This district was home to one of the most expensive Congressional races of 2022, and also one of the most expensive Congressional races in history (so far). The matchup between incumbent Rep. Elissa Slotkin and State Sen. Tom Barrett got exceptionally nasty rather quickly. The race was seen as one of the bellwethers for who would control the House of Representatives after the midterms. Slotkin won, but we lost control of the House.
This time around, it will be a different type of race. Slotkin is gone, being destined for bigger and better things like a Senate race. Tom Barrett refuses to go away, as he is running for this district again in 2024. This will be a tough district to hold no matter who our nominee happens to be. Question is, can we hold this tough swing seat without Slotkin?
Former State Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. says YES! Make no doubt, this race will be highly competitive once again, and it may determine who has control of the House after the 2024 elections. But Hertel is about as strong a recruit as we can find in this district, coming from a well connected political family. He will work hard to keep Michigan’s 7th district in Democratic hands, but he will need your help.
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Curtis Hertel, Jr. for Michigan-7
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What’s the Big Idea?
MI-07 election results for 2022.
THIS RACE IS A TOSSUP, with an R+2 PVI
This district was numbered the 8th district for several decades, and it was a swing seat for most of its political history. This was the stomping grounds of retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, who held this district between 1997 and 2001. After she was elected for the Senate, the GOP held the seat for 18 straight years with Rep. Mike Rogers and Rep. Mike Bishop.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin won this district in the 2018 blue wave election, and held it during 2020 as well. The old district she represented voted for Trump, but this new one chose Biden by a 49.4% to 48.9% result, which is super close. Slotkin was seen as vulnerable in 2022, even with the improved district. However, she used the abortion rights amendment and sharp political skills to win 51.7% to 46.3% over State Sen. Tom Barrett.
Rep. Elissa Slotkin is now running for the open Senate seat in 2024, leaving behind a swing seat that either party could win. Tom Barrett is back to try and win this district again, and our recruit is former State Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. A lot will depend on who wins this district — if Biden wins it again, we have a chance. If Trump wins it, it is more likely to go to Barrett. Such is the life of a coin flip district.
Here’s where this race will be won in the 7th district.
- Lansing Metro Area: This is the anchor of the entire district, and the only source of Democratic votes. East Lansing (MSU) HAS to turnout. The core city that is nearly majority minority HAS to turnout. The suburbs (which can swing against us) HAVE to side with us and turnout. There are no other votes to gather here. Luckily, this metro area is spilling over into other counties.
Here’s where we need to keep the margins down, or we lose.
- Livingston County: This county is the anchor of the GOP vote, and it is irredeemably red. This county used to be a hotbed of KKK activity, just to give you a sense of the politics of the area. It has become the white flight destination for southeastern Michigan, which is slowly changing the politics of the county. But for now, Hertel has to get what votes there are here.
- Farm Country: Once you get outside of the Lansing metro area, the votes quickly turn to GOP candidates in Eaton, Clinton, and Ingham Counties. Shiawassee County is the same way as well. There aren’t very many votes out this far, but what exists is very red and could tip the scales against Hertel in a close race. Once again, he needs to do damage control in these parts.
Who is Curtis Hertel, Jr.?
Former State Sen. Curtis Hertel, Jr. comes from a political family.
The Hertel family has been active in Michigan politics for generations. Hertel’s father was co-Speaker of the House from 1993-1995. His brother is currently in the Michigan state Senate. His uncle served in the US House. Curtis Hertel, Jr. served in the state senate himself from 2015 to 2023. He’s worked for governors Granholm and Whitmer in various roles. He’s also served in various local offices in Ingham County. Do know he has been endorsed by the New Democratic Coalition, meaning some of his stances are more moderate in nature.
- Union Strong. From his bio on his website and his Twitter feed, it is clear that worker issues are important to Hertel. He would definitely support the PRO Act and other union friendly legislation. The Michigan AFL-CIO has endorsed his campaign, along with many other unions.
- Gun Safety Advocate. Hertel had a son attending Michigan State during the mass shooting there. He helped shepherd red flag, enhanced background check, and other gun safety laws through the state legislature and would be a vote for the same measures in the House.
- Bring Back Manufacturing. Hertel touts his work behind the scenes to bring a next-gen GM automobile plant to the Lansing area on his campaign website. He would support such measures as the CHIPS and Science Act and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law in Congress.
- Protecting Abortion Rights. Hertel made sure the ghastly 1931 abortion ban in Michigan was formally repealed, even after the constitutional amendment passed. Hertel would codify Roe v. Wade into law, as well as stand against a national abortion ban and a contraception ban.
- Farmland Preservation. Hertel worked at the local level in Ingham County to preserve farm land from development. This ensures green spaces for future generations to enjoy and habitat for wildlife. He has been endorsed by the United Rural Democrats for his focus on rural issues.
- Health Care Focus. Hertel wrote legislation to take care of first responders that routinely get exposure to toxic chemicals on the job. He purports that he will work to expand health care access and lower the cost of prescription drugs if elected to Congress. He will protect the ACA and Medicaid from savage GOP cuts.
- Hold Big Banks Accountable. In local office in Ingham County, Hertel discovered the largest instance of massive foreclosure fraud in Michigan history. He sued the big banks responsible for the fraud. It is likely he would take this experience and be strong on finance issues.
