Congressional candidate Callie Barr wins Pete Buttigieg endorsement

Photo of Buttigieg and Barr by Katie Dunn / Glen Arbor Sun

From staff reports

Callie Barr, a Democrat running to represent Northern Michigan in Congress, picked up a coveted endorsement today from Pete Buttigieg, a fellow Traverse City resident and former Transportation Secretary during the Biden administration.

Barr, who lost during a previous run for Congress in 2024 to incumbent Republican Jack Bergman, faces a primary challenge this year from Upper Peninsula resident Kyle Blomquist, who has garnered support from some Democratic Socialists of America groups and received an endorsement last month from Traverse Indivisible. Michiganders will vote in the primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 4.

Barr, a fifth-generation Traverse City and Cheboygan resident, is a lawyer, teacher, military spouse, and veterans advocate. She became the primary caretaker and advocate for her husband Matt after he suffered combat injuries during deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan following his enlistment in the U.S. Marine Corps after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. That work led her from the classroom to veterans advocacy and law school. The Sun featured Callie Barr in this 2024 story.

Pete Buttigieg, seen as a rising star within the Democratic Party, has hinted at a White House run in recent days and weeks, including earlier this week when he endorsed Jocelyn Benson for Michigan Governor during an event at Right Brain Brewery in Traverse City.