Tom Barrett, Curtis Hertel join race for Rep. Elissa Slotkin’s US House seat in Michigan

The race to replace U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Lansing, in the House of Representatives has taken shape quickly in recent days with indications two well-known politicians with history in the state Legislature would vie for the seat.

Former state Sen. Tom Barrett, R-Charlotte, announced Sunday that he would run a second time for Michigan's 7th Congressional District, having lost to Slotkin last year. Also, former state Sen. Curtis Hertel Jr., D-East Lansing, who until recently served as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's chief of legislative affairs, filed his statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission last week and announced his entry into the race on Monday.

Hertel — who posted on Twitter that he was running as a "tireless advocate for mid-Michigan" — had been widely expected to join the race, with Slotkin — who is running to replace U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., who is stepping down after this term — actively recruiting him to run for the mid-Michigan congressional seat.

Barrett — a former Army helicopter pilot who served in Iraq and became known for sparring with Democrats and pushing legislation to strip Whitmer of emergency pandemic powers — put out a video announcing his campaign. He, too, had also widely been expected to join the race, having lost 52%-46% to Slotkin in what was one of the most expensive races in the nation, attracting tens of millions in outside spending. The district is considered a toss-up.

"The threats to America’s national and economic security have never been greater and President Biden has demonstrated time and again that he isn’t up to the challenge," Barrett said in a statement. In his announcement video, he chastises President Joe Biden and the Democrats for the Afghanistan withdrawal, the growth of Chinese influence globally, crime and the increase in undocumented immigrants coming across the southern border.

"I’m running for Congress to restore our commitment to America and the values that took us from a fragile new republic to become the greatest nation on Earth," he said.

The race is again likely to be a marquee matchup among those in Michigan next year, with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., eager to pick up any seat he can as he tries to maintain his small majority in the U.S. House. Democrats similarly don't want to cede the district either.

Based around Lansing, the region that makes up the 7th District has swung to be slightly more Democratic-leaning in recent elections. Also, it may not hurt that Hertel is from one of the state's best known political families, with a brother, Kevin, in the state Legislature; a father, Curtis Sr., who served as co-House speaker in the state House; and an uncle, Dennis, who served in Congress.

Republicans appeared ready to take the fight to Hertel. National Republican Congressional Committee spokesman Chris Gustafson responded to word he was getting in the race by saying Hertel has voted against tax cuts as a state legislator and while working for Whitmer helped pass a $175 million deal for a battery plant whose parent company has ties to China.

"Michigan voters are well aware of Hertel's extreme record and will swiftly reject him as Republicans flip the 7th," Gustafson said.

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@tsspangler.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Tom Barrett, Curtis Hertel join race for Rep. Elissa Slotkin’s seat