blomquist break down Bergman, healthcare, environment

“He’s an embarrassment to Yoopers and Northern Michiganders,” Blomquist said of Bergman. “The way he has been sycophantic toward Trump. The way he has voted alongside Trump for the Big, Beautiful Bill and attacks on SNAP benefits as rural healthcare systems shut down.”

Barr pulled no punches either when describing Bergman.

“He’s a coward. He won’t hold debates. We’ve had no interaction with him. He doesn’t live here (in the first congressional district). When you’re paid to do a job, you should show up and do your job. You should stand by it.

Barr also singled out the 2025 Veteran Choice Act, which Bergman supports, for opening the door to private companies filing veterans’ initial benefits claims—something currently illegal.

“I have spent my adult life fighting for military families and veterans, and I will make sure that they get the benefits that they have earned,” she told the Leelanau Enterprise.

Both Barr and Blomquist tout their ability to reach across the aisle and engage in bipartisan dialogue.

“This seat is not a seat for Democrats or Republicans; it’s a northern Michigan seat,” said Barr.

From Bergman and the federal government, both candidates see chaos, corruption and destabilization, along with rising costs of groceries, gasoline and healthcare.

Blomquist said that corporate consolidation of hospitals has hurt Yoopers, many of whom have lost services in their communities and now travel long distances for healthcare visits.

“I’ve seen my neighbors’ material conditions deteriorating,” said Blomquist. “We shouldn’t have commodified healthcare. I support Medicare for all, from birth to death, which should be covered by your taxes. We’re the only developed nation in the world that doesn’t provide universal healthcare.”

Barr has called for repealing Medicaid cuts in the federal budget bill Bergman voted for, warning that rural hospitals in the district can’t absorb the loss.

“Already in the past year and a half, we have lost three labor-and-deliveries in this district,” she told the Enterprise, referring to maternity units.

Blomquist spoke to the Sun on July 20, a few days after the acrid smoke from wildfires in Canada and Minnesota sent Northern Michiganders indoors or searching for medical masks left over from the COVID pandemic.

“As a kid I never remember staying indoors in the summer because of wildfire smoke,” he reflected. “Man-made climate change is a thing, and it’s accelerating because we have neglected the science. We need to break our reliance on fossil fuels, and we can’t rely on utility companies to dictate the timeline.”

Blomquist advocated for a green new deal with investments in public utilities to keep rates down and a mass effort to decarbonize our economy.

Barr decried how the Trump administration, with the backing of Bergman and others in Congress, have rolled back clean energy initiatives.

“We need to think about workforce development. We need to be a leader in the new economy. This is our future,” she said.

She recalled how under Elon Musk and the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), the administration cut resources to keep invasive species out of the Great Lakes and cut staffing for the National Park Service.

“If we want to protect our environment, we need appropriate staffing levels in federal services, and we need to make sure they’re run by competent people.

“Our natural environment is our way of life,” Barr added.

Housing, data centers, jobs

“Housing isn’t just a local issue, it’s a national one,” said Barr.

As potential solutions she named Michigan’s 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, a bipartisan legislative package that Gov. Whitmer signed into law this month that cuts regulatory red tape, modernizes Department of Housing and Urban Development programs, and restricts institutional investors from hoarding single-family housing inventory.

“We need to look at zoning and where we can build. We need access to capital so our developers can build. We need to work across levels of government. Tariffs driving up the cost of timber doesn’t help.”

As an architect, Blomquist sees private equity firms as contributing to the housing crisis. He favors a return to subsidized public housing.

As for data centers, which some see as targeting Michigan’s rural communities, Blomquist supports a full moratorium on new construction.

“Right now the flood gates are open. We need a federal licensure process to make sure they’re not draining aquifers or polluting water,” he said. “We need to use this opportunity to negotiate from a position of strength and make sure Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not stealing our data privacy, not engaging in mass surveillance, and not producing weapons.”

Barr emphasized local control and knowledge before reaching conclusions about data centers.

“It’s important to recognize that these new types of mega data centers are totally different,” she said. “We need regulations to protect fresh water. We need to make sure any increased energy costs are borne by companies and not by people. We already have folks who can’t bear the costs of utilities. We need transparency. We need to know the risks before we can really engage here. I’m a strong believer in local control.

“A mega data center today could look different years from now. What does the cleanup look like? Who’s responsible for it? How can we protect our local communities?”

Barr compared data center development to PFAS, the forever chemicals that linger in our groundwater.

