Incumbent Democratic Rep. Elissa Slotkin has defeated her GOP challenger Tom Barrett in the race to represent Michigan’s 7th Congressional District in the House, the Associated Press projects.
Both Slotkin and Barrett have experience with U.S. military operations. Slotkin served as a CIA analyst and served three tours in Iraq alongside the military, while Barrett served in the Army and has served deployments in Iraq, Kuwait, Guantánamo Bay and South Korea.
Throughout the race, Slotkin, who is seen as one of the more vulnerable House Democrats seeking re-election, attempted to maintain her distance from President Biden felt by those in Michigan and around the country.
Slotkin, who currently represents Michigan’s 8th Congressional District, and Rep. Dan Kildee, D-Mich., skipped President Biden’s September trip to Detroit.
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Rep. Elissa Slotkin greets President Joe Biden upon arrival at Capital Region International Airport in Lansing, Michigan, on Oct. 5, 2021.
(NICHOLAS KAMM/AFP via Getty Images)
The offices for Slotkin and Kildee said the pair remained in D.C. to participate in official duties while Congress is in session. Other House members from Michigan, however, traveled with Biden for the Detroit trip.
When asked in October during an appearance on NBC News’ “Meet the Press” whether she would support President Biden in 2024 if he sought re-election, Slotkin said she would support “the sitting president” if he chooses to run because that followed precedent. However, she quickly called for new leadership “across the Democratic Party.”
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“But I have been very vocal, including with my own leadership in the House, that we need a new generation, we need new blood. Period,” she stated.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., speaks during a news conference in Washington on Thursday, May 13, 2021.
(Caroline Brehman/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
“I think the country has been saying that,” said Slotkin, who received an endorsement in the race from Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo.
VULNERABLE HOUSE DEMOCRATS NOTICEABLY ABSENT FROM BIDEN’S TRIP TO DETROIT
In July, Slotkin ripped the Biden administration’s “spin” on inflation, telling CNN at the time, “I think people can feel and see spin and I don’t think they like it.”
Barrett, however, touted an America first agenda and received endorsements from several prominent Republicans, including House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and former Vice President Mike Pence.
On the campaign trail, Barrett made numerous stops to small businesses to introduce himself to voters in an attempt to win the seat.
Republican Michigan state Sen. Tom Barrett, his party’s nominee for Congress in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District, speaks to supporters on the campaign trail.
(Tom Barrett For Congress)
During an October interview with NPR’s Michigan Radio, Barrett said his campaign focus was to “remind people of reality that’s actually happening, that’s actually out there.”
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The race between Barrett and Slotkin was one of the most expensive congressional races in the nation. In October, the race for the state’s 7th District was tied for the most expensive congressional race, totaling an estimated $27 million in spending, according to AdImpact.
As of late last month, Federal Election Commission records revealed Slotkin had about $3.8 million on hand, while Barrett had $118,000.
