In the primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 4, the 46 percent of eligible Leelanau County voters who cast ballots sided with the winners of those races. Leelanau voters also approved all the township millages put before them. Leelanau voted for the following primary winners: Abdul El-Sayed for Senate, Jack Bergman and Callie Barr for the Congressional race, and Jocelyn Benson and John James for the governor’s race.
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. This story breaks down the Democratic primary race between Callie Barr and Kyle Blomquist, who are bidding to take on incumbent Republican Jack Bergman in the November race for Congress—and why Barr and Blomquist, and fellow Republicans challenging Bergman in the Aug. 4 primary, believe the incumbent is vulnerable in 2026.
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. Michiganders will vote in the primary election on Tuesday, Aug. 4.
Prior to her June 3, appearance at the National Writers Series in Traverse City, Michigan Secretary of State (and gubernatorial candidate) Jocelyn Benson spoke to the Glen Arbor Sun via Zoom about her book, “The Purposeful Warrior: Standing up for what’s right when the stakes are high”; about her candidacy for governor in 2026 and her leadership style; about standing up to Trump; about Michigan governors who have inspired her; about abortion rights; about state-funded school meals, and about the future of journalism. Click here to watch the interview and read a full transcription.