To create jobs, both candidates touted the need to invest in infrastructure.

Blomquist namedropped the Works Progress Administration, the 1930s, New Deal-era program that used federal government funds to “employ Americans to build America. …

“We need to spend less on military and wars. We need to invest in jobs, especially in rural areas. When you make investments, jobs come out of it.”

Barr pointed out that one quarter of the first congressional district doesn’t have Internet, calling it crucial to help small businesses.

“We need to make this a place where people can come and work. We have an economy with lots of tourists and workers on H2A and H2B visas. Some of them are afraid to come even though they’re here legally,” she said.

Barr noted that Trump’s tariffs, immigration enforcement and threats against Canada led to a 25-percent drop in visitors through the border city of Sault Ste Marie between 2024 and 2025.

“We need jobs and innovation coming here. We want ideas, we want to innovate, we want small businesses. We want to bring in population. We want to make sure our hospitals are secure, because if hospitals suffer, so do coffee shops on Main Street.

“We need to make sure that kids who are born here can stay here.”

Israel, Iran and ICE

Israel’s use of American-made weapons to prosecute its war in the Palestinian territories of Gaza and the West Bank also motivated Blomquist to run for Congress, he told the Sun.

“I decided I wanted my neighbors to have an option on the ballot that didn’t result in genocide and violence abroad.”

Barr said her view on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict—a topic important to many young, progressive voters—is rooted in her values as a mother.

“We need a two-state solution,” she told the Sun. “We need to work with the region to protect innocent civilian lives. When I think of the need for humanitarian aid, clean water, food and medical care for Palestinians, I think of my own children.

“I would be guided by my values if I took a vote on military funding for Israel.”

Barr clarified that she would not de-fund Iron Dome, Israel’s US-sourced air defense system which intercepts rockets fired from Iran or other hostile neighbors.

The Sun asked Barr about whether, as a member of Congress, she would hold Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to account for alleged war crimes committed by the Israeli military against civilians in Gaza and Lebanon. In Gaza, the mostly destroyed enclave on the Mediterranean, more than 70,000 have perished since Israel’s siege, which followed Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks and murder of 1,200 Israelis—the deadliest day for Jews since the Holocaust.

“We need to distinguish between Netanyahu and Israel,” Barr said, before pivoting back to Northern Michigan. “I’m 110-percent focused on what’s happening here at home. Some candidates are only focused on the Middle East. …

“I talk to people here who have don’t have running water.”

Barr was also circumspect about Congress’ role with respect to the war in Iran, which Trump and Netanyahu started in February, and which has sent shockwaves through the global economy.

“We’ve got a war right now that’s not approved by Congress, and we cannot have that. We have gas prices continuing to increase. We’ve hurt our standing around the world,” she said.

“Coming from a military family, I know the impact and trauma of war. I know it within my own family,” Barr said. “Whenever we think about getting involved in a conflict, I think about the sacred duty we have. We have lost American lives in this tragedy. I think about those families that will be impacted forever.

“Congress needs to reassert its role as a coequal branch of government. Bergman the military general has hid his face. But we’re in it now. We need to be smart about how we protect U.S. national security, how we reopen the Strait of Hormuz. We have now lost U.S. bases in the Middle East.”

Barr added that Defense Secretary Pete “Hegseth wants billions more without a plan. There is no way we blanket reallocate funding without a plan. No way.”

Barr and Blomquist offered different reactions on what the next Congress should do about Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the department which Trump has emboldened to invade American cities like Chicago and Minneapolis, terrorize domestic populations, and incarcerate and deport hundreds of thousands of immigrants—many of whom have lived in the United States for decades, albeit without legal status, and had no criminal record. ICE’s largest detention center in the Midwest is in Baldwin, Michigan, a mere 80 minutes from the tranquility of Leelanau County.

“We should abolish ICE,” said Blomquist unequivocally. “As Democrats, we should change the messaging to make immigration our strength. Democrats should stop caving to Republicans that immigrants are a drain on our economy or are violent criminals. The data shows the opposite.”

Blomquist referenced a study published in April by the libertarian CATO Institute which showed that, over the past 30 years, undocumented immigrants paid a net tax surplus into the U.S. economy.

“If they weren’t here, our national debt would be 50 percent higher,” he said.

“Abolish ICE, return to a sane immigration policy, run it through the Department of Justice and not Homeland Security. Reappropriate all those funds to something more constructive.”

Barr said there is a place for ICE, particularly following the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but someone competent should run the Department of Homeland Security, and the funding should mirror that of the FBI and the CIA.