Who is Tom Barrett?
Even though he scrubbed this, Tom Barrett became notorious for this anti-trans fundraiser.
Tom Barrett was a helicopter pilot in the Army for 22 years, joining in 1999 and retiring in 2022. He was a liaison between Gov. Rick Snyder and the Michigan Dept. of the Treasury until he joined the Michigan house in 2015. He leveled up to the Michigan senate in 2019, serving until he gave up his seat in a run for Congress in 2022. Now Tom Barrett is back, and he has scrubbed his issues page to hide his agenda. Many of these policy planks are from the DCCC opposition research for his 2022 campaign.
- Immigration Hardliner. Barrett, like many others in the GOP, want to close the southern border and to build Trump’s wall. He demagogues about the number of migrants, including a lie about “those on the terrorist watch list” crossing the border, and about fentanyl seizures.
- Forced Birth Maniac. Even though he scrubbed it from his issues page, make no mistake. Barrett stands for a national abortion ban without exceptions. He was one of the most vocal against Prop 3 in 2022, which would have restored abortion rights to Michiganders.
- Religious Bigot. He can try to hide the evidence, but Barrett is a religious bigot. The screenshot above shows his anti-trans bigotry. He actually sent that out as a fundraiser! He would undoubtedly support “religious liberty” measures to discriminate against LBGTQ+ people.
- Election Denier. Barrett signed onto a letter to Congress urging “investigation into credible allegations of misconduct” in the 2020 election. He claims that the legitimacy of the 2020 election is “unknowable”. He would likely object to a Biden win in 2024 if he is elected.
- “Woke Warrior”. Barrett pays lip service to or actually believes that schools “indoctrinate students” in CRT and other “woke concepts”. He also blames “wokeness” for the softness in the military these days and even for rising crime across the nation. He is a DeVos creature, and would push voucher schemes upon the American schools.
- 2nd Amendment Zealot. Another issue scrubbed from the memory hole, Barrett was one of the best friends of the NRA while serving in the state legislature. He hasn’t met a law loosening gun regulations that he refuses to support. He also consistently votes against gun safety laws.
- Tax Cut Terror. Barrett claims to be against corporate tax subsidies, as evidenced by his votes to not give them to manufacturers relocating to Michigan. He has taken the radical Taxpayer’s Protection Pledge and would work to make the budget busting Trump tax cuts permanent.
How Can You Help?
If you don’t live in Michigan, the most direct way to help Curtis Hertel, Jr. is to give him a donation. It doesn’t have to be a huge one… Even $5 or less matters when this is likely to be one of the most expensive races in the country. You have the presidential race, the Senate race, and this race competing for advertising time and GOTV efforts. It is crucial that we successfully defend this seat! And the DCCC agrees with me!
Both Hertel and Barrett are kicking their fundraising into a higher gear for this contest. Hertel raised $553k for the time period covered by Q4, while Barrett raised $431k during the same time period. Hertel also has an advantage in cash on hand with $1.02M, while Barrett has $649k to spend currently. Let’s hold this seat and give a donation to Hertel today!
If you live in Michigan, there is an embarrassment of riches in terms of volunteering. There’s the Presidential race, the Senate race, and two very competitive House races in MI-07 and MI-08. Know that you are helping Democratic candidates at ALL levels by taking the time to help Hertel.
If you aren’t someone who donates or volunteers, there is a third option that could help the campaign out. You can amplify Curtis Hertel on social media. He has mainly been using social media to showcase the events he has attended and the endorsements he has racked up. He hasn’t attacked the extreme agenda of Tom Barrett at all.
On his Twitter account, he has a surprising number of followers. 22.7k followers is nothing to sneeze at! It is enough to fundraise off of, and to get his message out. His account is moderately busy. He doesn’t post every day, but he does it frequently enough to get his message out. He has been especially vocal about the UAW strike, and he shows solidarity with the striking workers.
Hertel only has 1.1k followers on his Facebook page, which is what I expected. He definitely could use some more support on Facebook in getting his message out. He doesn’t post the same content on both platforms, so it is worth following him on both to see what he is up to. Below, the renowned State Sen. Mallory McMorrow endorses her former colleague for the battleground race.
Help spread the word today by following Curtis Hertel and boosting his campaign in the critical realm of social media!
Curtis Hertel, Jr. has been a mainstay in Lansing area politics for several decades now, and it is this service more than anything that makes him a compelling candidate. His strength on workers’ issues and union issues are a plus in a Rust Belt Michigan district. He will likely be moderate in Congress just like Rep. Elissa Slotkin, but Hertel will also be a loyal Democratic vote for the Biden-Harris agenda.
Just because Tom Barrett lost last time doesn’t mean he won’t be a formidable candidate. Open seat races are a totally different animal than knocking off an incumbent. This district only barely voted for Biden, so it is within reach of the GOP even in a good year. It is deemed by Daily Kos the 5th most vulnerable Democratic district. Barrett would be horrible news for women, people who are LGBTQ+, and those pushing for more gun safety measures. He will be yet another MAGA Republican, even if he wouldn’t be a part of the Chaos Caucus like MTG. We cannot afford to elect someone as extreme as Tom Barrett from a swing district.
Curtis Hertel, Jr. for Michigan-7
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