“Masked men, without names, without adequate training are going into our cities. Folks are not held accountable. This is a perversion,” she said.

“There was a place for (ICE) after 9/11. We had a gap there. I wouldn’t say we don’t need immigration enforcement. We need some. But what we have today is not that.”

Left, right, center, and socialism

Barr disagreed with comparing this first congressional primary race to the U.S. Senate primary race, where leftist El-Sayed battles centrist Stevens. Barr emphasizes that she takes no corporate PAC money, though campaign finance disclosures show that she has received contributions from leadership political action committees. Most of Barr’s funding comes from individual contributions.

“I’m from here in the district. I’m the only candidate on this side of the ticket that’s endorsed by labor,” she said, referring to the United Auto Workers, the National Education Association, the Michigan Building Trades and Northern Michigan Building Trades International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers 85.

Aware of a lingering stigma surrounding the word “socialism,” Blomquist described Democratic Socialism as a movement and not a separate party.

“The easiest way to describe Democratic Socialism is that it centers the American working class before billionaires,” he said. “We in the working class are the ones who produce everything, who build things and make them run.

“The DSA doesn’t work as a third party. They put forth candidates that are on the Democratic Party ticket who guarantee health care and housing, who don’t overmilitarize our foreign policy.

“It’s a campaign of being FDR Democrats rather than Bill Clinton Democrats.”

Is Bergman vulnerable this time?

Both Barr and Blomquist believe that Bergman is vulnerable this election. So, apparently, do Justin Michal, a 43-year-old U.S. Army veteran from Grayling, and Matthew DenOtter, Republicans who are challenging him in the primary. Michal doesn’t have Bergman’s deep campaign coffers, but as evidenced by yard signs at prominent locations in Leelanau County—such as near the Shimek farm on M-72—he does have grassroots support from some Republicans.

Michal, who believes it’s time for a new generation to lead the first congressional district, supports Congressional term limits, healthcare reform that protects Medicare, and ending U.S. financial support for proxy wars abroad. In an interview with the Leelanau Enterprise, Michal linked the Iran war directly to fuel costs, arguing that diesel prices are squeezing industries throughout the district.

Bergman told the Enterprise he declined to set a timeline for when Congress should vote on continued funding for the war on Iran, which was started by Trump and Israel early this year. He said he would not do anything to “hobble the administration’s ability to keep our citizens safe and secure.”

Since the war began in late February, 18 U.S. service members have been killed, with more than 600 injured. Meanwhile, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, which has crippled global trade and raising energy and gas prices worldwide.

During his most recent term in Congress, Bergman voted for Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill Act,” which included cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, gutted the SNAP-Ed national nutrition education program, and cut Affordable Care Act tax credits. On top of that, Bergman has long faced claims that his primary residence isn’t in the UP but in Louisiana.

Bergman has also raised eyebrows among constituents for accepting lucrative donations from out-of-state actors. In March, Interlochen Public Radio reported that Bergman received a check in 2025 totaling $289,100 from a California couple—one of the largest individual donations given to a Michigan congressional candidate. That couple was entertainment and corporate lawyer Robin Rosensweig and her husband Elliott Broidy, who runs a private equity firm that invests in technology for law enforcement and defense agencies. Broidy has deep and long-standing ties to Israel through private equity investments and pro-Israel advocacy.

Broidy pleaded guilty in 2020 to an illegal foreign lobbying scheme and was later pardoned by President Donald Trump, a pardon Bergman supported.

“He has no reason to listen to anybody here,” Wayne Stiles told the Enterprise.

Bergman, 79, a retired Marine lieutenant general, who has served in Congress for nearly a decade, outright dismissed his primary challengers.

“I would suggest to you, in this case, there’s no integrity within the confines of my opponent’s body (DenOtter),” Bergman told the Enterprise. Bergman also told Leelanau County’s weekly paper of record that he encouraged Michal, “the best thing you can do is just drop out now and endorse me, and let’s see if we can make something good happen.”

Bergman has refused to participate in debates during the primary or general election season. He last debated an opponent in September 2018 during his reelection campaign against Democratic challenger Matt Morgan. Since then, he has publicly dismissed debates as “a waste of everybody’s time” for an incumbent who already has a public voting record for voters to evaluate.

This story was supported by reporting made possible by the Northern Michigan Journalism Collaborative, led by Bridge Michigan and Interlochen Public Radio, and funded by Press Forward Northern Michigan.